Italy’s hopes of competing in the men’s World Cup have been dashed once again, marking their third consecutive absence from the tournament. The team’s failure to qualify was confirmed following a playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.

Italy's Playoff Heartbreak

Bosnia took an early lead in the 15th minute with a goal following a turnover. However, Italy’s Alessandro Bastoni received a straight red card in the 41st minute for a dangerous tackle, leaving the team to play with ten men for the majority of the match.

Despite efforts from Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Bosnia secured a late equalizer with a header in the 79th minute. The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, which Bosnia won.

“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families, and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup,” lamented a member of the Italian team.

Qualifying Path and Recent Struggles

Italy’s failure is particularly surprising given the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, with UEFA receiving 16 qualifying spots. The team’s struggles began with two losses to Norway in the first round of qualifying.

Norway dominated their qualifying group, defeating Italy twice by scores of 3-0 and 4-1. Italy advanced to the playoff round as the group runner-up, defeating Northern Ireland 2-0 before facing Bosnia.

This continues a difficult decade for Italy on the world stage. While they won the 2006 World Cup, they failed to advance past the group stage in the following two tournaments. Their only World Cup win since 2006 was a 2-1 victory over England in 2014.

Interestingly, Italy has experienced success in European competitions, finishing second at the 2012 European Championships and winning the 2020 Euros, making their World Cup failures even more perplexing.

Other Qualifying Results

Elsewhere in European qualifying, Czechia secured its second World Cup appearance since the breakup of Czechoslovakia, defeating Denmark in a shootout. Sweden also qualified for the World Cup, defeating Poland.

Türkiye earned the final spot in the United States’ group with a 1-0 win over Kosovo. The U.S. will also face Paraguay and Australia in the group stage.

Inter-Confederation Successes

Two inter-confederation matches saw teams end long World Cup droughts. The Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Jamaica 1-0, marking their first appearance since 1974 (as Zaire). Iraq beat Bolivia 2-1, qualifying for the first time since 1986.

USMNT Prepares for Tournament

The U.S. men’s national team played a friendly against Portugal on Tuesday, losing 2-0 in a performance that raised concerns. This followed a 5-2 loss to Belgium on Saturday. The USMNT has two remaining games before the World Cup: May 31 against Senegal and June 6 against Germany.