Erling Haaland netted a goal as Norway triumphed over Italy 3-0, marking their first victory over the Azzurri in 25 years and securing their spot in the 2026 World Cup on Friday.
Haaland, receiving a through-ball from Martin Ødegaard, skillfully rounded goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to score the third goal just three minutes before halftime.
The striker’s 41st goal in his 42nd match for Norway delighted fans at Wolvar Stadium, where Norway’s King Harald V was also present.
Earlier, Haaland had also scored in dominant wins against Moldova (5-0) and Israel (4-2), as Norway maintained their perfect qualifying record after three matches in European Group I.
Striker Alexander Sørloth scored with a precise pass from Antonio Nusa, who was a persistent threat to the Italian defense. Nusa, just 20 years old, left two defenders in his wake to extend Norway’s lead with a powerful shot from inside the box.
After Norway’s impressive 3-0 victory in the World Cup qualifiers, Haaland and Donnarumma share a moment. (Photo by Lise Asrud/ntb/afp via Getty Images)
Italy faced setbacks with several key players missing from their lineup, including Serie A top scorer Mateo Retegui, while defenders Alessandro Buongiorno and Mattia Gabia, midfielder Manuel Locatelli, and forward Moise Kean were sidelined due to injuries. Notably, key center back Hansalland Aservi declined to join the team, which would have bolstered their defense against Haaland.
Coach Luciano Spalletti’s three-man defense, including Diego Coppola, struggled to contain Norway’s attacking prowess.
Norway Dominates Italy
In other Group I matches, Israel secured a 3-1 win over Estonia, placing them in second position.
Italy has been under immense pressure during this qualification round after failing to qualify for the last two World Cups.
Winning the group is pivotal for direct qualification to next year’s tournament in North America, while the second-ranked team would enter the playoffs—a scenario that condemned Italy to exclusion in both 2018 and 2022 at the hands of Sweden and North Macedonia.
Italy’s last World Cup victory was in 1958, marking the only time they haven’t qualified.
Italy is set to face Moldova on Monday while Norway will play against Estonia.
The Azzurri are feeling the pressure after failing to qualify for the last two World Cups. (Photo: Figc/Figc via Claudio Villa -Getty Images)
Croatia Dominates Gibraltar
Croatia started their qualifying campaign with a resounding 7-0 win over Gibraltar.
Mario Pašalić and Ante Budimir each scored twice within two minutes to break the deadlock after the half-hour mark. In the second half, Andrej Kramarić and Franjo Franjić also netted a pair each, while Ivan Perišić contributed to the score.
Croatia finished as the runner-up in the 2018 World Cup and secured a third-place finish in 2022.
In Group L, Adam Hložek and Patrik Schick each scored a goal to lead their teams to a 2-0 victory against Montenegro.
Belgium won 1-0 thanks to a goal from defender Maxim De Cuyper, but North Macedonia equalized with a shock result in Group J.
Wales currently tops the group with seven points from three matches after a 3-0 win over Liechtenstein, leaving North Macedonia two points behind.
A Strong European Presence
Europe will have 16 teams competing in the expanded World Cup of 48 teams.
These teams will consist of group winners from 12 qualifying groups, four playoff spots from group runners-up, and four best-ranked group winners from international leagues who did not qualify directly.
The group stage of the European qualifying rounds will continue until November.
Report by Associated Press.
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This news is significant for soccer fans as it highlights Norway’s resurgence and the potential challenges Italy faces in qualifying for major tournaments. Norway’s strong showing not only excites its supporters but could also impact the dynamics of European soccer leading up to the World Cup.
