World Cup 2026: “I’ve had enough,” Gattuso reacts to Italy’s elimination.
Beaten by Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoffs, Italy will not go to the 2026 World Cup. A crushing setback that leaves Gennaro Gattuso and his players deeply affected.
Italy’s head coach, Gennaro Gattuso, delivered a reaction tinged with bitterness after the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoff final, the Italy national team fell to penalties (4-1), on Tuesday, at the Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, after a hard-fought match that ended 1-1 after extra time.
Despite a promising start, marked by Moise Kean’s opening goal, Italy gradually lost control of the match, especially after Bastoni’s red card just before halftime. Reduced to ten, the Italians held out for a long time, buoyed by an imperious Gianluigi Donnarumma, who made several decisive saves.
But Bosnian pressure finally paid off: Haris Tabakovic equalized in the second half, pouncing on a ball parried by Donnarumma after Edin Džeko’s header from a corner. Unable to settle the match during extra time, the two teams had to go to a penalty shootout, fatal to the Italians, with notably two misses by Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante.
At the final whistle, Gennaro Gattuso did not hide his deep disappointment: «These players gave everything, they fought with determination, but they were not rewarded.» Interrogé sur son avenir, Gattuso a préféré éluder : «It’s not the moment to talk about that. The most important thing was to qualify for the World Cup. Today, it’s a huge disappointment.»
Refusing any controversy, he added: «I don’t want to talk about refereeing. That’s football. I’ve known victories as well as defeats, but this one is particularly hard to accept.» Interrogé sur son avenir, Gattuso a préféré éluder : «It’s not the moment to talk about that. The most important thing was to qualify for the World Cup. Today, it’s a huge disappointment.»
