Prague/Sarajevo, April 01 (QNA) - The Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina secured the final European spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after both advanced on penalties Tuesday in the UEFA play-off finals.
The Czech Republic qualified after defeating Denmark 3-1 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time in the Path A final.
Pavel Sulc and Ladislav Krejc scored for the Czechs in the 3rd and 100th minutes, while Joachim Andersen and Kasper Hogh scored for Denmark in the 72nd and 111th minutes.
The qualification marks the Czech Republic's second World Cup appearance as an independent nation after its debut in 2006, where it exited in the group stage.
Denmark, meanwhile, failed to reach the finals for the third consecutive time.
The Czech Republic will compete in Group A alongside Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea.
In the other match, Bosnia and Herzegovina booked their place in the finals by beating Italy 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw following extra time in the Path D final.
Moise Kean gave Italy the lead in the 15th minute, before Haris Tabakovic equalized for Bosnia in the 79th minute.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will make their second World Cup appearance after their 2014 debut in Brazil, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
They will play in Group B alongside Qatar, Canada, and Switzerland.
Italy, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive edition. Since winning their fourth title in 2006, Italy exited from the group stage in 2010 and 2014, then missed qualification for the 2018, 2022, and 2026 tournaments. (QNA)