"I cried last night."
Gianluigi Donnarumma (27, Manchester City) finally broke down. Wearing the captain's armband, he could not lead Italy to the World Cup. After losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties, Donnarumma confessed, "I cried because of tremendous sadness."
The U.K. BBC reported on the 2nd (Korea time) that "Gianluigi Donnarumma vowed to rebuild Italy after failing to qualify for the CONCACAF World Cup."
Italy drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2026 FIFA CONCACAF World Cup European play-off final held on the 1st, then lost 1-4 on penalties. Alessandro Bastoni was sent off in the first half, leaving them a man down, and they ultimately could not hold out.
With this, Italy failed to qualify for the finals for the third consecutive time, following the 2018 Russia World Cup and the 2022 Qatar World Cup. It is the first time this has happened in Italy's history.
Donnarumma fought throughout the match. In the second half he produced several decisive saves that kept Italy alive. He was the reason they lasted until extra time. In the penalty shootout he could do nothing. He engaged in a showdown with Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj, and local reports even claimed Donnarumma had damaged the opponent's penalty notes. After the match ended, he was restrained by teammates as he tried to charge at celebrating Bosnia players.
It was an emotion mixed with rage and frustration. The day after the match, Donnarumma poured out his feelings on his social media.
He wrote, "I cried after last night's match. I cried from the disappointment of not being able to take Italy to where it belongs."
He added, "I cried because of the tremendous sadness I feel as captain of the national team and as a member of the Azzurri. I know the fans feel the same emotion."
In this shootout Donnarumma did not save a single shot. Meanwhile, Italy saw Fio Esposito and Bryan Cristante miss. Even Donnarumma, who had stood alone in front of the goal, could not save the team at the final moment.
What hurts more is that Donnarumma has never set foot on the World Cup stage. He made his senior national team debut in 2016 at the age of 17 and long was hailed as Italy's future. He is now the national team captain. Even so, he has no World Cup finals experience. That dream did not come true in the summer of 2026 either. The earliest Donnarumma could aim for the World Cup again is 2030, when he will be 31.
Donnarumma said he would get back up. He said, "To return Italy to where it belongs requires enormous strength, passion and conviction."
He also wrote, "You must always believe. Belief is the driving force that moves you forward. Life ultimately rewards those who give everything. We must begin again here. Together, once more."
Italian football as a whole was in shock. Since winning the 2006 Germany World Cup, Italy has not even once reached the World Cup tournament stage. The BBC mocked, "Since Italy last won at a World Cup tournament, water was discovered on Mars, Leicester City won the Premier League, and the iPhone was born. Lamine Yamal, who even finished second in last year's Ballon d'Or, had not yet been born then."
Criticism is aimed at the leadership of the football association. Politics has also stepped in. The League party, which participates in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition, said, "This is an unacceptable disgrace. It must start with the resignation of chairman Gabriele Gravina." Andrea Abodi, Minister of sports, also said, "Italian football must be rebuilt from the bottom up. The leadership of the football association needs to be replaced."
The Italian media were cold. Corriere della Sera on its front page called the situation "the curse of the World Cup" and emphasized that a comprehensive reconstruction is necessary.
Fans' wounds ran deeper. Pubs and squares across Italy filled with fans holding out hope until the end. After Sweden in 2018 and North Macedonia in 2022, they believed this time would be different. The result was the same again.
One fan told Reuters, "I just cannot understand it. It's shocking." Another fan said, "You feel disappointed and disappointed again, but you still hold out hope. This is already the third time." Once again Italy did not go to the World Cup.
[OSEN]