Euro 2032 at risk: UEFA President warns Italy

The future of Italian football is at risk, and UEFA has issued a troubling warning: Euro 2032 may not take place in Italy! Following the humiliating elimination of the Italian national team in the playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, doubts are now growing about the country’s ability to host one of the biggest events in European football. The news comes directly from the top of the continental football hierarchy, with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin sounding an alarm that few expected to hear.

In an exclusive interview with the esteemed Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Ceferin did not hide his concern about the state of sports infrastructure in Italy. When asked about the aging stadiums and the urgent need for renovation to ensure the successful hosting of Euro 2032 — a tournament for which Italy is a co-host with Turkey — the official was clear and unequivocal: “Euro 2032 is scheduled and will take place. I hope the infrastructure is ready. Otherwise, the tournament will not be held in Italy.”

This is not the first time that the top leader of European football has pointed to Italian shortcomings. Last year, during the Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona, Ceferin described Italian infrastructure as “by far the worst” among major footballing nations and made a fervent appeal for a deep and urgent renewal. The situation thus appears far from improving, and time is running out.

But the crisis in Italian football is not limited to the state of the stadiums. Aleksander Ceferin also commented on Italy’s recent failure to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup, a genuine shock for a nation with such a rich footballing tradition. However, the UEFA president refused to directly blame Gabriele Gravina, the resigning president of the Italian Football Federation, and launched a scathing critique of the toxic relationship between football and politics in the country: “Italy is one of the greatest football nations and will return to the top. The biggest problem in Italian football is the relationship between football politics and ‘normal’ politics. If everyone aligned, they would soon become European and world champions again. And if the same negative people continue like this, things in football will go very badly.”

This harsh and realistic diagnosis from Ceferin leaves no room for doubt: Italian football is on the brink of disaster and urgently needs radical changes to regain its former glory. The combination of outdated infrastructure, administrative failures, and political interference threatens not only the country’s prestige, but also the hosting of an event that should be a landmark for Italy in 2032.

Italian football thus faces a critical crossroads. It must either renew and reinvent itself quickly, or it risks losing the chance to shine at Euro 2032, a blow that would be devastating for the country and for the millions of passionate fans of the sport. UEFA has already sounded the alarm; now it is up to Italy to respond with action and determination.

The countdown to Euro 2032 has begun, and the clock is ticking. If Italy wants to remain a powerhouse in world football, it must prove that it is up to the challenge. Otherwise, the stage for this grand event could change forever.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.