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Italy made heartbreaking history on Tuesday night as they missed out on their third straight World Cup bid after a loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Italy are now the first World Cup winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the penalty shootout loss in the European playoffs.
The nation was once a football powerhouse, winning it all four times with the latest in 2006. However, recent years have not been kind to the Italian team and they felt the pain of defeat after the match.
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Pio Esposito of Italy disappointed during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Image photo agency)
“We still don’t believe it — that we’re out and that it happened this way,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters, according to the New York Post. “It’s disturbing for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
After 90 minutes and extra time, both nations were locked in a 1-1 draw and the penalty shootout was needed to find a winner. Italy eventually fell to Bosnia-Herzegovina, 4-1, in the penalty shootout as Esmir Bajraktarevic secured victory with the final goal.
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It didn’t help that Italy played with just 10 men after Alessandro Bastoni was sent off before the break. Bosnia and Herzegovina used the man advantage to tie the game in the 79th minute when Haris Tabakovic scored the equaliser.
Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni receives a red card from the referee during the FIFA World Cup 2026 final football qualification between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at the Bilino-Polje stadium in Zenica on March 31, 2026. (Elvis BARUCKIC/AFP)
Moise Kean was able to strike first for Italy in the 15th minute, giving them the momentum they were looking for coming into the game. However, they were never able to rally in the end.
Although Italy is still one of only three nations to ever win the World Cup four times in history, they can’t seem to find what it takes to make it to the tournament.
In 2018, Italy fell at the hands of Sweden, while North Macedonia shocked them in 2022 in the qualifiers.
Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Srdjan Stevanovic – UEFA)
Now Bosnia and Herzegovina will try their luck in Group B when the World Cup kicks off, starting with a match against Canada. They will also face Qatar and Switzerland in the group stage.
