Turkiye returns to the World Cup for the first time since their 2002 semi-final run.
Italy missed out on a third consecutive FIFA World Cup after a dramatic play-off defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday. The loss means the Azzurri will not feature in this year’s tournament in North America, while Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Sweden all secured their spots at the finals.
The four-time World Cup winners had already failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions and will once again watch from the sidelines as the tournament expands to 48 teams across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The play-off final in Zenica ended 1-1 after extra time, sending the match to penalties. Bosnia triumphed 4-1 in the shootout, with Sandro Tonali the only Italian to convert his kick. Francesco Pio Esposito missed the first spot-kick, while Bryan Cristante struck the crossbar, sealing Italy’s elimination.
Moise Kean put Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy ahead in the 15th minute, but the Azzurri were reduced to 10 men when Alessandro Bastoni received a straight red card late in the first half.
Bosnia equalized in the 79th minute through Haris Tabakovic, and with no further goals in extra time, the match went to penalties.
“I don’t think the boys deserved to suffer such a blow,” Gattuso said. “It’s difficult to digest.”
Ranked 66th in the world, Bosnia had finished second in qualifying Group H behind Austria before defeating Wales on penalties in their play-off semi-final. Their only previous World Cup appearance was in 2014. This year, they will compete in Group B alongside Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.
For Italy, the 2014 tournament remains the last time they qualified, exiting in the group stage, as they also did in 2010. The Azzurri have not won a World Cup knockout match since lifting the trophy in 2006. They failed to qualify in 2018 after losing a two-legged play-off to Sweden, and missed out again in 2022 after a play-off defeat to North Macedonia.
Kosovo’s World Cup dream ends
Turkey booked their spot with Kerem Akturkoglu’s 53rd-minute goal securing a 1-0 win over Kosovo, ending the hosts’ hopes of a first-ever World Cup appearance.
It will be Turkey’s first World Cup since their 2002 semi-final run. Vincenzo Montella’s team will join Group D alongside co-hosts the United States, Paraguay, and Australia.
Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey side, ranked 22nd in the world, will make only their third ever World Cup appearance. They previously competed in 1954 and achieved a third-place finish 24 years ago in South Korea and Japan.
“We achieved our dreams. The World Cup is the pinnacle in this profession,” Montella told UEFA.com.
Kosovo, ranked 78th, had been aiming for a first-ever World Cup appearance, having joined FIFA just a decade ago.
Gyokeres heroics see Sweden through
Sweden bounced back from a difficult qualifying group stage to secure their place at the finals in dramatic fashion.
After defeating Ukraine 3-1 in last week’s semi-final, the Swedes edged Poland 3-2 in Stockholm, with Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres netting a decisive 88th-minute winner.
Sweden had twice taken the lead earlier in the match — Anthony Elanga opened the scoring in the 20th minute, only for Nicola Zalewski to equalize, before Gustaf Lagerbielke restored the hosts’ advantage ahead of half-time.
Karol Swiderski put Poland ahead early in the second half, but Viktor Gyokeres scored the late winner after a frantic goalmouth scramble to seal Sweden’s 3-2 victory.
Poland finished bottom of qualifying Group B without a single win, but earned a play-off spot thanks to strong performances in the UEFA Nations League. Now under English coach Graham Potter, they will compete in Group F at the World Cup alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.
The Czech Republic mirrored Bosnia’s achievement by qualifying through back-to-back penalty shootout victories. Following their win over Ireland last week, they overcame Denmark 3-1 on penalties in Prague.
The match had ended 2-2 after extra time. Pavel Šulc put the hosts ahead, only for Joachim Andersen to equalize for Denmark. Ladislav Krejčí restored the Czech lead in extra time, but Kasper Høgh made it 2-2, sending the game to penalties. Denmark converted only one of their four attempts, with Rasmus Højlund, Anders Dreyer, and Mathias Jensen missing their shots.
The Czech Republic will make its first World Cup appearance since 2006, joining Group A with South Africa, South Korea, and Mexico.
About the Author
