After losing to Bosnia, Italy are out of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. Gennaro Gattuso, moved by the situation, revealed that they deserved to qualify but did not achieve their goal.
“We did not deserve this. We show passion, we played with 10 men since minute 40… we are sad, but this is football,” the manager said via Fabrizio Romano on X. He also added: “I’m proud of my team. We are hurt.“
The Azzurri will be one of the big absentees in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The penalty shootout against Bosnia proved to be this team’s undoing. Even so, Italy told Gattuso they want him to stay as head coach.
Italy’s dream shattered
After securing a hard-fought victory against Northern Ireland to stay in contention, the Azzurri faced a tense showdown against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The match remained deadlocked at 1–1 after extra time, forcing a dramatic penalty shootout.
Francesco Pio Esposito.
Unfortunately for Italy, they were unable to clinical from the spot, losing the shootout 4-1, and seeing their hopes for the tournament come to a sudden end.
Italy’s most recent World Cup appearance
The last time Italy participated in the World Cup was in 2014, where they were eliminated in the group stage. Following their failure to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions, their recent playoff defeat has officially left Italy out of third straight World Cup, a devastating blow for the four-time champions.
