Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy go head-to-head in a high‑stakes FIFA World Cup 2026 European play-off final on Tuesday night, with a place at this summer’s tournament on the line.
Both nations have missed the last two World Cups and arrive in Zenica knowing that victory will secure redemption on the grandest stage.
Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Italy – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 31st March
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST
- Venue: Stadion Bilino Polje, Zenica
Bosnia & Herzegovina team news
Head coach Sergej Barbarez is expected to keep faith with the core XI that started in Wales, with Edin Dzeko partnering Augsburg forward Ermedin Demirović in attack.
Tarikh Muharemovic and Sead Kolašinac are set to continue at the back, with Bosnia relying on their physical presence and aerial strength to combat Italy’s set‑piece threat.
Dennis Hadzikadunic remains an absentee, and the Sturm Graz trio Emir Karic, Arjan Malic and Jusuf Gazibegovic are not in the squad.
Italy team news
Head coach Gennaro Gattuso is not expected to deviate far from the XI that began against Northern Ireland, retaining his familiar shape built on an aggressive, front‑foot press.
Tonali is set to anchor the midfield as Italy’s main metronome, while Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui are likely to keep their places up front although Francesco Pio Esposito might get the nod ahead of Retegui.
Kean has blossomed in Florence over the last two seasons, hitting 19 Serie A goals for La Viola in the previous campaign and adding nine more in a struggling Fiorentina side this term. On Thursday, the 26-year-old became the first Italian player since Totò Schillaci at Italia ’90 to find the net in five consecutive appearances for the national team, and he will be aiming to extend that run to six while firing his country to the 2026 World Cup.
Form
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia come into this game with just one their last five competitive fixtures. They came through a dramatic semi-final in Cardiff, holding their nerve to beat Wales 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw following extra time. Veteran captain Edin Dzeko, now 40 and still leading the line for Schalke 04, struck a crucial late equaliser in the 86th minute to force extra time and underline his enduring status as the team’s talisman.
Italy
Italy come to this match after a knockout win against Northern Ireland (2-0) to book a spot in this fixture against Bosnia. In the last two World Cup qualification playoffs, Italy lost twice and failed to book a spot in the previous two editions and they will certainly want to avoid a third loss in the playoffs in three consecutive World Cup qualifications.
Predicted lineups
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Vasilj; Dedic, Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac; Memic, Tahirovic, Sunjic, Alajbegovic; Demirovic, Dzeko
Italy: Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Esposito
How to watch Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Italy?
In the UK, the match will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video’s football channel, available to stream via the Prime Video app or website.
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