Italy's World Cup Drought Continues After Penalty Loss to Bosnia

Italy's hopes of ending their World Cup drought were dashed after a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The defeat marks the third consecutive World Cup that Italy will miss, a dismal record for a team that has won the tournament four times. The Azzurri's last World Cup appearance was in 2006, when they won the tournament, and their absence will now stretch to at least 16 years. Italy's woes began when Alessandro Bastoni was sent off in the first half, and despite taking the lead through Moise Kean, they were unable to hold on. Bosnia and Herzegovina capitalized on the man advantage, scoring a late equalizer and then winning the penalty shootout. The loss has sparked widespread criticism, with the Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina acknowledging that the team is in crisis. Meanwhile, other teams have secured their spots in the World Cup, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, who will join Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland in Group B. Sweden also qualified, thanks to a late winner from Viktor Gyokeres, and will face the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia in Group F. The Czech Republic, Turkey, and the Democratic Republic of Congo also secured their places in the tournament, while Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify.