From Disaster to Opportunity: How Italy's World Cup Exit Could Fuel Barcelona's Bastoni Bid

Match snapshot

Bosnia and Herzegovina pulled off a stunning upset to reach the 2026 World Cup, beating Italy on penalties 4-1 after a 1-1 draw.

That result means the Azzurri miss a third straight World Cup, following 2018 and 2022.

While the knockout is a football disaster for Italy, it could turn into a windfall for Barcelona.

Mundo Deportivo highlighted defender Alessandro Bastoni (26) as one of the main culprits behind Italy’s disappointment.

Bastoni was sent off with a red card in the 41st minute, forcing his team to play the remainder of the match with ten men through regulation and extra time to penalties.

Despite Italy leading 1-0 before the sending off, Bastoni’s absence had a major impact on the Azzurri, with Bosnia leveling before extra time and then penalties.

Italian press criticized the red card strongly, with some even circulating edited images of Bastoni wearing a Bosnian shirt, a scenario that could help Barcelona in their pursuit of an Inter defender.

“Bastoni, the 2026 disaster” read the online homepage of La Gazzetta dello Sport, while the print edition also highlighted his underwhelming display. Tuttosport named Bastoni as one of the main reasons for Italy’s exit, and Corriere dello Sport called the red card “stupid.”

Fans flooded social media with posts about Bastoni and his wife, Camila Brisiani, on Instagram.

Earlier in the international window, Bastoni drew criticism after his role in Kalulu’s red card in Inter vs Juventus on February 15.

Barcelona believes they could sign Bastoni for a maximum of roughly €55-60 million, and Italy’s exit plus public criticism could ease his departure.

After the defeat, Bastoni walked off the field looking deeply dejected, signaling his future may lie elsewhere. Barcelona are ready if the opportunity arises.

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Punchline 1: If Bastoni signs for Barcelona, their defense will be so solid that even the referees start applauding the back line.

Punchline 2: In Barca terms, Bastoni’s arrival is like a clean sheet with a discount—worth every euro, and nobody dares to argue.