Italy play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European qualifying playoff final on Tuesday
The Azzurri are aiming to avoid missing a third consecutive FIFA World Cup, having last appeared in 2014
Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in the semifinal, while Bosnia eliminated Wales on penalties
Bosnia And Herzegovina Vs Italy Preview, World Cup Play‑offs: Azzurri Fight To End 12‑Year Absence
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy Preview, FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-offs: Four‑time champions Italy visit Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoff final, desperate to avoid missing a third straight FIFA World Cup after wins over Northern Ireland and past heartbreaks
Summary
It’s a decisive day for one of soccer’s historic powers.
Struggling Italy visits Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European qualifying playoffs on Tuesday with the four-time champion desperate not to miss out on a third straight World Cup.
Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in qualifying playoffs for the last two World Cups and has not appeared at soccer’s biggest event since 2014.
In last week’s European playoff semifinals, Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0. Bosnia eliminated Wales in a penalty shootout.
Tuesday’s other European playoff finals are: Sweden vs. Poland; Kosovo vs. Turkey; and the Czech Republic vs. Denmark.
All four matches are scheduled to kickoff at 8:45 p.m. local time (1845 GMT; 2:45 p.m. ET).
Italy’s World Cup struggles began soon after its last title in 2006: The Azzurri were eliminated from the 2014 and 2018 finals at the group stage.
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