The story once again became a disaster for Italian football, a new stain for the country that has won the World Cup four times but is now gradually getting used to being absent from the biggest playground on the planet after three consecutive tournaments.
After the shock against Sweden in 2018 and the defeat against Northern Macedonia in 2022, Azzurri continued to collapse in another painful way in 2026. They were eliminated in a penalty shootout against Bosnia Herzegovina in the play-off final.
However, this match is also worthy of being remembered for the energetic performance of the home team. Despite being led early by Moise Kean's goal, Bosnia still maintained their spirit, continuously put pressure and finally completely overwhelmed the opponent. Their only minus point was that they could not score more goals in official playing time.
In 90 minutes, Bosnia created countless chances. Even before Alessandro Bastoni received a red card, they completely surpassed them in the number of shots. It was not until the 79th minute that efforts were rewarded when Haris Tabakovic scored the equalizer, bringing the match into extra time.
Previously, Italy had a tense start. In the third minute, they faced a dangerous situation from Ermedin Demirovic. Coach Gennaro Gattuso's team lacked control but still made good use of the opponent's mistakes. A clumsy handling by goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj created conditions for Nicolo Barella to assist Kean to finish with class and open the score.
However, that advantage was not enough to help Italy control the game. Bosnia played strong pressing, attacked directly and continuously put Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal in a state of alarm. Italy even showed signs of wanting to end the first half early, especially after Bastoni was sent off.
In the second half, pressure continued to increase. Edin Dzeko and his teammates continuously stirred up the Italian defense, before Tabakovic took advantage of an opportunity from a rebound to equalize.
The extra half took place with caution from both sides. Bosnia showed signs of losing strength after the long match before, while Italy was not sharp enough to finish the match. And everything was decided on penalties.
Tragedy befalled Italy again. Francesco Pio Esposito missed the first shot, before Bryan Cristante hit the crossbar. Conversely, Bosnia perfectly executed all four shots, with the decisive shot to close the historic victory.
While Bosnia burst into tears, Italy continued to be trapped in their own nightmare. Another generation of players missed the World Cup, and this defeat was not even shocking - it only made the pain more familiar.
Unacceptable is what Gattuso admitted after the match. But for Italian fans, this is no longer a single shock, but a series of prolonged tragedies without end.
We will not go to the World Cup for the third consecutive time. Personally, I apologize for not completing the task. This is very painful, it is difficult to accept. The players did not deserve this result. We are only 10 people but still create opportunities" - Gattuso shared.
