Italy Fails to Qualify for Third Consecutive World Cup

Italy's hopes of participating in the World Cup for the first time in 16 years were dashed after a penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The defeat marked the first time a former World Cup winner has missed out on three consecutive tournaments. Despite taking the lead through Moise Kean, Italy's chances were hindered by the first-half dismissal of Alessandro Bastoni. Bosnia and Herzegovina capitalized on the numerical advantage, with substitute Haris Tabakovic scoring the equalizer. The visitors then converted all four of their penalties in the shootout, while Newcastle's Sandro Tonali was the only Italian player to find the net. This loss means Italy will not participate in the World Cup for at least 16 years, with their last knockout match dating back to the 2006 final. Meanwhile, other teams like Sweden, Czech Republic, and Turkey secured their spots in the tournament through playoff victories.