Today, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, the national teams of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy face each other at Stadion Bilino Polje in Zenica, with the same goal: securing a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
The match, scheduled for 2:45 pm ET, arrives at the most tense moment for both sides. This is a direct UEFA playoff final, where there is no second chance. The winner will book a place in the next World Cup. The loser will be left out.
For Italy, the match represents much more than qualification. It is a chance to break a streak that has weighed heavily on its recent history. The team has missed both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, on both occasions falling in playoff scenarios, and now faces the risk of watching a third consecutive tournament from home.
At the forefront is Bosnia, playing on home soil but also carrying a historic challenge. Bosnia and Herzegovina have never managed to defeat Italy in an official match. Their only win against the Italians came in a friendly in 1996, nearly three decades ago, shortly after being accepted into FIFA. Today, the context is completely different: this match represents a potential pathway to the World Cup.
After this, all that remains is to wait and see which team will become part of the 2026 World Cup, where, for the first time, three countries will serve as hosts.
Update: After more than 90 minutes played, it was Bosnia who claimed the ticket to the World Cup, leaving Italy out of a massive opportunity and sending them to a third consecutive tournament without a place on football’s biggest stage.
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