Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals for the third time in a row, losing on penalties to its host Bosnia and Herzegovina, which qualified with Sweden, Turkey and Czechia in the European playoff for the 2026 World Cup, on Tuesday. Italy found itself forced for the third time to enter the European playoff after failing to qualify from its group, repeating the scenario of the 2018 and 2022 editions, when it missed the finals in Russia and Qatar. Italy paid the price for Alessandro Bastoni's expulsion in the 41st minute, in a match in which it took the lead through Moise Kean 15, before the substitute goalkeeper Tabakovich equalized late in the second half (79). Bosnia and Herzegovina will therefore compete in the finals for the second time, after the first in 2014, where it will play in Group B, which includes Canada, Qatar and Switzerland. In another match, Victor Geukeris led the Swedish national team to the finals for only the second time in the last 20 years, by scoring the winning goal over Poland 3-2 in the last breath in the second track final. The English Arsenal striker scored the qualifying goal in the 88th minute of the match, while the other two goals were for Anthony Elanga (19) and Gustav Lagerbielke (44), and Poland's goals were for Nikola Galewski (33) and Karol Swiderski (55). Sweden is playing in its thirteenth participation in Group Six, which includes the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. In Pristina, the dream of the Kosovo national team, which had the lowest ranking among the playoff teams, of reaching its first major championship after nearly a decade of joining the International Federation (FIFA) and the European Union (UEFA), ended with its loss to its Turkish guest with a goal scored by Kerim Aktoroglu (53). Turkey will compete in the finals for the first time since its surprise third-place finish in South Korea and Japan in 2002. Turkey will play in Group Four, along with Australia, Paraguay, and the United States, the hosts, in partnership with Canada and Mexico. The Czech Republic reached the finals for the first time since 2006 by defeating its guest, Denmark, on penalty kicks 3-1, after a 2-2 draw in regular and extra time in the fourth track final. Pavel Solčić (3) and Ladislav Krejci (100) scored the goals of the Czech Republic, which will compete in the finals for only the second time after independence from Slovakia, after the first in 2006 when it was eliminated in the first round, while Denmark was denied participation for the third consecutive year and the seventh in its history despite the goals of Joachim Andersen (72) and Casper Hauge (111). The Czech Republic will play in the finals in Group A, which includes hosting partner Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.