Italy Misses the World Cup Again: Azzurri Fail to Qualify for 2026 After Bosnia Playoff Heartbreak

Italy’s World Cup drought has become one of the game’s biggest modern shocks. The four-time champions will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the third straight tournament they have failed to reach after also missing 2018 and 2022. UEFA’s official results confirm Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated Italy in the Path A playoff final on March 31, winning after a 1-1 draw and a 4-1 penalty shootout. 

The night began the way Italy had hoped. Moise Kean scored in the 15th minute and briefly settled the nerves around the Azzurri. But the match changed before halftime when Alessandro Bastoni was sent off, leaving Italy to navigate the biggest game of its recent history with 10 men. Bosnia stayed alive and found its equalizer in the 79th minute through Haris Tabakovic, forcing extra time and eventually penalties. 

In the shootout, Italy collapsed. Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante both missed, while Bosnia held firm from the spot to claim a place at the 2026 World Cup. Reuters reported that Bosnia will enter Group B, while Italy is left facing another painful reset. 

The scale of the failure is hard to overstate. AP notes Italy last qualified for the World Cup in 2014, and the only other time the nation failed to qualify was 1958. That means one of football’s most decorated countries has now missed three straight editions despite winning Euro 2021 in between. For a country that once measured itself by nights on the biggest stage, this is no longer a blip. It is a crisis.