In the final of the 2026 World Cup qualifying play-offs, Italy lost 1-4 to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout, thus being eliminated from the competition.

This team, which had won the World Cup four times, failed to qualify for the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time in history. After the match, head coach Gennaro Gattuso apologized to the public.

In this crucial match, Italy took the lead early thanks to a first-half goal from Moise Kean. However, the game turned dramatically when defender Alessandro Bastoni was shown a straight red card for a foul.

With ten men, Italy found themselves on the back foot, and Bosnia and Herzegovina equalized in the 79th minute through Harris Tabakovic. Neither side scored in extra time, and Bosnia and Herzegovina ultimately prevailed 4-1 in a penalty shootout, shattering Italy's hopes of advancing.

In the previous group stage, Italy finished second behind Norway and failed to qualify directly. This defeat in the playoffs makes them the first former champion team in history to miss three consecutive World Cups (2018, 2022, 2026).

Since winning the title in 2006, Italy has never made it past the group stage of the main tournament, and since 2014, they have completely disappeared from the World Cup stage.

Gattuso was heartbroken after the match: "The lads gave it their all and didn't deserve this blow. I personally apologize for failing to advance, but I'm proud of the players' performance."

Regarding his future coaching plans, Gattuso frankly stated that discussing that now is not important. How Italian football can emerge from this long and dark period remains a serious challenge.

Image source: Internet