The incident occurred before the penalty shootout in the World Cup playoff final on 31/3. Italy's goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, had received notes detailing the penalty habits of Bosnia & Herzegovina players.

Returning to the goal for the first shot, Donnarumma placed the notes outside the sideline, next to a towel, intending to refer to them later. However, 14-year-old ball boy Afan Cizmic snuck in from outside the field and took them.

Ball boy Afan Cizmic is interviewed about taking goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's notes after the Bosnia & Herzegovina - Italy World Cup 2026 playoff match on 31/3. *Photo: Face TV*

Upon discovering his notes were gone, Donnarumma became angry. He reportedly tried to snatch and damage notes from his counterpart, Nikola Vasilj, after the first penalty. Television footage showed the home team's goalkeeper holding a crumpled paper, approaching referee Clement Turpin to argue.

Bosnia & Herzegovina won the shootout 4-1. All four of their players scored, while Italy scored only one. Sebastiano Esposito's first shot went over the bar, and Bryan Cristante hit the crossbar on the third attempt. This marked Italy's third consecutive failure in World Cup playoff matches. Conversely, Bosnia & Herzegovina earned their second ticket to the biggest football event, having first qualified in 2014.

The paper detailing the penalty habits of Bosnia & Herzegovina players was given to Donnarumma before the shootout on 31/3. *Photo: Face TV*

Following the match, Bosnia & Herzegovina media launched a campaign to find the ball boy they dubbed a "hero," identifying him as Cizmic. The teenager, a forward for the NK Celik youth team, has a record of 18 goals and 14 assists in 12 matches this season.

According to Cizmic, he noticed Donnarumma's notes from the start and understood their importance in a penalty shootout. In an interview with Face TV, Cizmic showed the paper on camera, explaining details such as: the dominant foot or preferred shooting direction of Bosnia & Herzegovina players.

Cizmic and his father agreed to auction the paper. The proceeds will be donated to charity.

Beneath articles about Cizmic, Bosnia & Herzegovina fans called for his inclusion in the World Cup 2026 squad. The tournament, taking place from 11/6 to 19/7, sees Bosnia & Herzegovina in Group B alongside Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.

Thanh Quy (according to Marca)