For the third consecutive World Cup, Italy will be watching from the sidelines, and this could be the most painful one yet.
It was a heartbreaking shootout loss for Italy in the final round of the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs, as they missed a pair of penalty kicks, giving Bosnia and Herzegovina a 4-1 victory. The two sides met with the same goal in mind; one team would join Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland in Group B, while the other would fail to qualify for the World Cup.
Kean’s Opener and Bastoni’s Red Card Shift the Match
Everything was going to plan for the Italians in the first half, with Moise Kean putting the Azzurri ahead in the 15th minute of play. He took advantage of a goalkeeping mistake from the Bosnian netminder, Nikola Vasilj, giving Italy a crucial lead.
However, a 41st-minute red card for center back Alessandro Bastoni left the Italians with 10 men, and things started to slowly unravel. They escaped the first half with an advantage, but the second half saw Bosnia and Herzegovina begin peppering Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal.
A strong Italian defense held firm despite the mounting pressure, and it looked as though they would get over the line and end more than a decade of World Cup disappointments. That was not the case.
Bosnia Breaks Through and Finishes the Job on Penalties
Bosnia and Herzegovina found the equalizer in the 79th minute through substitute Haris Tabakovic. The goal was a long time coming as Bosnia finished the match with an 18-8 shot advantage, leaning on their home crowd to fill them with belief against Italy.
In the shootout, Bosnia and Herzegovina went a perfect 4 for 4 from the spot, while both Francesco Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante blasted their penalties high, sealing Italy’s fate.
What the Result Means for Both Nations
Italy will now have to wait until 2030 for a chance to end what will be a 16-year World Cup drought.
For a country once seen as part of the ‘Big Three’ in soccer alongside Germany and Brazil, Italy has now failed to qualify in a new and embarrassing fashion. They still sit third in the World Cup, but the future of their football federation is far from secure.
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the outlook is optimistic in Group B alongside hosts Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland. This is their second appearance in the global tournament since becoming an independent nation, having previously lost in the group stage in 2014.
