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A disaster strikes again: Italy miss out on the World Cup!

Italian football has suffered another heavy blow after the national team failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a penalty shootout defeat to hosts Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European play-off final. The result was considered a major shock for a nation that has won the World Cup four times, yet will miss out on the global showpiece for the third consecutive edition after 2018 and 2022.

Italy once again entered the European play-offs after failing to secure automatic qualification from their group, repeating the same scenario from previous campaigns, when they missed out on Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. In the first instance, they fell to Sweden in the play-offs, while in the road to Qatar they suffered an even bigger shock, losing to North Macedonia in the dying moments. On the way to the 2026 World Cup, they finished second in their group behind Norway after two heavy defeats, forcing them into the play-offs once more.

The Azzurri managed to overcome Northern Ireland in the previous round, but stumbled against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the decisive clash, losing 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in both regular and extra time.

Italy opened the scoring through Moise Kean, but the hosts took control after benefiting from the dismissal of Alessandro Bastoni, forcing the visitors to drop deeper. Bosnia intensified their pressure in the second half and found the equalizer through Haris Tabaković.

In the penalty shootout, Bosnia came out on top, capitalizing on two missed Italian spot-kicks amid intense pressure from the home crowd, thereby securing qualification for the finals and reaching the World Cup for the second time in their history after 2014. They will compete in a group alongside Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.

This result reflects the continued decline of Italian football on the international stage. Since lifting the 2006 World Cup, the national team has failed to rediscover its former dominance, exiting in the group stage in 2010 and 2014 before failing to qualify for three consecutive editions. Even their UEFA European Championship triumph in 2021 was not enough to restore stability, as it was followed by another qualification failure for Qatar, before disappointment struck again on the road to 2026.

The decline is not limited to the national team, but also extends to Italian clubs, which have not won the UEFA Champions League since 2010, highlighting a deeper structural issue within the game.

Sweden, Turkey, and Czechia qualify

In the remaining European play-off matches, Sweden secured qualification after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Poland, thanks to a late goal from Viktor Gyökeres, sending his country to the finals and placing them in a group alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.

Turkey also qualified for the finals for the first time since the 2002 World Cup, following a 1-0 win over Kosovo, and will compete in a group featuring the United States, Australia, and Paraguay.

Meanwhile, Czechia returned to the World Cup after a long absence, defeating Denmark 3-1 on penalties following an entertaining 2-2 draw, to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2006. They will play in a group alongside Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea.

With that, the line-up of European teams qualified for the World Cup is complete, while Italy’s painful absence from the world’s biggest tournament continues—a situation that reflects the scale of the crisis facing one of the most historic national teams in football, and raises serious questions about the future of The Azzurri and their ability to reclaim their place among the global elite.

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A disaster strikes again: Italy miss out on the World Cup!

Sweden, Turkey, and Czechia qualify

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