Bosnia Italy WCup Soccer
Italy's Pio Esposito reacts after missing a penalty kick during a World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
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One of soccer’s historic powers has reached a once-unfathomable low. Four-time champion Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup after getting beat in a penalty shootout with 10 men at 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs. Moise Kean scored early on for Italy but then Azzurri center back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalized in the 79th to send the game into extra time. The defeat added more misery for Italy’s once-proud national team after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in the playoffs for the last two World Cups.
