Captain Donnarumma vows to restore Italy after heartbreak
Why it matters: Italy will miss the 2026 World Cup, extending their absence from the tournament to at least 12 years.
- Gianluigi Donnarumma "cried because of the enormous sadness" after Italy's 4-1 penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina, marking their third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup.
- Donnarumma reportedly damaged Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj's penalty-takers cheat sheet during the shootout and had to be restrained from confronting celebrating Bosnia players at full-time.
- Italy's latest failure has drawn widespread criticism from fans, journalists, and politicians, with the League Party calling for the resignation of Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina.
- Italy has not appeared in a World Cup knockout game since winning the trophy in 2006, a period longer than the existence of the iPhone and the birth of football star Lamine Yamal.
Captain Gianluigi Donnarumma expressed profound sadness and vowed to restore Italy's footballing pride after their third consecutive World Cup qualification failure, a defeat that has sparked widespread criticism and calls for the Italian Football Federation president's resignation. Despite his second-half saves, Donnarumma's frustration boiled over during the penalty shootout, leading to an alleged altercation with the opposing goalkeeper and a post-match confrontation.
