Italy
Shock exit! Italy fail to qualify for World Cup once more
Italian fans were left heartbroken and stunned after the Italy national football team suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs on Tuesday, missing out on the World Cup once again.
Italy made the opening with Moise Kean scoring the first goal in the clash in the 15th minute.
The four-time World Cup champions suffered a jolt when center back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before halftime.
Despite taking an early lead and maintaining it, Bosnia and Herzegovina bounced back in the 79th minute with substitute Haris Tabakovic scoring the equaliser.
Bosnia entered the World Cup grand event for the first time since 2014 with this victory.
Italy last qualified for the World Cup in 2014, failing to reach the mega event in 2018 and 2022.
Despite winning in 2006, Italy's World Cup failure dates back to 2010 and 2014, when the side failed to advance beyond the group stage.
The only shining spot amid the poor period was the European Championship victory in 2021.
“We still don’t believe it — that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy defender Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters as quoted by The New York Post.
“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup," he said.
Italy was once a major powerhouse in world football, appearing in every tournament from 1962 to 2014.
In the 2006 World Cup, Italy defeated France to lift their fourth title.
The football giant was eliminated in the 2018 and 2022 qualifiers by Sweden and North Macedonia.
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