Bosnia 1-1 Italy (4-1 on pens): Azzurri fail to reach another World Cup

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.

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.

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.

Donnarumma made another crucial save on the Demirovic header to force extra time.

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.

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)

31-03-2026 19:45 Final Bilino Polje Stadium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Italy 0

0 1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		15'		Moise Kean (Assist: Nicolò Barella)
		41'

Alessandro Bastoni 2nd half

Benjamin Tahirovic		54'
Haris Tabakovic

79'         81' Gianluigi Donnarumma Extra time

Tarik Muharemovic		102'
Nikola Katic

114'    

Match statistic

65 Possession % 35 30 Total shots 9 11 Shots on target 3 12 Shots off target 4 7 Blocked shots 2 10 Corners 4 2 Offsides 0 18 Fouls 9 Bosnia and Herzegovina Italy

Starting lineups

1

Nikola Vasilj Goalkeeper 7

Amar Dedic Defender 18

Nikola Katic Defender 5

Sead Kolasinac Defender 46' 4

Tarik Muharemovic Defender 13

Ivan Basic Midfielder 71' 14

Ivan Sunjic Midfielder 46' 15

Amar Memic Attacker 71' 11

Edin Dzeko Attacker 10

Ermedin Demirovic Attacker 115' 20

Esmir Bajraktarevic Attacker 1

Gianluigi Donnarumma Goalkeeper 21

Alessandro Bastoni Defender 3

Federico Dimarco Defender 91' 23

Gianluca Mancini Defender 13

Riccardo Calafiori Defender 5

Manuel Locatelli Midfielder 71' 18

Nicolò Barella Midfielder 85' 8

Sandro Tonali Midfielder 9

Mateo Retegui Attacker 44' 7

Matteo Politano Attacker 46' 11

Moise Kean Attacker

71'

Substitutes

21

Stjepan Radeljic Defender 9

Samed Bazdar Attacker 8

Armin Gigovic Midfielder 2

Nihad Mujakic Defender 12

Osman Hadzikic Goalkeeper 22

Martin Zlomislic Goalkeeper 3

Nidal Celik Defender 16

Amir Hadziahmetovic Midfielder 115' 6

Benjamin Tahirovic Midfielder 46' 19

Kerim Alajbegović Attacker 46' 23

Haris Tabakovic Attacker 71' 17

Dzenis Burnic Midfielder 71' 19 Andrea Cambiaso Defender 22

Alex Meret Goalkeeper 6

Alessandro Buongiorno Defender 10

Giacomo Raspadori Attacker 12

Marco Carnesecchi Goalkeeper 14 Niccolò Pisilli Midfielder 19 Federico Gatti Defender 44' 2 Marco Palestra Defender 46' 16

Bryan Cristante Midfielder 71' 15 Pio Esposito Attacker 71' 17

Davide Frattesi Midfielder 85' 4

Leonardo Spinazzola Defender

91'