On the football pitch, a seismic result: Italy, four-time World Cup champions, will miss the 2026 tournament after losing a qualifying play-off to Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 on penalties. It is the third consecutive World Cup from which the Azzurri have been absent — a streak of failure that would have been unthinkable a generation ago and one that will prompt soul-searching across Italian football.
In a more joyful storyline, DR Congo qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 52 years. The nation last participated in 1974, when it was known as Zaire. Meanwhile, the US Men’s National Team played its final pre-tournament friendly against Portugal in Atlanta, with coach Mauricio Pochettino set to name his World Cup roster imminently.