The Italian sob/beaten in World Cup play-off
Four-times winners Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 after being held to a 0-0 draw by Sweden in the second leg of a play-off in Milan last night. The Swedes won the tie 1-0 on aggregate and advance to their first World Cup since 2006.
This will be only the second World Cup Italy have missed. Captain Gianluigi Buffon, 39, called time on his 175-cap international career. “I am leaving a national team set-up that will know how to pick itself up again,” the goalkeeper tweeted.