Italy battled through extra time down to 10 men after Alessandro Bastoni’s red card and a Moise Kean goal, but capitulated to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties, so miss a third consecutive World Cup.
The Azzurri beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in the semi-final with Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean goals, so stuck with the same starting XI in Zenica. Edin Dzeko’s late equaliser forced extra time and Bosnia eventually beat Wales on penalties, but the only change was Ivan Basic for Benjamin Tahirovic. Familiar faces included Atalanta defender Sead Kolasinac and Sassuolo’s Tarik Muharemovic.
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See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
There were a couple of early scares with Riccardo Calafiori’s clearance taking a double ricochet to go over for a corner, then Ermedin Demirovic firing straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma on the counter-attack.
Italy took the lead with their first genuine opportunity, as Mateo Retegui harassed the goalkeeper into an error, so his pass was intercepted by Nicolò Barella, rolling across for Kean to sweep it first-time into the top corner with the inside of the right boot from the edge of the area. Kean became only the fourth player to score in six consecutive Italy appearances after Adolfo Balonceri in 1928, Gigi Riva in 1969 and Roberto Bettega in 1977, netting eight in that period.
ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Moise Kean of Italy celebrates after scoring his team’s opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
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Katic nodded wide and Dzeko fired over, but Donnarumma had his gloves stung by a ferocious Basic strike following a corner, while Retegui’s weak finish was smothered.
Demirovic’s glancing header flashed wide from a Bajraktarevic cross, but the game had a turning point when Donnarumma’s poor goal kick was intercepted by Amar Memic, who was surging on goal when brought down from behind by Bastoni. The red card was inevitable, and Federico Gatti came on for Retegui to bolster the defence.
ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: The referee Clèment Turpin shows the red card to Alessandro Bastoni of Italy during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
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Bosnia poured forward, Memic nodding wide of the back post, and they threw on 18-year-old sensation Kerim Alajbegovic for the second half, while Italy responded with full-back Marco Palestra for the more attack-minded Matteo Politano.
Demirovic just failed to get his head to a dangerous cross and Alajbegovic stung Donnarumma’s gloves from the edge of the area, but Kean nearly doubled Italy’s lead when he intercepted a ball inside his own half and sprinted forward, firing over past the on-rushing goalkeeper.
Memic went off injured, but Donnarumma got down for a sensational save to fingertip the Benjamin Tahirovic low drive round the base of the near post.
Moments later, substitute Francesco Pio Esposito fired over from the edge of the box on a smart Palestra pull-back.
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Federico Dimarco also scuffed wide from a Barella pull-back, but Bosnia got their equaliser when Donnarumma made a sensational save on Dzeko’s header at the back post from Dedic’s cross, but could do nothing on the Haris Tabakovic tap-in on the rebound.
ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Haris Tabakovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina scores his team’s equalizing goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
Donnarumma made another crucial save on the Demirovic header to force extra time.
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Palestra ran onto a Sandro Tonali through ball and was brought down on the edge of the area by Muharemovic, but this was only a yellow card and not a red, despite being closer to goal and in a more central position than Memic in the Bastoni situation.
Palestra also stood up a cross for Esposito’s header at the back post, forcing a tough reaction save from Nikola Vasilj.
Esposito also turned Muharemovic and the finish was deflected wide off the defender’s shoulder, while Davide Frattesi charged down the Alajbegovic scorcher.
Tahirovic also drilled wide from the D after a short corner in the final minutes of extra time, so it went to a penalty shoot-out.
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Esposito ballooned the first Italy kick over the bar, then Bryan Cristante blasted his onto the underside of the crossbar, allowing Bajrakterovic to maintain the perfect record against Donnarumma and send Bosnia to the World Cup.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Italy (aet)
Kean 15 (I), Tabakovic 79 (B)
Sent off: Bastoni 41 (I)
Penalties: Tahirovic (B, goal), Esposito (I, miss), Tabakovic (B, goal), Tonali (I, goal), Alajbegovic (B, goal), Cristante (I, miss), Bajrakterovic (B, goal)
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