The Italian national team, a four-time world champion, is seeking to avoid another setback and end a 12-year absence from the world's biggest football stage when they face a very tough match in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday (22:45 UAE time) in the European playoff for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Kosovo's team dreams of its historic first appearance in a major tournament when they face Turkey at the same time. Tomorrow, the last four European spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held next summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will be decided. In addition to the Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey vs. Kosovo matches, Sweden will also face Poland, and the Czech Republic will face Denmark. All eyes are on the Italian mission. Coach Gennaro Gattuso, a 2006 World Cup winner as a player for his country, is trying to lead Italy back to the tournament after missing the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He is counting on stars led by midfielder Sandro Tonali. However, the match, a final of the first path, away in Zenica, will not be easy in a difficult atmosphere. Photos of Italian players celebrating Bosnia's victory over Wales in the semi-final last Thursday were taken, but Inter defender Federico Dimarco confirmed that it was not out of disrespect for the opponent. Bosnia is led by veteran striker Edin Džeko, 40, who scored the late equalizer against Wales. Džeko previously played for nearly a decade in the Italian Serie A with Roma, Inter, and Fiorentina, and so he will rely on his Italian experience to lead his country to the finals for the second time in its history as an independent nation, after the first in 2014 in Brazil when he was part of it. Džeko sees Italy as the 'top candidate' to secure the last spot in Group C, which includes Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar.
