Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Italy 4-1 on penalties in the 2026 World Cup European qualifying play-off final after Tabakovic equalized in regulation time. Head coach Barbarec expressed his appreciation for the team's fighting spirit and looks forward to their continued participation in major tournaments in the future.

In the 15th minute, Barella gained possession and passed the ball diagonally to Kean, who unleashed a long-range shot from the edge of the penalty area, giving Italy a 1-0 lead. In the 41st minute, Bosnian striker Memic was brought down by Bastoni while receiving the ball, resulting in a red card for Bastoni, leaving Italy with only 10 players.

In the 79th minute of the second half, Amar Dedic crossed the ball, and Dzeko's header was saved by Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma. Tabakovic then followed up and scored, helping Bosnia and Herzegovina equalize the score at 1-1.

In the penalty shootout, Tahirovic, Tabakovic, Arajbegovic, and Bayrakatarjevic all scored, while Pio Esposito and Cristante missed their penalties.

In the end, Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Italy 4-1 in a penalty shootout, successfully securing a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's head coach, Barbarec, said, "I have never been so calm at the start or end of a match. I saw that conviction in their eyes. I really like these players; they all have great character. We have a team to be proud of, and we are two years ahead of schedule. I have told them that we must participate in a major tournament every two years."

"We encountered some problems at the beginning of the first half. Our organization was not clear enough, our positioning was not good, and our marking of the opponent was not good enough. That's why we were countered by the opponent. But against a world-class team that can still defend tightly even when they are down to 10 men, you can see that we were full of confidence from the start."

Bosnian defender Nikola Katic said, "After the final penalty was scored, we saw everyone's reaction. I felt incredibly proud. I'm 29 years old and I've never cried after a game. We showed a strong fighting spirit, which was on full display in these two tough matches against Wales and Italy. We were facing one of the best national teams in the world, so congratulations to everyone."

In addition, Bosnian goalkeeper Vasily said, "This is a very special team. We equalized in the final moments of two consecutive matches and created so many chances against Italy. Moreover, we remained calm in the final moments and performed like this in the penalty shootout."

Image source: Internet