Italy's World Cup Nightmare Continues: Dumped Out by Bosnia in Penalty Chaos

The Azzurri's World Cup misery deepened on Tuesday night as they suffered yet another qualifying heartbreak, this time at the hands of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout that will do nothing to ease the pain of their ongoing drought.

It's now three World Cups on the bounce that Italy have failed to reach, a statistic so bewildering it barely seems real. Their last knockout appearance in the tournament came way back in 2006, when they hoisted the trophy in Berlin—a fact that grows more absurd with each passing campaign.

In Zenica, Moise Kean's opening goal suggested Italy would cruise through their play-off final. But then Alessandro Bastoni's moment of madness changed everything. The Inter defender's mistimed challenge earned him a straight red, leaving the Italians to battle through an entire match with ten men. Haris Tabakovic's 79th-minute leveller forced extra time, and after 120 gruelling minutes, the contest went to penalties.

The spot-kick sequence was a masterclass in how to make things difficult. Pio Esposito blazed his effort into orbit, Bryan Cristante crashed against the crossbar, and despite some composed finishes elsewhere, Italy fell short. Gennaro Gattuso's reign has already reached its nadir, and there's nowhere left to go but up—assuming the federation even wants to go there.

For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this represents only their second World Cup qualification as an independent nation, their first since 2014.

Sweden's Dramatic Escape

Sweden's passage through the play-offs proved equally theatrical. Viktor Gyokeres added another chapter to his growing legend, netting the winner against Poland with just 120 seconds remaining to send Swedish supporters into raptures. Remarkably, the Swedes finished bottom of their group with two points yet still made it to the summer finals—a fortunate bounce-back courtesy of the Nations League pathway.

Their semi-final demolition of Ukraine was straightforward enough, but Poland provided considerably more resistance. Gyokeres, following his hat-trick against the Ukrainians, proved the difference-maker when it mattered most. Graham Potter will now manage at a World Cup, a silver lining for those following the English coach's fortunes abroad.

Sweden's forward production line remains one of football's great mysteries: from Larsson to Ibrahimovic, and now Gyokeres and Alexander Isak heading to the tournament despite their humble group-stage finish.

Czechia's Penalty Heroics

Czechia required another penalty shootout to progress, this time seeing off Denmark after a 2-2 draw. The Czechs have now twice recovered from seemingly impossible positions in this qualifying campaign—they'd overturned a 2-0 deficit against Ireland last week—and replicated that resilience against the Danes.

A 1-1 full-time scoreline became 2-2 after extra time, and when the shootout arrived, Danish composure evaporated spectacularly. The Czechs celebrated wildly as their opponents missed crucial spot-kicks, sending another Nordic nation home disappointed.

Turkey's Steady Progress

Turkey's path to Qatar proved more straightforward, though hardly spectacular. Ferdi Kadioglu's opener against Romania last week was followed by Kerem Akturkoglu's decisive strike in Kosovo, securing back-to-back 1-0 victories. Under Vincenzo Montella's stewardship, Turkey will arrive in the United States as potential dark horses—a designation that owes more to Euro 2020 nostalgia than current form.

Their group assignment against the United States, Paraguay, and Australia presents genuine scope for advancement. On paper, Turkey could well top it.