Italy was dealt a major blow to its World Cup qualifying hopes just four months after being crowned European champion.
Northern Ireland held Italy to a scoreless draw, while Switzerland beat Bulgaria 4–0 in a simultaneous group finale to leapfrog the Azzurri for a first-place group finish and ensure that Italy will have to earn its place at the 2022 World Cup the hard way: a perilous, new playoff format that features two single-elimination games.
After losing to Sweden in the 2018 playoff and missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1958, Italy now must trust it can prevail in the revamped last-chance saloon.