Inter Milan Prodigy Suffers First “Big Disappointment” As Italy Miss Out On FIFA World Cup | OneFootball

Francesco Pio Esposito is hoping to forget his seventh Italy cap in a hurry after the Azzurri suffered a heart-wrenching loss to Bosnia. 

According to Tuttosport via FCInterNews, Esposito’s miss in the shootout wasn’t his first blunder from the spot.

Italy failed to overcome their ‘playoff jinx’ on Tuesday, as Bosnia halted their FIFA World Cup qualifying pursuit at the final hurdle.

Despite grabbing an early lead, the Azzurri paid the ultimate price for the first-half expulsion of Alessandro Bastoni.

Furthermore, another Inter star played part in Italy’s fiasco in Zenica. Indeed, Francesco Pio Esposito missed the first penalty in the series.

Unfazed by the lack of international experience, Pio Esposito had the courage to take the first penalty.

Unfortunately, the 20-year-old skied the ball well over the top before Bryan Cristante hit the crossbar.

As a result, the four-time world champions have failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup finals.

However, it’s worth noting that Esposito is no stranger to squandering crucial penalty.

Back in 2025, he missed a spot-kick in Spezia’s high-stakes promotion fixture against Juve Stabia.

Still, this setback should not define the teenage striker’s career nor erase all the good work he has done throughout the campaign.