Italy's Marco Palestra and Leonardo Spinazzola console each other after losing a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

No luck

for Italy

(AP) — Italy is out again. The 4-time champion misses 3rd straight World Cup with shootout loss in Bosnia

One of soccer’s historic powers has reached a once-unfathomable low. Four-time champion Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup after getting beat in a penalty shootout with 10 men at 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs.

Moise Kean scored early on for Italy but then Azzurri center back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalized in the 79th to send the game into extra time.

The defeat added more misery for Italy’s once-proud national team after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in the playoffs for the last two World Cups.

Iran players

honor victims

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino has promised to “continue to support” Iran’s preparations for the World Cup.

Infantino met Iran’s players and soccer federation officials in Turkey where the team played one of its last warmup games for the tournament, which the United States will co-host with Canada and Mexico. He wrote on Instagram that “FIFA will continue to support the team to ensure the best possible conditions as they prepare for the World Cup.”

As the Iranian anthem played before the friendly against Costa Rica, players and officials including coach Amir Ghalenoei and federation vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi posed with pictures of children allegedly killed by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes since Feb. 28.

MLB players

up war chest

(AP) — Big league baseball players increased their potential war chest of cash and investments ahead of collective bargaining to $415 million heading into 2026, up from $284 million at the start of 2025, according to the union’s annual federal disclosure form filed.

The Major League Baseball Players Association had $222.1 million in U.S. Treasury securities, $155.5 million in other investments and $37.4 million in cash as of Dec. 31. The union executive board has withheld 100% of licensing money due players for 2024 and 2025 to prepare for bargaining to replace the current labor contract, which expires on Dec. 1. That money could be disbursed to players during a work stoppage.

Mendoza

might sit

PHOENIX (AP) — Fernando Mendoza won’t start right away for the Las Vegas Raiders if coach Klint Kubiak has his way.

The Raiders are expected to select the Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft next month. Mendoza led Indiana to its first national championship and became the overwhelming favorite to go first. Aidan O’Connell is the only other quarterback currently on the Raiders after the team traded Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett.

Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson are among the veterans who remain unsigned.

NCAA sees

more viewers

NEW YORK (AP) — The men’s NCAA tournament is averaging 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight, its best audience since 1993 and a 9% increase over last year.

UConn’s last-second 73-72 victory over Duke in the East Region final averaged 13.4 million on CBS. The audience peaked at 18.9 million when Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left.

Friday’s early window with Duke-St.John’s on CBS and Michigan-Alabama on TBS/truTV averaged 14.2 million, the most-watched Friday regional early window since 1992.

The Final Four and title game will be on TBS, TNT and truTV.