Italy missed out on a third consecutive World Cup after a historic penalty shoot-out defeat
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Italy recorded a painful history on Tuesday night, as they missed out on the third consecutive World Cup following defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Italy are now the first World Cup winners to miss three consecutive tournaments following a penalty shootout defeat in the European play-offs.
The nation was once a powerhouse in soccer, winning all four times with the most recent being in 2006. But recent years have not been kind to the Italian team, and they have been feeling the pain of defeat after game.
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Pio Esposito of Italy reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photographic Agent)
“We still can’t believe it – that we’re out and that it happened this way,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters, via the New York Post. “It upsets everyone. For us, for our families and for all the children who have never seen Italy in the World Cup.”
After 90 minutes and extra time, both countries tied 1-1, and penalties were needed to determine the winner. Italy ended up losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4-1, on penalties, as Esmir Bajraktarevic won with the last goal.
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It didn’t help that Italy were down to 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, with Haris Tabakovic scoring the equalizer.
Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni receives a red card from the referee during the European Cup 2026 qualifying final match between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Italy at the Bilino-Polje stadium in Zenica on March 31, 2026. (Elvis BARUKCIC / AFP)
Moise Kean was able to strike first for Italy in the 15th minute, which gave them the momentum they were looking for coming into this match. However, they could not meet in the end.
Although Italy is one of only three countries that have won the World Cup four times in history, they do not see what is needed to reach this competition.
In 2018, Italy fell to Sweden, and North Macedonia shocked them in 2022 in the qualifiers.
Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Srdjan Stevanovic – UEFA)
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Now, Bosnia and Herzegovina will try their luck in Group B when the World Cup starts, starting with a match against Canada. They will also face Qatar and Switzerland in the group stage.
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