Italians woke up on Wednesday filled with anger and disappointment after their national soccer team missed the World Cup for the third consecutive time, losing a playoff match to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This defeat continues a painful saga for a country passionate about soccer.

"The World Cup curse," proclaimed the front page of Italy's leading daily, Corriere della Sera, which called for a comprehensive rebuilding of a nation that has produced some of soccer's greatest talents but has only won a single match in the finals since lifting the trophy for the fourth time in 2006.

Headlines in both La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport, Italy's two primary sports newspapers, echoed the sentiment: "We're all staying at home," indicating another summer without World Cup action.

Fans in Rome were left in shock after Italy faced a 4-1 defeat in a penalty shootout against Bosnia, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time. This marked their third consecutive playoff loss after previous defeats to Sweden and North Macedonia.

"Everything went wrong from the start. The team was not performing well, with out-of-form players taking to the field... it makes no sense. Honestly, I'm in shock," said Davide Caldaretta, who watched the match at a local pub.

The Azzurri last qualified for the World Cup finals in 2014, where Bosnia made its debut in the tournament. This year, the Balkan team is set to compete in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.

NATIONAL OUTRAGE

The defeat ignited outrage across Italy, with political parties demanding the resignation of the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) President Gabriele Gravina.

"This is an unacceptable disgrace. Italian football requires a complete overhaul, beginning with Gravina's resignation," stated the League Party, part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition, on Instagram.

Gravina indicated that his position would be reassessed at a federal council meeting scheduled for the following week.

Italy's Sports Minister Andrea Abodi described the outcome as a "definitive defeat," suggesting that Italian football needs to be "rebuilt from the ground up."

"When we fail to qualify for the World Cup three times in a row, it's time to reflect on the situation," Abodi told reporters.

"This is not just an ordinary day, and it's not enough to simply shift blame by saying we expected more from the organization."

"Firstly, we must take responsibility and acknowledge what has happened—not just yesterday, as this is not the first time."

Italy was reduced to 10 men in the 42nd minute when Alessandro Bastoni was penalized for a late tackle, a critical moment in the match while Italy was leading.

Italian fan Melanie Cardillo expressed her disappointment: "(We feel) really upset and disappointed. Even when you're let down, you always hold out hope. And this is the third time in a row."

Even Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe expressed his dismay on behalf of Italy, stating he felt 'sick' after the team's failure.

"A dark dawn for Italy. The day after failing to qualify. Again," he wrote on X. "How is this possible with so much talent?"

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