{"id":7338,"date":"2025-06-07T04:43:38","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T04:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/06\/07\/world-cup-qualifier-haaland-steers-norway-to-historic-win-bidding-farewell-to-italys-25-year-streak\/"},"modified":"2025-06-07T04:43:38","modified_gmt":"2025-06-07T04:43:38","slug":"world-cup-qualifier-haaland-steers-norway-to-historic-win-bidding-farewell-to-italys-25-year-streak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/06\/07\/world-cup-qualifier-haaland-steers-norway-to-historic-win-bidding-farewell-to-italys-25-year-streak\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup Qualifier: Haaland Steers Norway to Historic Win, Bidding Farewell to Italy\u2019s 25-Year Streak!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/06\/07\/world-cup-qualifier-haaland-steers-norway-to-historic-win-bidding-farewell-to-italys-25-year-streak\/#Norway_Dominates_Italy\" >Norway Dominates Italy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/06\/07\/world-cup-qualifier-haaland-steers-norway-to-historic-win-bidding-farewell-to-italys-25-year-streak\/#Croatia_Dominates_Gibraltar\" >Croatia Dominates Gibraltar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/06\/07\/world-cup-qualifier-haaland-steers-norway-to-historic-win-bidding-farewell-to-italys-25-year-streak\/#A_Strong_European_Presence\" >A Strong European Presence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-content\" comments=\"(object Object)\" overlaytype=\"article\" storycard_image=\"(object Object)\" social_image=\"(object Object)\" show_advertisements=\"true\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\" data-v-bf6c5cbc=\"\">\n<!----><\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">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.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Haaland, receiving a through-ball from Martin \u00d8degaard, skillfully rounded goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to score the third goal just three minutes before halftime.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">The striker&#8217;s 41st goal in his 42nd match for Norway delighted fans at Wolvar Stadium, where Norway\u2019s King Harald V was also present.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">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.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Striker Alexander S\u00f8rloth 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\u2019s lead with a powerful shot from inside the box.<\/p>\n<div displaynav=\"true\" class=\"full-width-image mg-t-15 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/statics.foxsports.com\/www.foxsports.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/640\/427\/gettyimages-2218280641-scaled.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1,  https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/statics.foxsports.com\/www.foxsports.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1280\/854\/gettyimages-2218280641-scaled.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" class=\"lazyload\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<p><span>After Norway&#8217;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)<\/span> <!----><\/p>\n<p> <!----><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">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.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Coach Luciano Spalletti&#8217;s three-man defense, including Diego Coppola, struggled to contain Norway&#8217;s attacking prowess.<\/p>\n<h2 displaynav=\"true\" class=\"\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Norway_Dominates_Italy\"><\/span>Norway Dominates Italy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">In other Group I matches, Israel secured a 3-1 win over Estonia, placing them in second position.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Italy has been under immense pressure during this qualification round after failing to qualify for the last two World Cups.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Winning the group is pivotal for direct qualification to next year&#8217;s tournament in North America, while the second-ranked team would enter the playoffs\u2014a scenario that condemned Italy to exclusion in both 2018 and 2022 at the hands of Sweden and North Macedonia.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Italy&#8217;s last World Cup victory was in 1958, marking the only time they haven\u2019t qualified.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Italy is set to face Moldova on Monday while Norway will play against Estonia.<\/p>\n<div displaynav=\"true\" class=\"full-width-image mg-t-15 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\"><img srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/statics.foxsports.com\/www.foxsports.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/640\/427\/gettyimages-2218965242-scaled.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1,  https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/statics.foxsports.com\/www.foxsports.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1280\/854\/gettyimages-2218965242-scaled.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" class=\"lazyload\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<p><span>The Azzurri are feeling the pressure after failing to qualify for the last two World Cups. (Photo: Figc\/Figc via Claudio Villa -Getty Images)<\/span> <!----><\/p>\n<p> <!----><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 displaynav=\"true\" class=\"\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Croatia_Dominates_Gibraltar\"><\/span>Croatia Dominates Gibraltar<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Croatia started their qualifying campaign with a resounding 7-0 win over Gibraltar.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Mario Pa\u0161ali\u0107 and Ante Budimir each scored twice within two minutes to break the deadlock after the half-hour mark. In the second half, Andrej Kramari\u0107 and Franjo Franji\u0107 also netted a pair each, while Ivan Peri\u0161i\u0107 contributed to the score.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Croatia finished as the runner-up in the 2018 World Cup and secured a third-place finish in 2022.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">In Group L, Adam Hlo\u017eek and Patrik Schick each scored a goal to lead their teams to a 2-0 victory against Montenegro.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Belgium won 1-0 thanks to a goal from defender Maxim De Cuyper, but North Macedonia equalized with a shock result in Group J.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Wales currently tops the group with seven points from three matches after a 3-0 win over Liechtenstein, leaving North Macedonia two points behind.<\/p>\n<h2 displaynav=\"true\" class=\"\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Strong_European_Presence\"><\/span>A Strong European Presence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">Europe will have 16 teams competing in the expanded World Cup of 48 teams.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">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.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">The group stage of the European qualifying rounds will continue until November.<\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\"><i>Report by Associated Press.<\/i><\/p>\n<p displaynav=\"true\" class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\"><i>Want to deliver great stories to your inbox? <\/i><i><u>Create or log in to your Fox Sports account<\/u><\/i><i> and follow your favorite leagues, teams, and players to receive a personalized newsletter every day!<\/i><\/p>\n<p><!----><\/p>\n<hr class=\"story-section-divider\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">\n<div class=\"story-favorites-section-add\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">\n<div class=\"logo-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/soccer\/competition-logos\/EnglishPremierLeague.vresize.160.160.medium.0.png\" alt=\"English Premier League\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\" class=\"team-logo\"><\/div>\n<p> <span class=\"ff-gb fs-20 bold\">Get more from the English Premier League<\/span> <span class=\"ff-h fs-14 opac-55 lh-1pt43 center\">Get information about games, news, and more tailored to your favorites<\/span> <button data-favorite-uri=\"league:soccer\/epl\/league\/1\" data-action-location=\"article favorite\" data-favorite-text=\"FOLLOW\" data-remove-text=\"FOLLOWING\" aria-label=\"Follow Button\" class=\"button-favorite center flex pointer fs-14\"><span class=\"favorite-star\"><\/span> <span class=\"favorite-text\"><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<hr class=\"story-section-divider\" data-v-24ed9219=\"\">\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>This news is significant for soccer fans as it highlights Norway&#8217;s resurgence and the potential challenges Italy faces in qualifying for major tournaments. Norway\u2019s strong showing not only excites its supporters but could also impact the dynamics of European soccer leading up to the World Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 \u00d8degaard, skillfully rounded goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to score the third goal just three minutes before halftime. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[2216,2214,913,1067,40,1866,857,2215,46,1922,2212,45,2213,580,30,42],"class_list":{"0":"post-7338","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-25year","9":"tag-bidding","10":"tag-cup","11":"tag-farewell","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-haaland","14":"tag-historic","15":"tag-italys","16":"tag-news","17":"tag-norway","18":"tag-qualifier","19":"tag-soccer","20":"tag-steers","21":"tag-streak","22":"tag-win","23":"tag-world"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}