Italy football

Italy will not be at a third consecutive World Cup after crashing in Tuesday’s (March 31, 2026) frenzied qualification play-off final to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Azzurri fumbling their opportunity of moving on to this summer’s tournament in North America with a miserable 4-1 penalty shoot-out loss. The Bosnians secured a place in Group B, and matches against co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Qatar, by winning the shootout when Esmir Bajraktarevic delivered the decisive spot-kick in Zenica that sent Italy withering toward yet another

And the shorter wait is the one that deserves much more scrutiny. It was the second in successive World Cups for Northern Ireland, who last appeared on the biggest stage four decades ago. Any regret about finishing third in a group with Brazil and Spain was tempered by the expectation of an imminent return. There has been no additional seat at the international football dining table. That World Cup hiatus under Italy’s belt includes failure to qualify in 2018 and 2022 (those two