Quadruple titleholders Italy failed to qualify for a third successive World Cup tournament, having been defeated by Bosnia and Herzegovina in a spot-kick decider during their decisive playoff match in Zenica on Tuesday.
This setback marks Italy as the inaugural ex-champions to be absent from three consecutive World Cup events.
Moise Kean netted an early goal for Italy; however, subsequently, the Azzurri’s central defender Alessandro Bastoni received a direct dismissal prior to halftime, and Bosnian replacement player Haris Tabakovic drew level in the 79th minute.
The contest subsequently proceeded to additional time, with the scoreline deadlocked at 1-1 and Italy playing with only ten players; yet neither squad managed to score during the thirty minutes of extra play. During the penalty decider, Italy failed to convert two of their penalty kicks, whereas Bosnia flawlessly converted all four of their attempts, securing a 4-1 victory.
This setback deepened the distress for Italy’s formerly esteemed national squad, following their elimination by Sweden and North Macedonia in successive qualifying playoffs for the two most recent World Cup tournaments. They had last triumphed in a knockout stage fixture in 2006, during their victory against France in the championship match.
During the European playoff semifinals held last week, Italy defeated Northern Ireland by a score of 2-0. Bosnia, conversely, ousted Wales via a penalty tie-breaker.
On Tuesday, in the remaining European playoff championship matches, Sweden and Turkey both secured their berths. Sweden overcame Poland 3-2, while Turkey defeated Kosovo 1-0. Czechia similarly advanced, having triumphed over Denmark in a penalty competition to secure their place in the World Cup tournament.
This most recent exclusion for Italy signifies that the victors of 1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006 will experience a minimum of 16 years without participating in a single game at football’s premier spectacle.
The difficulties faced by Italy in the World Cup date back to 2010 and 2014, as they did not progress beyond their group stage in either instance. Nonetheless, the Azzurri did claim the European Championship title in 2021.
The sole prior World Cup from which Italy was absent occurred in 1958.
Bosnia, set to participate in their second World Cup after their inaugural appearance in 2014, is allocated to Group B in this summer’s competition, alongside co-hosting nations Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.
Data provided by The Associated Press and PA contributed to this article.