Italy's World Cup Hopes Take a Red Card Hit in Bosnia Showdown
31 March 2026
Bastoni's Red Card Reshapes the Tie
A costly red card unsettles Italy as they face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup playoff final.
Alessandro Bastoni, the Inter Milan defender, left his country in trouble in the 42nd minute by bringing down Amar Memic as he sprinted toward the Italian goal.
French referee Florent Trouban did not hesitate to brandish the red card, drawing protests from Italy as they headed to the break with ten men.
Italy still led 1-0 at halftime thanks to Moise Kean's strike in the 15th minute, but the dismissal raised the stakes and stretched the Azzurri's defense.
Gennaro Gattuso reacted by bringing Federico Gatti on for Matteo Retegi, in a bid to shore up the back line.
The first half ended with Italy ahead, though a man down and under pressure from the home side in BiH.
Italy has fallen short in the last two World Cups (2018 and 2022) and now fights to avoid a third straight absence.
Bastoni remains one of the names linked with a move to Barcelona ahead of the next season.
Punchline 1: If defending were an Olympic sport, Bastoni just filed for a DQ.
Punchline 2: Italy's plan now is 90 minutes of suspense, hoping the referee forgot to check the second half.
