Italy’s hopes of qualifying directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup suffered a devastating blow on Sunday night after a humiliating 4–1 defeat at home to Norway. The Azzurri needed a convincing win to secure automatic qualification, but instead, they were completely outplayed by a spirited Norwegian side led by superstar striker Erling Haaland.
Despite the disappointing result, Italy had started brightly at the San Siro. Francesco Pio Esposito gave the hosts an 11th-minute lead and, for over an hour, Italy managed to protect their slender advantage. But the match turned dramatically from the 63rd minute onward as Norway unleashed an extraordinary comeback.
Antonio Nusa struck the equaliser, after which Haaland took centre stage with two goals in just one minute, silencing the home crowd. In added time, Strand Larsen added the fourth to complete a historic night for the visiting side. With this victory, Norway confirmed their return to the World Cup after 28 years, having last appeared in the 1998 tournament.
Group I Final Standings
| Team | Matches | Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 8 | 24 | Qualified directly |
| Italy | 8 | 18 | To play play-offs |
The defeat means Italy must once again survive the perilous European play-offs – a route that has tormented them in recent years. The four-time world champions famously missed the 2018 World Cup after losing to Sweden across two legs. The nightmare repeated itself during the 2022 qualifiers when Italy crashed out after a shocking 1–0 loss to North Macedonia.
Haaland, already the face of Norwegian football, became the night’s hero. His brace not only sealed his nation’s qualification but also extended his streak to scoring in 11 consecutive international matches. He began this record-breaking run on 14 November 2024 against Slovenia. Before Haaland, the record stood for over six decades, held by Malaysia’s Abdul Ghani Minhat, who scored in 11 straight games between 1961 and 1962. Haaland now stands on the brink of surpassing that historic achievement.
Italian football journalist James Horncastle expressed deep concern, saying on a popular European football podcast that although the World Cup has expanded to include more teams, Italy still face the possibility of being left out. He compared the current crisis to the “catastrophe” of Italy’s 2017 elimination, questioning how much worse the situation might become.
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, however, blamed the qualification structure, pointing out that rule changes have made Europe’s play-off path more punishing. He argued that while continents like South America send six of their ten teams directly to the finals, Europe faces a far tougher system, making qualification disproportionately difficult.
Elsewhere on the same night, France defeated Azerbaijan 3–1, while Ireland produced a remarkable comeback to beat Hungary 3–2 thanks to a hat-trick from Troy Parrott, keeping their play-off hopes alive and ending Hungary’s World Cup dream.