Italy is reeling after another crushing failure on the international stage. Beaten by Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties (1-1, 4-1 on penalties) in the playoffs, the Azzurri will miss a third consecutive World Cup.
The shock is immense, especially given their strong group-stage performance, where they collected 18 points—more than several European giants—yet still finished behind Norway. This painful elimination has sparked outrage across the country, with many questioning how such a campaign could end in total failure.
Tensions escalated further following Sweden’s controversial qualification. Despite failing to win a single group match, the Scandinavians secured a playoff spot through the Nations League pathway before defeating Poland 3-2 in the final.
This scenario has deeply frustrated Italian officials and fans, who see the system as fundamentally flawed. “It’s incomprehensible that a team with such results can qualify while others are left out,” many critics argue, pointing directly at UEFA’s format, which they believe unfairly rewards certain pathways over consistent performance.