Italy will miss a third consecutive World Cup after a penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday in Zenica. The match ended 4-1 in favor of Bosnia, with Esmir Bajraktarevic scoring the decisive kick.
The Azzurri, four-time champions, previously failed to qualify at the playoff stage for the last two tournaments. Italy’s last World Cup appearance was in 2014, which coincided with Bosnia’s only previous qualification.
This defeat makes Italy the first World Cup winner to be absent from three successive editions of the tournament, which will be hosted this year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.