Italy had yet another heartbreaking moment on the world stage, losing against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers and missing out on the international tournament for the third straight time.
The Italians struggled through the entire match, and Alessandro Bastoni’s red card proved devastating.
Surprisingly, a former Toffee was one of the few performers from Italy who could hold his head up high. Moise Kean, who played for Everton and currently features for ACF Fiorentina, scored Italy’s only goal in regulation.
Kean had a tough time at Everton, and even that might be an understatement. In the 2019-20 Premier League season, he only scored two goals for the Toffees. Questions also surrounded him in terms of his work ethic, as he was dropped from the squad for breaching club rules in one particular case.
Ever since leaving, he’s turned more into the player that the Toffees expected to get a few years ago. In the 2024-25 Serie A season, he finished with 22 goal contributions in 32 matches according to Transfermarkt. This season, he has 13 G/A in all competitions.
It’s redundant to say that plenty of players have struggled at Everton only to shine at other clubs. Kean is not the exception, but considering how things transpired during his time at the club, it’s unlikely that many Toffees will be clamoring for him to return, even though striker Thierno Barry has recently become a contentious figure to certain fans after the recent drama regarding the Arsenal game.