A betting scandal led to Franchi's resignation on the eve of the World Cup in Spain, where Italy coached by Enzo Bearzot overcame a difficult initial phase to win its third world title, under the management of the president Federico Sordillo.

After the disappointment at the Mexico World Cup in 1986 and a brief period of management first with Carraro, then with Andrea Manzella, Antonio Matarrese was elected as the president of the F.I.G.C. in October 1987. Until that moment he had been head of the National Professionals League.

In the meantime Carraro's reform of the Statute guaranteed a more functional arrangement for the entire organization. These were important years for Italian football as the team achieved third place in the 1988 European Championships in Germany and two years later hosted the World Cup finals.