Italy misses third straight World Cup after historic penalty shootout loss
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Italy made heartbreaking history on Tuesday night as they missed out on a third straight World Cup bid after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after losing in a penalty shoot-out in the European play-offs.
The country was once a football powerhouse, winning four times, most recently in 2006. However, in recent years the Italian team has not behaved very well and they were feeling the pain of defeat after the match.
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Pio Esposito of Italy is disappointed in the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualification KO play-off match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31, 2026. (Image Photography Agency)
“We still don’t believe that we were outside and that it happened this way,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters. New York Post. “It’s sad for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the children who have never seen Italy at the World Cup.”
After 90 minutes and extra time, both countries were tied 1-1 and a penalty shoot-out was needed to decide the winner. While Italy lost 4-1 to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the penalty shoot-out, Esmir Bajraktarevic secured the victory with the final goal.
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It didn’t help that Italy played with only 10 men on the field after Alessandro Bastoni received a red card before half-time. Bosnia and Herzegovina used the man advantage and tied the match with Haris Tabakovic’s equalizing goal in the 79th minute.
Italian defender Alessandro Bastoni received a red card from the referee in the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualification final football match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at the Bilino-Polje Stadium in Zenica on March 31, 2026. (Elvis BARUKCIC / AFP)
Moise Kean managed to score the first goal for Italy in the 15th minute, giving them the momentum they were looking for going into the match. But in the end they could not recover.
While Italy remain one of only three countries in history to have won the World Cup four times, they cannot seem to find what it takes to qualify for the tournament.
While Italy fell to Sweden in 2018, North Macedonia shocked them in the qualifiers in 2022.
Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy reacts during the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualification KO play-off match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31, 2026. (Srdjan Stevanovic – UEFA)
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Bosnia and Herzegovina will now try its luck with the match against Canada in Group B when the World Cup begins. They will also face Qatar and Switzerland in the group stage.
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