Bosnia and Herzegovina are heading to the World Cup 2026 finals in just over two months time, after beating Italy on penalties, and that means the four times winners are out, for the third time in succession.
Denmark also went out on penalties to the Czech Republic while Sweden and Turkey also made it through. The stakes were high and the tension almost unbearable at times so let’s see how the action unfolded on an unforgettable night of international football.
Bosnia & Herzegovina 1-1 Italy (Bosnia Win on Penalties)
The World Cup 2026 betting odds have consistently rated the Azzurri as a top ten nation in the run up to the summer showcase and they swept Northern Ireland aside in the semi-final play-off, while Bosnia saw off Wales on penalties. And Italy took an early lead in this winner takes all clash when Moise Kean took a pass from Nicolo Barella and unleashed a long range howitzer into the top right corner.
Take a look at the night’s World Cup 2026 highlights; it’ll be worth it for that moment alone, especially for Italy fans.
But from then it was all Bosnia in a first half which saw the hosts take 13 shots to Italy’s two. And the Azzurri made it harder for themselves when Alessandro Bastoni fouled Amar Memic and copped for a red card before the half time break.
It looked like Italy would hold out, but eventually the Bosnia pressure told and, on 80 minutes Haris Tabakovic levelled from close range to take the game to extra time and on to penalties.
When Pio Esposito’s shot went high and Bosnia scored their first two the hosts were in the box seat, and when Bryan Cristante’s effort agonisingly crashed back off the bar the game was up.
Despite missing out on the last two World Cup finals Italy won the 2020 European Championships, but that is a distant memory now and the proud football nation is mourning yet another humiliation.
Czech Republic 2-2 Denmark (Czechs win on penalties)
The Danes battered North Macedonia to get this far while the Czechs needed penalties to get past the Republic of Ireland; but they scored the quickest goal of the night when Pavel Sule hit a sweet shot into the top right corner with just three minutes on the clock.
My SBOTOP colleague Jordan has asked Napoli star Rasmus Hojlund to shine in these high tension play-offs and he put a good shift in against North Macedonia and he drew a great save from Czech stopper Matej Kovar, but that was as close as he or Denmark came in the first half.
The Danes gradually upped their game and began to find holes in the Czech defence and they poured forward in search of a leveller, and eventually they got their reward when Mikkel Damsgaard swung over a cross and Joachim Anderson powered home his header to take this tie to extra time.
The momentum hadn’t shifted enough for Denmark and, when Vladimir Coufal crossed and Tomas Soucek’s header was blocked, Ladislav Krejci was on hand to slide the ball home. The Czechs strike and then the Danes strike back; this time kasper Hogh heading in from an Anders Dreyer corner.
Penalties; and up stepped Hojlund to smash his effort against the crossbar and then Dreyer saw his penalty saved. The Czechs were well in control but Danish keeper Mads Hermansen kept his team in it, saving from Krejki. That was until Mathias Jensen walloped his shot too high to send the Czechs through and Denmark out.
Sweden 3-2 Poland
Viktor Gyokores scored a hat-trick as Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1 in the semi-finals, while Poland overcame a tricky opponent in Albania by the odd goal in three, and it was the Swedes who struck early at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, when Anthony Elanga took a pass from Yasin Ayari and smashed an unstoppable shot into the top left corner. Piotr Zielinski set up Nicola Zalewski for a deserved equaliser but, as the Poles pressed for the lead they were hit by a sucker punch, Gustav Lagerbielke heading Sweden into a 2-1 lead on the cusp of half time.
By half time Poland had registered nine shots to Sweden’s two and six of those were on target. But it wasn’t long into the second half before the visitors were level, this time Zalewski turning provider for Karol Swiderski to fire home. But it was Sweden’s night and, with two minutes of normal time remaining, it was that man Gyokores who fired home a rebound after Besfort Zaneli’s shot had hit the post.
Kosovo 0-1 Turkey
Turkey edged past Romania 1-0 to make this final, while Kosovo won a seven goal thriller against Slovakia; and this was the only tie to go into the break goalless, with only one shot on target in the first half, for the hosts. But it was a good one as Turkey keeper Ugurcan Cacir pulled off a sensational save to keep out a long range shot from Fisnik Asllani.
The Turks looked brighter at the start of the second half and they went deservedly ahead when Orkun Kokcu squared the ball and Kerem Akturkoglu converted from point blank range. Turkey went through with another 1-0 win and they did just about enough to deserve this huge victory.
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