Italy's World Cup Dreams Crumble Again as Turkiye Celebrates Historic Qualification
Italy faced another heartbreaking exit from the FIFA World Cup, failing to qualify for the third consecutive time after a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The match, held on Tuesday, ended in a 1-1 draw, with Bosnia triumphing 4-1 in penalties, pushing Italy further into despair. The match began with Italy taking an early lead thanks to a goal from Moise Kean, capitalizing on a costly error by Bosnia's goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. However, Italy's fortunes changed when Alessandro Bastoni received a red card just before halftime, leaving Italy to defend their lead with ten men. Bosnia equalized in the 78th minute through Haris Tabakovic, and despite numerous crucial saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy faltered in the penalty shootout, marking another low for the iconic national team. In other matches: Czechia qualified by defeating Denmark 3-1 in penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw. Sweden edged out Poland 3-2 thanks to an 88th-minute goal from Viktor Gyokeres. Turkiye secured their spot in the World Cup for the first time in 24 years with a 1-0 victory over Kosovo, courtesy of a goal from Kerem Akturkoglu. They will join the U.S. men's national team, Australia, and Paraguay in Group D. With just two spots left in the World Cup 2026 field, the playoff tournament finals await.
Source: CBS Sports - 2026-03-31