Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Olympics
Football
Netball
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Full Noise by SN
Another Cup of heartbreak for Italy after shootout loss
Andrew Dampf •  April 1st, 2026 11:34 am
Italy have missed out on qualifying for the World Cup for the third consecutive tournament | Photo: EPA
One of soccer's historic powers has reached a once-unfathomable low.
Four-time champions Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup after being beaten in a penalty shootout with 10 men at 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).
Moise Kean scored early for Italy, but Azzurri centre back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalised in the 79th to send the game into extra time.
The defeat added more misery for Italy's once-proud national team after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively, in the qualifying playoffs for the previous two World Cups.
Bosnia won the shootout 4-1 and qualified for the first time since 2014, their only previous appearance.
Bosnia's coach Sergej Barbarez was chaired off after his side's shootout win over Italy | Photo: AP
In the shootout, Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante missed their spot kicks and US-born Esmir Bajraktarevic converted the decisive penalty for Bosnia.
"We still don't believe it that we're out and that it happened in this manner," Italy defender Leonardo Spinazzola said. "It's upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families, and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup."
In Tuesday's other European playoff finals, Sweden, Turkey and the Czech Republic each qualified. Sweden beat Poland 3-2; Turkey beat Kosovo 1-0; and the Czechs won in a shootout.
Victory for Turkey meant they are in Group D with the Socceroos, the United States and Paraguay.
Italy's latest ouster means that the 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 champions will go at least 16 years without even playing a match at soccer's biggest event.
Italy's World Cup struggles go back all the way to 2010 and 2014, having failed to advance from their group on both occasions, although the Azzurri did win the European Championship in 2021.
Italy's last World Cup knockout match was when they won the title in 2006 by beating France in a penalty shootout.
The only other World Cup that Italy did not qualify for was in 1958.
"I want to personally apologise since we didn't make it," Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said. "Today talking about my future is not important. Today it was important to get to the World Cup."
Turkey's win over Kosovo secured them a spot in the Socceroos' World Cup group | Photo: EPA
Turkey's 1-0 win in Kosovo meant they reach soccer's biggest stage for the first time since 2002.
Kosovo had the best chance of an entertaining first half but Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakır pulled off a superb one-handed save to push Fisnik Asllani's strike onto the crossbar.
Turkey got the breakthrough eight minutes into the second half. Kerem Aktürkoglu got the finest of touches to ensure Orkun Kokçu's cross-shot went into the far bottom corner.
