Italy Misses 2026 World Cup After Play‑off Loss

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens in Mexico City on Thursday evening. Despite the tournament expanding to 48 teams, Italy will miss the finals for the third consecutive edition. Sixteen of the 48 slots were reserved for European nations. By qualification order, England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Turkiye and Czechia secured those places, leaving Italy out. Italy competed in Group I of the European qualifiers alongside Norway, Israel, Estonia and Moldova. Norway won all eight matches, finished top, and qualified directly, while Italy’s six victories and two defeats to Norway placed them second. Finishing second forced Italy into the play‑offs. In the semi‑final against Northern Ireland, Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean each scored to give Italy a 2‑0 win in Bergamo. The final pitted Italy against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica. Moise Kean opened the scoring, but Alessandro Bastoni received a straight red card at half‑time, reducing Italy to ten men. Haris Tabakovic equalised for Bosnia in the 79th minute, sending the match to penalties. During the shoot‑out, Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante missed their penalties while Bosnia converted four, resulting in a 4‑1 victory for Bosnia. The win qualified Bosnia for only its second World Cup appearance, while Italy’s hopes ended. Sergej Barbarez led the Bosnian side. The defeat marked Italy’s third missed tournament in a row; their last World Cup participation was in 2014, and they have not reached a knockout stage since winning the 2006 final. A photo from the Norway qualifier shows Pio Esposito trying to separate a confrontation between Gianluca Mancini and Erling Haaland at San Siro on 16 November 2025. Another image captures Ermedin Demirovic and Benjamin Tahirovic contesting the ball with Nicolò Barella during the play‑off final in Zenica. Following the loss, head coach Gennaro Gattuso and delegation head Gianluigi Buffon left their roles, and FIGC President Gabriele Gravina resigned. Elections for a new FIGC president are scheduled for 22 June, with Giovanni Malago and Giancarlo Abete as candidates, and a new national team coach will be appointed after the new president takes office.