Palermo: The unbelievable and unimaginable. Italy missed out on a place in the World Cup after losing 1-0 to North Macedonia in the playoff semi-finals here on Thursday, thanks to a last-minute goal by Aleksandr Trajkowski. Italy attempted 32 shots on goal but failed to score. North Macedonia, on the other hand, only had four shots on goal, with Trajkowski’s goal in the second minute of second-half injury time making up the difference.
In fact, North Macedonia had a real chance to take it, while Italy squandered several opportunities, with goalkeeper Stoll Dmitrievsky thwarting their efforts on several occasions.
The Italian players, like five years ago, knelt on the field in despair. While the North Macedonian players were celebrating, he had tears in his eyes.
Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The team then went on to lose in the playoffs to Sweden. For the four-time champion, who just won the Euro 2020 title a few months ago, not making it to two consecutive World Cups is a disappointment.
