Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma acknowledges the tension ahead of the World Cup playoff final against Bosnia, but says it’s the right kind.
Italy is feeling the pressure ahead of the World Cup playoff final against Bosnia, but according to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, it’s the right kind of tension. “We are human beings, there’s no point saying we don’t feel the tension,” Donnarumma told reporters.
The Azzurri squad is young and hungry, and Donnarumma believes their anxiety is natural. “We mustn’t repeat the mistakes against Northern Ireland,” he warned, referencing their 2-0 win on Thursday.
Italy has a history of underperforming in World Cup playoffs, losing to Sweden in 2018 and North Macedonia in 2022. Donnarumma is determined to break that curse, saying, “We want to bring Italy back where it deserves to be.”
With us all the way 🔥🇮🇹#ITANIR #Azzurri #VivoAzzuro pic.twitter.com/nDcRNTtekr
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) March 26, 2026
As captain, Donnarumma is proud of the team’s progress and is focused on the task at hand. “Tomorrow is a very important match we need to approach in the right way,” he emphasized.
Donnarumma believes the team has learned from past experiences and is ready to put it all on the line. “Only we know how much we suffered at not getting to the World Cup, so we need to learn from that ugly experience and put it all onto the pitch tomorrow,” he said.
Our @Carabao_Cup winner has arrived! 🏆#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro @ManCity pic.twitter.com/s5WpfRDtEm
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) March 23, 2026
The Manchester City goalkeeper is confident the team can achieve their goal and bring joy to Italians everywhere. “We want to bring joy to all Italians, but also to ourselves, because I feel we deserve it for all that we’ve been doing,” he added.
