Four-time World Cup champion Italy has etched a deeply unwanted place in global soccer history, becoming the first former tournament winner to miss out on three straight World Cup finals after a devastating penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Tuesday’s qualification play-off final. The shocking 4-1 result on penalties in Zenica ended Italy’s hopes of reaching this summer’s 26-team tournament co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, and extended one of the most painful droughts in international soccer.
The match began with a fast start that seemed to point toward an Italian victory. Italian striker Moise Kean got his side on the board in the 15th minute, capitalizing on a catastrophic error from Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. Under intense pressure from Mateo Retegui, Vasilj played a direct pass straight to Italy’s Nicolo Barella, who quickly slipped a through ball to Kean. The Juventus forward curled a clinical finish past Vasilj from the edge of the 18-yard box, notching his eighth international goal in just six appearances to put Italy ahead.
Bosnia refused to fold, however, and began to pile consistent pressure on the Italian defense, amplified by a game-changing red card four minutes before halftime. Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni was ejected for a crude, late chop on Bosnia’s Amar Memic, leaving the Azzurri down to 10 men for more than an hour of play. The home crowd erupted, sensing an opening that the Bosnian side fully exploited for the rest of regulation.
Down a man, Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso adjusted his formation to absorb relentless Bosnian pressure, but the equalizer finally arrived in the 79th minute. After Edin Dzeko’s header was parried off the goal line by Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, substitute Haris Tabakovic poked the loose ball into the net to level the score, sending the tie to extra time. The additional 30 minutes were just as tense: Italian players were furious that a second red card was not issued to Tarik Muharemovic for a foul on a breaking Marco Palestra, but Donnarumma’s two outstanding saves on headers from Dzeko and Ermedin Demirovic kept the score level to force penalties.
The penalty shootout turned into a disaster for Italy from the very first kick. Pio Esposito hammered his opening effort well over the crossbar, and when Bryan Cristante’s subsequent strike clattered off the bar, Italy was already on the brink. Esmir Bajraktarevic converted the decisive spot-kick, squeezing his shot under Donnarumma to seal the historic win for Bosnia, sparking wild pitch invasions from thousands of elated home fans.
For Bosnia, the result books their spot in Group B of this summer’s World Cup, paired with co-host Canada, Switzerland and Qatar. This marks just the second time the Balkan nation has qualified for the World Cup finals, with their only previous appearance coming back in 2014. “They’re guys with character. We have guys we’re proud of,” Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said after the match, joking that his goal was to qualify for a major tournament every two years.
For Italy, the defeat extends a stunning streak of failure that began eight years ago. It marks the third consecutive World Cup the Azzurri have missed, following play-off eliminations at the hands of Sweden in 2018 and North Macedonia in 2022. They are the first ever World Cup winner to miss three straight editions of the tournament, a record that will stand as a dark mark on one of European soccer’s most successful programs.
In the aftermath of the defeat, a visibly emotional Gattuso said he could not fault his team’s effort. “I don’t think the boys deserved to suffer such a blow, for the performance, the effort and the heart that they showed tonight… I’m proud of the boys,” he told reporters. “It’s difficult to digest.” When asked about his own future as head coach, Gattuso said that discussion was not important in the moment. Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina later clarified that federation officials had asked Gattuso to stay on, and that the coach would not resign.
The defeat also added an extra layer of embarrassment for Italian soccer, after footage emerged of multiple Italian players celebrating Bosnia’s semi-final penalty win over Wales just days earlier. That decision looks even more ill-advised after Bosnia’s focused, physical performance earned them a spot at the finals at Italy’s expense.