Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini hopes to reach the 2026 World Cup with Italy in order to fulfill a wish of his late friend Gianluca Vialli. The national coach of La Squadra Azzurra visited Vialli in London last month.
‘The Goal Twins’
Former Italian international Vialli (58) died of pancreatic cancer last week. In the summer of 2021, he was still a member of Mancini’s coaching staff during Italy’s European Championship win at Wembley. Mancini and Vialli were teammates at Sampdoria in the 1990s and developed a close friendship. The duo were also part of the team that lifted the Serie A title back in the 1990–91 season. They were a prolific strike duo and were fondly called ‘The Goal Twins’.
“I went to visit Luca in London in December and I’ll be honest, I was a little scared,” Mancini told Porta a Porta on RAI 1. “He laughed, joked and we talked to Attilio Lombardo on the phone. Luca said, ‘I’m relaxed, don’t worry.’ He was the one trying to cheer me up.”
Vialli let Mancini know that he should not miss another global final round with reigning European champion Italy after the World Cup in Qatar. Luca said we have to win the World Cup in 2026. He will be with us… We hope to be able to dedicate a nice victory to him soon,” said the Italy national coach. The World Cup is in three and a half years in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Mancini cherishes the memories of his friend, such as the moment they embraced after winning the European Championship final against England. “That hug meant so much, because of everything that was going on in our lives. I hope that title still brought him joy. Luca was a fighter to the very end. He had the character of a gladiator. I am proud that Luca was a friend,” concludes Mancini.
