Sports bankruptcy and huge hole in the budget » How much Italy loses after the third World Cup qualification missed in a row!
Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published on Wednesday, 01 April 2026, 10:53 / Updated on Wednesday, 01 April 2026 10:56
The Italian federation will also settle financially the failure in the qualification play-off for the 2026 World Championship, a failure that comes after other absences (2018 and 2022) of the four-time world champions. 30 million euros is the damage to the budget estimated by the peninsular press after Bosnia-Herzegovina left the Squadra Azzurra on TV again.
The penalty shootout defeat suffered on Tuesday night in Zenica (1-1, 2-4) also means a terrible economic blow for Italy. After Sweden and North Macedonia left the Squadra Azzurra at home, it was the turn of Bosnia-Herzegovina to win the World Cup play-off and give big hole in the revenue that the federation (FIGC) hoped to see by participating in the final tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Minus 19.5 million euros as bonuses from sponsorships, merchandising and new contracts already under negotiation
Gazzetta dello Sport did the math after Tuesday night's drama and gave a harsh verdict: FIGC will have a deficit of approximately 30 million euros! Money resulting from qualification bonuses for WC 2026, bonuses from sponsorship contracts and other premiums that no longer enter the accounts and affect the already wrinkled image of Italian football.
Alessandro Bastoni, eliminated in Bosnia – Italy / PHOTO: Imago Images
Without including the possible receipts for the national team's qualification to the World Cup, president Gabriele Gravina had budgeted a minus of 6.6 million euros for 2026, with estimated revenues of 192 million, as Gazzetta dello Sport wrote.
58of seats was the difference in the FIFA ranking in favor of Italy at the time of the match in Zenica. Bosnians have 100 times less ID in football and a country with a population 20 times smaller than Tuesday's losers!
Federal sources also say that there are clauses in the contracts with the sponsors, which provide for a malus in case of failure to meet the objectives, amounting to 9.5 million euros, given that the receipts from the sponsors have doubled in the last ten years, up to 81 million:
Italy also loses 12 million euros, as much as it would have received from FIFA if it qualified from a group with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland
“If we take into account the increases in the merchandising sector and the commitments under negotiation and which should have been signed in the event of victory with Bosnia-Herzegovina, we reach another 10 million euros as losses”.
Gennaro Gattuso, with Gianluigi Buffon, head of the Italian delegation, and Gabriele Gravina, FIGC president. All of them could leave their positions after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup / Photo: Imago
To these sums are added the bonuses promised by FIFA and missed by the Italians. 9 million dollars is the premium that the world forum guarantees only for the participation of the 48 national teams, to which it adds 1.5 million to cover the costs of preparation for the competition scheduled between June 11 and July 19 in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
That is, the equivalent of 9 million euros, a minimum at which the Squadra Azzurra could have counted another 2 million to overcome the group with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland. In total, the loss of the Italians stands at 30.5 million euros!
