FULL PENALTIES Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy FIFA World Cup 2026 UEFA Qualifiers FOX Soccer

There have been pyrotechnics going off this entire break. We're not being shown what's happening, but there has been a lot of noise in the stadium the whole time. You see Dzeko getting treatment on his shoulder. Nikola Vasil made one save in the penalty shootout Thursday. Mentioned Donnarumma's incredible career. And in fact, four of the six shootouts that he's won, he's made the decisive save on the final attempt. What do you think in here as we're about to start? The reality is now we're in a situation where dreams will be realized and crushed with a single kick of the ball at some moment. For a shooter, you've got to hit the target. You've got to be convincing. And is a goalkeeper going to make a save that gets their team to North America? Benjamin Nihirovich taking a penalty attempt in a shootout for the first time in his entire professional career in the first round of the shootout with a spot at the World Cup at stake for Bosnia and Herzegovina against Gianluigi Donnarumma and Italy. And he delivers. And that's the way you want to start, especially being the home team. There's nerves from the fans in this building. Everybody knows what's at stake. And you have a guy taking his first penalty in a shootout. And the first of this shootout, very convinced on when he wants to go. Sends Donnarumma the wrong way. Puts the ball in the back of the net. Now the pressure on Italy. And it's going to be Pio Esposito who could have wanted an extra time. His header that was well saved by Vasil. His last penalty shootout attempt was a year and a half ago. This is a 20 year old with the weight of a nation on his back. Taking the first attempt for Italy. He blasts it over. And this is what the pressure does to you. Every professional player can hit the back of the net from 12 yards away. But it's when you have that weight of expectations on your shoulder is the little run up. He was trying to blast it. Ends up getting underneath the ball where he hit it. And now you see some shenanigans going on behind the goal between the goalkeepers. Sometimes you see that happening with water bottles where they have the notes on where a player shoots. And it's the goal scorer that helped get them here, Tabachovic. He took in the second round Thursday night. He made it in the bottom left hand corner. It was his goal in the 79th minute that set us in this direction. Yellow card shown to Vasil. Could become relevant if he's coming off his line early. He had his notes in his hand. Meanwhile, Haris Tabachovic has to put that out of his mind and step up to take this attempt. Six foot five against six foot five. Into the top corner. Great penalty. When you go to the side that the goalkeeper anticipates and reads, and especially a goalkeeper with the wingspan of Donnarumma, it has to be perfect. And just look where this ball ends up. That's top corner. There's no goalkeeper in the world, let alone the best goalkeeper in the world. Donnarumma that's going to save that incredible focus stays over the top of the ball and just hits the back of the net. Great penalty. The pressure builds, the noise builds in front of the Bosnian supporters. Sandro Tonali, goal and an assist on Thursday. He's made all three career penalty shootout attempts and delivers there to let the Italians breathe. And you just hear the hush from a crowd that's trying to be intimidating and fired up. Good composure here in the circumstances from Tonali. That's when they need it. He looked very confident over that from the beginning. Staring down Vasil, waiting for him to go and then closes the door last second. And Italy needed that one just to get themselves back in this. Still the Bosnians with the advantage. And here comes the man that won the shootout in the fifth round Thursday night. 18 year old Karim Alebegovic. And he went to the bottom right hand corner. Donnarumma knows that. Is he going to go that way? Which way is Alebegovic going to go? To the other side and Bosnia keep their advantage. 18 years old. Think about that pressure for an 18 year old, yes, kid in this moment, won the shootout, as you said the other night, looked confident and strikes it confidently. Really nice penalty you're seeing from the Bosnians. They're picking their spots. They're not second guessing and they're hitting the back of the net. Brian Cristante has not done this for two years, but both penalty shootouts he's been a part of in his career. He has made his attempt. And it's off the bar and stays out. And Bosnia can win it with the next kick. All the pressure had been taken off Bosnia Herzegovina because they got a save in the first one where there was the miss from Esposito and Cristante. He's trying to go the other way, but he's leaning back, hits the crossbar. And what a huge chance now for Bosnia Herzegovina. And it's Appleton, Wisconsin native Esmir Baraktarovic, the Milwaukee Messi, the New England Revolution, homegrown player turned 21 two and a half weeks ago, can send Bosnia Herzegovina to the World Cup. And he does it got underneath Donnarumma. The Italian curse continues. Bosnia Herzegovina will play in the FIFA World Cup. And you can hardly believe it when you say it out loud, the Italians are going to miss a third straight World Cup. But let that not be the story tonight about this Bosnian team who came from behind against Wales, who came from behind again tonight against the Italians at home and in two straight shootouts. We'll be back at the World Cup for the first time since 2014 with their 40 year old captain, a kid from the United States, from Wisconsin that had the decisive penalty in the moment to punch their ticket. They fought hard and boy, do they deserve it. Look what it means to their fans, to the players. Just a terrific moment for this country that has been through so much. And this is what it's all about right here.