The 2026 World Cup hasn’t officially kicked off yet, but Tuesday’s final qualifying matches brought us plenty of excitement and drama that made the day feel like a World Cup day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All four UEFA playoff matches were either decided by a goal or in penalty kicks. Four-time World Cup champion Italy was among the eight European nations looking to secure its bid for the 2026 World Cup, but the Azzuri fell short of qualifying for a third straight tournament with its loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, T\u00fcrkiye, Sweden and Czechia each punched their tickets into the 2026 World Cup in thrilling fashion. Two more matches will take place on Tuesday to give us the final two nations in the 48-team field. DR Congo is currently taking on Jamaica, while Iraq will face Bolivia later in the day.<\/p>\n
Here’s a closer look at the final six matches of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Italy\u2019s curse continues.<\/p>\n
In dramatic fashion, Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced in penalties, 1-1 (4-1 on PKs), to secure the final spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group B.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The result ensured that Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.<\/p>\n
Italy missed its first and third penalty kicks during the shootout, which left the door open for American-born Esmir Barjaktarevic to step up and nail the deciding kick and send Bosnia and Herzegovina to Group B, where it will face co-host Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.<\/p>\n
The opening goal began with a poorly placed pass from Bosnian goalie Nikola Vasilij, which was intercepted by\u00a0Nicol\u00f2 Barella, who dished it toward a sprinting Moise Kean, who placed his right-footed shot in the top far corner to make it 1-0 in the fourteenth minute of the match.<\/p>\n
Right as it appeared the Azzurri would make its return to the World Cup, the match took a dramatic turn before the break.<\/p>\n
Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card in the 42nd minute after taking down Amar Memic without making a clear attempt at the ball, which meant Italy had to finish the match with 10 men.<\/p>\n
Italy held on to its lead for most of the second half, before Bosnian captain Edin Dzeko flipped the match on its head as he headed in the equalizer in the 79th.<\/p>\n
Amar Dedic sent a cross into the area, applying the same strategy Bosnia and Herzegovina had applied following the red card as Dzeko received the cross in the perfect spot to get his header past Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.<\/p>\n
Bosnia and Herzegovina will be making its second appearance at the World Cup, the first coming in 2014, which saw the nation exit in the group stage.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye is back in the World Cup! T\u00fcrkiye ended its 24-year World Cup absence, defeating Kosovo, 1-0, to advance to qualify for the World Cup. T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s win now solidifies Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay and tournament co-host USA.<\/p>\n
While the United States was looking like the top dog in its group stage next to Paraguay and Australia, adding T\u00fcrkiye to the mix shifts the competition level. The Turkish lineup, including Juventus\u2019\u00a0Kenan Yildiz<\/a> and Fenerbahce’s\u00a0Kerem Akt\u00fcrkoglu<\/a>, helps make it a formidable opponent in Group D.<\/p>\n Kosovo entered the match with the chance to make history, with a first-ever World Cup berth on the line since becoming a FIFA-sanctioned country back in 2016. T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s heroic 2002 World Cup run with a third-place finish was its most recent appearance. Point being, today\u2019s match was meaningful for both countries.<\/p>\n In a back-and-forth first half with multiple opportunities in the final third for both teams, the Turkish and Kosovo held it to 0-0. Rallying early in the second half, T\u00fcrkiye put away an early 1-0 lead, which helped seal its win and its World Cup spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following his yellow card in the first half, Akt\u00fcrkoglu found the back of the net in the 53rd minute to take the lead. Scoring early in the half allowed Akt\u00fcrkoglu and T\u00fcrkiye to defend their narrow lead and secure their win.<\/p>\n T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s win also marks the first-ever appearance under current manager Vincenzo Montella. The Turkish are now set to face Australia on June 12 in Vancouver to help kick off Group D competition.<\/p>\n It was a thriller!<\/p>\n Anthony Elanga<\/a> drew first blood for Sweden in the 18th minute, powering in a goal\u00a0just above Polish goalkeeper\u00a0Kamil Grabara<\/a>. Later, Nicola Zalewski<\/a> got Poland even in the 33rd minute, squeaking home the equalizer on the right side of the net.<\/p>\n Poland was the aggressor in the first half, getting off six shots on goal, compared to Sweden’s two shots on goal. The problem for Poland? Gustaf Lagerbielke<\/a>‘s goal in the 44th minute gave Sweden a 2-1 lead at halftime.<\/p>\n Poland evened up the scoreboard in the 55th minute when Karol Swiderski<\/a> knocked in a close-up shot following a pair of crisp passes.<\/p>\n But heartbreak awaited Poland.<\/p>\n