Italy will miss out on a third straight World Cup after falling to Bosnia and Hercegovina in Tuesday’s breathless qualification play-off final, the Azzurri blowing their chance to reach this summer’s tournament in North America with a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat.
Esmir Bajraktarevic shot the winning spot-kick in Zenica where the Bosnians booked a place in Group B and matches against co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Qatar and plunged Italy into a new nightmare.
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Four-time world champions, Italy took the lead through Moise Kean in the 15th minute but then folded under the weight of expectation in Zenica after having to play more than half the match with 10 men.
Italy were already firmly on the back foot when Alessandro Bastoni was sent off for chopping down Amar Memic four minutes before half-time, and Haris Tabakovic poked home Bosnia’s deserved leveller in the 79th minute to take the match to extra time.
And Italy’s World Cup horror show continued in the subsequent shoot-out, with Pio Esposito smashing their first penalty over the bar, and when Bryan Cristante hit the bar and Bajraktarevic squeezed his effort under Gianluigi Donnarumma, the game was up.
Italy are the first World Cup winners to miss out on three consecutives editions of the tournament, which this year will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Bosnia meanwhile reached their second World Cup finals, and first since 2014, in front of a passionate crowd who were sent delirious by Bajraktarevic’s decisive penalty.
‘Their worst nightmares have come true. The unthinkable has happened,” a commentator said.
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Turkey qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday after Kerem Akturkoglu’s goal secured a 1-0 win away to Kosovo in their European playoff final, shattering their hosts’ dream of appearing at the tournament for the first time.
Akturkoglu diverted Orkun Kokcu’s shot into the net in the 53rd minute in Pristina for the only goal of the game, ensuring Turkey will go to their first World Cup since reaching the semi-finals in 2002.
Their players, including captain Hakan Calhanoglu of Inter Milan, Real Madrid’s Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus, waved giant Turkish flags as they went across to celebrate at full-time in front of the travelling support.
Vincenzo Montella’s team will go into Group D at the World Cup, along with co-hosts the United States, Paraguay and Australia. They will begin their campaign against Australia in Vancouver on June 13.
Turkey shaded a close-fought game low on goalmouth action and secured victory early in the second half as a Yildiz cutback from the left was met by Kokcu before Fenerbahce striker Akturkoglu made sure.
Montella’s side are ranked 22nd in the world and reached the quarter-finals at Euro 2024, but this will only be Turkey’s third ever appearance at the World Cup — they went to the 1954 tournament before coming third 24 years ago in South Korea and Japan.
They finished second in European qualifying Group E behind Spain, holding the Spanish to a draw away from home, before beating Romania 1-0 at home in their playoff semi-final last week.
Kosovo, ranked 78th, were targeting a first ever World Cup appearance, having only been accepted as FIFA members a decade ago.
They had finished second behind Switzerland in qualifying Group B, notably beating Sweden home and away, before coming from behind twice to defeat Slovakia 4-3 away in the semi-finals.
ARSENAL STAR’S HEROICS SEALS SWEDES’ PLACE
Viktor Gyokeres sent Sweden to the 2026 World Cup as he netted a dramatic late winner to hand his country a 3-2 win over Poland in their European playoff final on Tuesday.
With the match locked at two-apiece the Arsenal striker forced the ball over the line after a frantic goalmouth scramble with just two minutes remaining to qualify Sweden for the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
They join the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia in Group F.
Earlier, Anthony Elanga and Gustaf Lagerbielke had twice given Sweden the lead before Nicola Zalewski and Karol Swiderski hit back for Poland.
After missing out on the last edition in 2022, it is a return to football’s global showpiece tournament for Graham Potter’s side after eight years away.
After a disastrous qualifying campaign, Sweden qualified for the play-offs thanks to topping Group C1 in the Nations League.
For Poland, it was the first time they have failed to reach a World Cup finals since 2014.
The Swedes began in slightly nervous fashion in front of the fans in Stockholm as the Poles controlled the early tempo.
– Party in Stockholm –
The breakthrough then came in spectacular fashion in the 20th minute as Yasi Ayari backheeled into the path of the onrushing Elanga who thrashed the ball home left-footed via the crossbar.
The visitors nearly levelled five minutes later as Swiderski’s swivelling volley from inside the box forced a fine one-handed save from Kristoffer Nordfeldt low down to his left.
Jakub Kaminski then worked the Swedish goalkeeper from the resulting corner with a tame effort from the edge of the box as Poland started to turn the screw.
Polish pressure told on 33 minutes as Nordfeldt failed to deal with Zalewski’s curling effort after the 24-year-old had picked the ball up in space and cut in from the left.
Sweden were on the ropes since taking the lead with Poland targeting, in particular, their right flank.
The next goal was to come from that side of the pitch, however, it was in favour of the embattled hosts as Zalewski chopped down Elanga near the right touchline to concede a free-kick in a dangerous position.
Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren whipped in a teasing inswinger with his left foot and centre-half Lagerbielke ghosted in at the near post to nod past a stranded Kamil Grabara one minute before the interval. It was just Sweden’s second shot of the half.
Poland’s leading goalscorer Robert Lewandowski cut an frustrated figure on his 165th cap, and the Barcelona forward blazed over early in the second period when he might have been better flighting a cross in the box.
But his grimace soon changed to a relieved smile in the 55th minute when Zalewski snuck onto a Matty Cash cross at the back post and his miscued attempt to control the ball fell perfectly for Swiderski to tap home the leveller.
Both Potter and his Polish counterpart Jan Urban shuffled their packs midway through the second half in a bid to find the decisive goal that would seal their side’s spot in the World Cup.
Just as a further 30 minutes seemed inevitable, the otherwise-quiet Gyokeres popped up to bundle across the line from close range at the end of a sequence of play which included a Grabara save from Lucas Bergvall and a Besfort Zeneli shot which came back off a post.
Poland piled forward desperately but were unable to find a third leveller on the night as the referee signalled the end of the encounter and the start of the party in Stockholm.