FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[yenerbatmaz]

Italian footballers were overjoyed when Bosnia and Herzegovina were drawn as their opponents for the final. Yesterday, Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated them on penalties, leaving the Italians heartbroken. At this time, scoring one goal and holding onto it until the end of the match is unacceptable. Italy learned this the hard way.

Turkey, after a difficult 0-1 victory against Kosovo, qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time in 24 years. This victory brought great joy and significant financial gain to the Turkish national team.

[TastyChillySauce00]

Italy needs to get a major overhaul over their club. I think Italy's coach, players and management need to be replaced. I don't see any reason to keep them all in their national team. I said that caused by this is a terrible result to fail to go to the WC three times in a row while they being known as one of football house.
If they're still using the same compositions for the next WC, they must be added into the list of cursed sport team. I'm wondering did they even evaluate themselves for more than 12 years? They keep breaking the bad record from previous generation to the current generation.

This is my reason to think seeing them being placed as 12th is overrated. It's caused by missing WC just becomes a new normal for them. They ain't a major football nation anymore.

[davis196]

It's a shame that Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup in North America. I've had no doubt that Italy would eliminate Bosnia after scoring a goal in the first half. I don't know what happened with the Italian team. Maybe the Italians underestimated Bosna. It seems that the Italian players weren't ready for a penalty shootout. They didn't train penalties. Gennaro Gattuso is a totally mediocre coach. I don't know why they kept him as a national coach for Italy. Italy is well known for having great coaches, but they put Gattuso as their national coach? What a joke.
I also wasn't expecting Chechia to eliminate Denmark after a penalty shootout. Sweden and Turkey did their job and qualified for the World Cup, but they had difficulties against Poland and Kosovo.

[MinoRaiola]

Italy is a footballing nation. Therefore, this result will cause some changes in the Italian national team. Italy has always been one of the favorites in both the European Championship and the World Cup. The biggest reason for this defeat was the change in the balance of the game due to the red card. Donnarumma took the Italians to penalties, but Bosnia did not miss their penalty.

The main reason Italy isnt in the World Cup, they simply play terrible soccer. They arent a strong team, and the players dont have any worldclass players. In the penalty shootout, they took two shots so badly that it was embarrassing. They didnt deserve to be there again, and it is a disaster for the country. Four more years without a good national team. 12 years without a team that has already won this tournament four times, it is unbelievable. I hope that over the next four years, there will be players who completely transform the team.

[7juju]

I don't know either, as soon as I saw Esposito as the first penalty taker I knew there was a huge probability he was going to miss it, not only because he is young but also because Bosnia had already scored the first penalty, so he had the pressure of equalizing. And when I saw the third penalty taker was Cristante I turn off the tv because I knew he was going to miss, I don't even know what he is doing in the national team...

Perhaps Esposito proactively made a proposal to take that responsibility but even if he actually did that, Gennaro Gattuso as a head coach and by his experience with Italy teams in the past, must refuse that proposal from Esposito. Giving that huge responsibility to a very young player like Esposito is like suicide as a first and last shots in first five penalty shots are most important.

Italy have other players who can shoot penalty well like Dimarco, Mancini, Barella and even more but generally older players are possibly better choices with less risk than Esposito.

But those older players were there and they didn’t volunteered to take the penalty. In situations like this penalties are taken voluntarily. As a coach you don’t force players to take penalties, if you do and the player misses it, the blame will be on you as the coach. The player will defend himself that he never wanted to take the penalty but he was forced to. Besides how are we sure that they didn’t decide the penalty takers in their training session? perhaps it’s the players that were very good at taking penalties in training that were given the responsibilities to take the penalty. A player might be older and well known but a terrible penalty taker.

[Nahl]

It's a shame that Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup in North America. I've had no doubt that Italy would eliminate Bosna after winning 2-0 in the first leg. I don't know what happened with the Italian team. Maybe the Italians underestimated Bosna. It seems that the Italian players weren't ready for a penalty shootout. They didn't train penalties. Gennaro Gattuso is a totally mediocre coach. I don't know why they kept him as a national coach for Italy. Italy is well known for having great coaches, but they put Gattuso as their national coach? What a joke.
I also wasn't expecting Chechia to eliminate Denmark after a penalty shootout. Sweden and Turkey did their job and qualified for the World Cup, but they had difficulties against Poland and Kosovo.

When the federation choose Gattuso i am a bit doubt Italy will be performing well under him that because as a coach Gatusso hasn't have good track record even when train a club Gattuso often to failed and sacked but unfortunately he did the same thing in Italy national team but if we talking about the game if we see from squad quality certainly Italy aboved to Bosnia but i think Italy have no luck because lost from penalty shootout actually Italy dominated the game but since their player Alessandro Bastoni received the red card Italy have lost their domination in this game and Bosnia know this weaknesses and utilize it to make Italy players frustrate however i am sure after this result Gattuso will be sacked

[B-BossMan]

Italy is a footballing nation. Therefore, this result will cause some changes in the Italian national team. Italy has always been one of the favorites in both the European Championship and the World Cup. The biggest reason for this defeat was the change in the balance of the game due to the red card. Donnarumma took the Italians to penalties, but Bosnia did not miss their penalty.

The main reason Italy isnt in the World Cup, they simply play terrible soccer. They arent a strong team, and the players dont have any worldclass players. In the penalty shootout, they took two shots so badly that it was embarrassing. They didnt deserve to be there again, and it is a disaster for the country. Four more years without a good national team. 12 years without a team that has already won this tournament four times, it is unbelievable. I hope that over the next four years, there will be players who completely transform the team.

Actually I agree with this, believe you me the Italy national football team indeed performed very poorly,  and it was obvious at during the match on the field, but from observation, the biggest challenges or issues is thier attacking counters, they really lacks game strategies creativity, if we are to compare it with the other top teams, there was no any signs of creating chances of goals and the players at times seems confusing, thier consistency looks ineffective. However if really the Italy wants to rebuild thier confidence in order to move forward,  they will need to work on themselves properly and develop a stronger attackers.

[pewboy]

It is a more disappointing situation that Italy didn?t qualify for the World Cup, this should be the second time in a row, Everyone would be disappointed that such a country like Italy wouldn?t be at the World Cup which is a very nasty situation for them and their country, it?s a very disappointing result, Italy is known as one of the biggest countries at World Stages and for something of this magnitude to have happened to them then I must say is something that cannot be taken, all the Italian players should be ashamed of themselves, and the Manager should be ashamed of himself for not qualifying for the World Cup, it?s a huge disappointment and a huge blow for them in this nasty predicament.

Well, tell us Italians that it's disappointing, do you know what it means for a national team like Italy, with 4 World Cup wins, not to participate in the World Cup 3 times in a row?
It's not a bad thing, it's a humiliation that has no limit, infinite.
I don't know if you can understand.

[Soonandwaite]

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy: Italy @ 1.53, Bosnia @ 6.60

yesterday i came across a funny interview with an Italian football fan. he said, “i actually hope Italy loses to Bosnia and Herzegovina and doesn’t make it to the World Cup.
that way, we won’t embarrass ourselves there.” ... i really had to laugh when I watched it… what a cool fan 

LOL I have also said that about my country team when my country was playing the World Cup qualifiers, the reason why the fans said that was because he knew very well that if they should go to the World Cup, they would easily be removed and so there’s no need to go into the World Cup. There are some teams we know very well that they won’t last in the World Cup because they are not inform or serious, there’s nothing more painful as a football fan that your country went to the World and was disgracefully removed, it would be more better that they don’t go. So I don’t understand very well the reason why the Italian fans said that.

Italian fans can be satisfied today. Following 2018 and 2022, the Italian team will now miss out on the 2026 World Cup as well. has Gennaro Gattuso already been sacked?
this is yet another total embarrassment for Italy. or is it actually already turning into a disaster for Italy?

[jaberwock]

Tonight will be an exciting evening for some countries.

For us, the Turkiye vs Kosovo match is very important.
I think Turkiye are the favorites, but since it’s a final, it’s very hard to say anything for certain.
One of these two teams will secure a ticket to the World Cup tonight.

The fact that Kosovo have promised a $1 million bonus to their players really worries me, because this is a huge amount for Kosovan players. They will do everything they can to win.

Kosova will strive to resist.  Turkish players are better technically but Kosova has players with better physicality and endurance. Therefore, the longer the match goes on, every passing minute will work against Turkey.

It's all about chaos and consistency. If Kosovo just let's Turkey play their game, then there is no way that Kosovo could win, the gap between the talent levels is huge.

But, if Kosovo plays with chaos, attacking all together, basically making it like "not how they should play" and then get a chance, they will have a shot at winning, depends if they are lucky or not too because if you do get the chance you need to convert, not hit the woodwork or anything or get saved by the goalkeeper. That goal keeper conceded 4 goals against Liverpool and got a 9.9 rating, so it will be tough there too.

[Italian Panic]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention the red card Italy received. I’m pretty sure the outcome would have been different if they hadn’t gone down a man.
I also watched the match and Italy actually played well in the first half before the red card. After that, everything changed and they struggled to attack.
With this loss, Italy has now missed three consecutive World Cup appearances.
As for the penalty shootout if I remember correctly it wasn’t really about great saves by the goalkeeper. Italy simply missed several of their kicks, which ultimately led to their defeat.

You are right about the red card, but not about the quality of the play. Italy played better under Gattuso than under others, but they were still a long way off the standards Italian fans are used to. Against teams like France or Germany, if you play like that, it ends very badly. These are the sort of matches you should be winning 3–0, not taking to penalties. Italy, like other national teams, should be able to win these matches even with ten men without any trouble.

[mandown]

Our match against Kosovo was tough, but I'm very happy we won. We'll be in the World Cup again after 24 years. Kosovo put up a very good fight. I think goalkeeper Uğurcan deserved to be man of the match. He made two crucial saves. The score was 0-1, but there were plenty of goalscoring opportunities. Kosovo's goalkeeper Muriq also put in an effective performance.

[meser#]

As a country, we qualified for the World Cup after 24 years. Kosovo put up a very good fight. In the first half, in the 28th minute, Asllani had a superb shot, but Uğurcan made a great save. I think that was the turning point of the match.
There were attacks from both sides in the first half. Neither team could finish well.
Orkun's shot in the first half reminded me of Juninho, who once played for Lyon.

I think Orkun should be an indispensable player in the Turkish National Team's midfield.
In the second half, Kerem made the final touch on Orkun's ineffective shot, and Turkey took a 0-1 lead.
After that, Kosovo tried to attack, but Uğurcan made some excellent saves.

Turkey won 0-1 and qualified for the World Cup. Türkiye celebrated in the streets until late at night.

[satscraper]

Italian fans can be satisfied today. Following 2018 and 2022, the Italian team will now miss out on the 2026 World Cup as well. has Gennaro Gattuso already been sacked?
this is yet another total embarrassment for Italy. or is it actually already turning into a disaster for Italy?

If we look at Italy’s playoff history, they lost to Sweden in 2018, to North Macedonia in 2022, and now to Bosnia & Herzegovina. All of these teams are, if not outright European outsiders, but at least far below Italy in terms of individual player quality. This means that the problem is not the squad, but the coaches who have been rigid and inflexible in their tactical approach. First Ventura, then Mancini, and now Gattuso,  their tactics may differ, but all three were stubbornly attached to their preferred style .

[AprilioMP]

Shame to see Poland dropping out of the World Cup. They played a decent game against Sweden. They managed to respond twice when Sweden took the lead, but the 3rd goal came unexpectedly. I think they might have been mentally set for overtime, lost focus, which the Swedes took advantage of.

Italy getting eliminated by Bosnia is probably the biggest surprise of the playoffs. They used to be a powerhouse of European football. They made it to almost all FIFA World Cup tournaments from 1934 to 2014 (except 1958), winning 4 of them. But now they have failed to qualify for the 3rd time in a row, which must be super disappointing for their fans.

It is a more disappointing situation that Italy didn’t qualify for the World Cup, this should be the second time in a row, Everyone would be disappointed that such a country like Italy wouldn’t be at the World Cup which is a very nasty situation for them and their country, it’s a very disappointing result, Italy is known as one of the biggest countries at World Stages and for something of this magnitude to have happened to them then I must say is something that cannot be taken, all the Italian players should be ashamed of themselves, and the Manager should be ashamed of himself for not qualifying for the World Cup, it’s a huge disappointment and a huge blow for them in this nasty predicament.

Gattuso shouldn’t be blamed, because under his leadership, Italy’s play has improved compared to before. The red card received by an Italian player disrupted the team’s chemistry, which is to be expected for any team that receives a red card.
But this isn’t about assigning blame for the situation; rather, Italy’s defeat was simply a stroke of bad luck. Italy is a great team with a rich history on the world stage of soccer.
Hopefully, they can win the next World Cup. Don’t be discouraged—after all, competition is about winning and losing.

[Zlantann]

It is a more disappointing situation that Italy didn’t qualify for the World Cup, this should be the second time in a row, Everyone would be disappointed that such a country like Italy wouldn’t be at the World Cup which is a very nasty situation for them and their country, it’s a very disappointing result, Italy is known as one of the biggest countries at World Stages and for something of this magnitude to have happened to them then I must say is something that cannot be taken, all the Italian players should be ashamed of themselves, and the Manager should be ashamed of himself for not qualifying for the World Cup, it’s a huge disappointment and a huge blow for them in this nasty predicament.

This is the third consecutive World Cup they have failed to qualify. This humilating four a four time champoins and a country with one of the biggest leagues in global football.

Why is everybody blaming only coach Gennaro Gattuso? It is not easy to play with ten men in such a competitive game. He was able to hold the Bosnia and Herzegovina team till the penalty. Penalty shootout is a game of luck.

Alessandro Bastoni would be the most hated player in Italy. He might consider leaving the country because his red card contributed to this disappointment.  

[Alpha Marine]

The main reason Italy isnt in the World Cup, they simply play terrible soccer. They arent a strong team, and the players dont have any worldclass players. In the penalty shootout, they took two shots so badly that it was embarrassing. They didnt deserve to be there again, and it is a disaster for the country. Four more years without a good national team. 12 years without a team that has already won this tournament four times, it is unbelievable. I hope that over the next four years, there will be players who completely transform the team.

They don't need any world-class players to be in the World Cup. The teams that qualified don't have world-class players. Even Bosnia, which knocked them out, doesn't have world-class players.
The first sign that they are not serious about what they're doing is hiring Gattuso as a manager. They could clearly see how bad things were for them. They had missed out on the last 2 world cups, so they had to know that things were very bad for them. Anybody could know they needed to make changes and get a better and more experienced manager who can handle the dressing room and the players.

The players Italy has are good enough to qualify for the World Cup and at least get to the quarter finals with the right management. It's the job of the manager to make the players behave and act in a certain way. if they players are not serious, it's the manager's job to make them serious and work hard.
Italy may not have the squad they used to have i nthe past, but they have a team than can at least qualify. The managemnet of the team is just too poor.

[emrecemsan]

I'm so glad with Turkey's qualification for the World Cup - finally.... 

It wasn't an easy match for us but we did it. Kosovo really did their best at their home. But we won thanks to the quality gap the most. Montella is really gaining more credit and consolidating his seat more.

Italy once again couldn't make it. It's 3 times in a row that they can't qualify for the World Cup. It was the most unnecessary challenge by Bastoni considering the red card. He can't be the only one to be blamed maybe but had a serious affect on it.

[KTChampions]

Italian footballers were overjoyed when Bosnia and Herzegovina were drawn as their opponents for the final. Yesterday, Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated them on penalties, leaving the Italians heartbroken. At this time, scoring one goal and holding onto it until the end of the match is unacceptable. Italy learned this the hard way.

Turkey, after a difficult 0-1 victory against Kosovo, qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time in 24 years. This victory brought great joy and significant financial gain to the Turkish national team.

Have you even heard that Italy was playing with one man down from the 40th minute? Or are you just reading the headlines?
I'm happy for Bosnia, sad for Italy. And I'm really sad that such a, um... trash team (I mean results, not players, although Isak is a rat) like Sweden got to the World Cup. It is clear that the qualifying system was known in advance, but it seems unfair when teams like Poland, Italy and others which performed well in the qualifying tournament do not qualify for the tournament, while Sweden with ZERO wins and a negative goal difference does.

[bitLeap]

Italian footballers were overjoyed when Bosnia and Herzegovina were drawn as their opponents for the final. Yesterday, Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated them on penalties, leaving the Italians heartbroken. At this time, scoring one goal and holding onto it until the end of the match is unacceptable. Italy learned this the hard way.

Turkey, after a difficult 0-1 victory against Kosovo, qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time in 24 years. This victory brought great joy and significant financial gain to the Turkish national team.

The Italian national team's problems should have been the final straw for them. They underestimated Bosnia, while they themselves didn't realize that the squad of aging players in this era was simply a laughingstock. I think it's time for Italian football to change its management and focus on building a team with a younger generation of players. Gattuso is only one factor in the Italian national team's failure, but overall, Italian football is now considered the weakest and worst in any competition.