Italy Crash Out Again As Bosnia-Herzegovina End World Cup Dreams

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By Sedara Philip

Italy have failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for a third consecutive time after suffering a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The four-time world champions continue their dramatic fall from grace, having also missed out on the 2018 and 2022 editions. No former World Cup winner has ever endured such a prolonged absence from the tournament.

Despite a determined effort, Italy fell short in the shootout after missed penalties from Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante. Their failures proved costly after a tense encounter in which Gennaro Gattuso’s side, reduced to 10 men, battled fiercely to force extra time.

For Bosnia-Herzegovina, the victory marks only their second appearance at the World Cup, led by veteran captain Edin Dzeko, who continues to inspire his nation at the age of 40. They now progress to Group B, where they will face Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.

Italy had initially looked in control of the contest. Moise Kean opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a composed finish from the edge of the box after Nicolo Barella capitalized on a costly mistake by Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically before halftime when defender Alessandro Bastoni was sent off for bringing down Amar Memic while through on goal, leaving Italy to defend their lead with a numerical disadvantage.

Under sustained pressure in the second half, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a series of outstanding saves to keep his side ahead. But in the 79th minute, Bosnia finally found a breakthrough. Donnarumma parried a header from Džeko delivered via a cross by Amar Dedic only for Haris Tabakovic to convert the rebound and level the score.

The match proceeded to extra time and eventually penalties, where Bosnia-Herzegovina held their nerve. Benjamin Tahirovic, Tabaković, Kerim Alajbegovic, and Esmir Bajraktarevic all converted from the spot to seal a famous victory.

For Italy, the defeat represents another painful chapter in a prolonged period of underachievement. A visibly emotional Gattuso admitted the result was deeply painful but downplayed concerns over his future, stating that the disappointment for the nation outweighed personal considerations.

“It hurts deeply,” Gattuso said. “We needed this for ourselves, for Italy, for our football. It’s a blow that is hard to accept.”

Meanwhile, Gabriele Gravina, head of the Italian Football Federation, acknowledged the scale of the crisis facing Italian football but confirmed he would not step down.

Italy’s struggles on the global stage have persisted since their 2006 World Cup triumph. Early exits in 2010 and 2014 were followed by complete failure to qualify in 2018 and 2022. Even their UEFA Euro 2020 victory now appears to be an exception rather than a sign of sustained revival.

Gattuso, who was part of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad, took over from Luciano Spalletti during the qualifying campaign. Despite a strong run of results, including multiple wins against Estonia, Israel, and Moldova, Italy were unable to secure automatic qualification and were forced into the playoffs.

Ultimately, their campaign ended in heartbreak leaving a proud football nation once again watching the World Cup from afar.