Gattuso warns Italy ahead of World Cup play-off final

Coach Gennaro Gattuso believes Bosnia & Herzegovina possess experienced players and an uncomfortable style of play, promising a significant challenge for Italy in the decisive match for a 2026 World Cup spot.

Italy will face a significant challenge in the 2026 World Cup play-off final against Bosnia & Herzegovina, according to coach Gennaro Gattuso. He warned that Bosnia's experienced squad and difficult playing style could prove troublesome for his team in the decisive match for a spot at the global tournament.

The crucial qualifying match will take place at Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica on 31/3.

Gattuso's warning comes after Italy secured their place in the final by defeating Northern Ireland 2-0 in their semi-final on the evening of 26/3. They then anxiously awaited the result of the other semi-final in Cardiff. There, Wales opened the scoring through former Manchester United player Daniel James, before 40-year-old striker Edin Dzeko netted an equalizer in the 86th minute, forcing the match into extra time and then a penalty shootout. Bosnia emerged victorious, winning 4-2, and thus became Italy's opponent.

Speaking at a press conference after the win against Northern Ireland, Gattuso anticipated a "very heated atmosphere" for the final, adding, "even if we had to go to Cardiff, the situation would be similar. Bosnia has many seasoned players, while Wales is a very different team. Bosnia defends compactly and relies on their forwards, so this will be a very difficult match, similar to what we just experienced."

Coach Gennaro Gattuso (center) sings the national anthem before Italy's 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland in the 2026 World Cup play-off semi-final at Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy on 26/3/2026. *Shutterstock*

Yesterday, at the Azzurri d'Italia Stadium in Bergamo, Italy struggled to break down Northern Ireland. The turning point arrived in the second half when Sandro Tonali shone with a long-range shot to open the scoring, then assisted Moise Kean to seal the 2-0 victory.

Gattuso admitted that Italy was under immense pressure and made tactical errors in the first half. "It wasn't just pressure, we also played against our intentions," he analyzed. "Manuel Locatelli dropped too deep, disrupting the system. We should have stretched the opponent's midfield and found our forwards, but we were too reliant on wide attacks."

The 48-year-old coach was also surprised that Northern Ireland maintained more possession than anticipated. "After about 15-20 minutes, we realized and adjusted. Both the mentality and tactics in the first half were not up to par," he added.

Despite being known for his fiery temperament, Gattuso stated he tried to remain calm on the sidelines. "I was quite calm in the first half, even though I was dissatisfied. After the break, the team played better. These are matches where the pressure is immense."

Gattuso also praised the decision to choose the smaller 21,000-seat stadium in Bergamo over the 75,923-seat Giuseppe Meazza in Milan for the Northern Ireland match. "If we had played in a 70,000-seat stadium, perhaps 30% of the fans would have booed right after the first half. Here, the fans supported and helped the players significantly reduce pressure," he expressed.

The three remaining European play-off finals are: Sweden - Poland, Kosovo - Turkey, and Czech Republic - Denmark. All four of these matches, deciding the final World Cup 2026 spots, will take place at 1:45 AM on 1/4, Hanoi time.