The players of the Italian national team, before the qualifying match for the World Cup 2026 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, appealed to the local Football Federation demanding individual bonuses of ten thousand euros each.
This was reported by La Repubblica.
However, the Italian federation rejected the financial demands of the players before the match. As a result, the match, which took place on March 31, ended in a 1:1 draw, and in the penalty shootout, the Italians lost 1:4. This defeat deprived the team of a spot in the final stage of the World Cup 2026.
The "Squadra Azzurra" failed to qualify for the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time. Previously, the national team was unable to qualify for the tournaments in 2018 and 2022.
