Italy crashed to a 3-0 loss away to Norway, as the four-time FIFA World Cup champions made a disastrous start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Friday, while Belgium had to settle for a draw in North Macedonia.
Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland all scored in the first half in pouring rain in Oslo as Norway made it a night to forget for Italy, who missed out on the past two World Cups.
“I have no explanation. Our supporters don’t deserve this kind of match. We need to do some soul-searching. It’s unacceptable,” Italy captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma told Rai Sport.
Photo: Reuters
Italy manager Luciano Spalletti said his team were going through a difficult patch and that he would speak with the Italian Football Federation about the situation.
“From us, it has to come from us first of all. We are Italy, and these matches are not acceptable ... We must be more united than before,” said Donnarumma, who won the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup titles with Paris St Germain in the recently concluded season.
Italy are playing catch-up with Norway, the Group I leaders, with a maximum nine points after wins over Moldova and Israel in March when the Azzurri were still involved in the UEFA Nations League.
Israel are second on six points after a 3-1 win over Estonia in Tallinn, where Norway are to head for their next game tomorrow.
Italy return home to face Moldova in Reggio Emilia in their second game.
Belgium began their qualifying bid in Group J with a 1-1 draw against North Macedonia.
Maxim De Cuyper gave Belgium the lead after Romelu Lukaku’s shot was blocked, but former Leeds man Ezgjan Alioski volleyed in the equalizer with four minutes to play in Skopje.
North Macedonia are unbeaten through three matches, but trail Wales, who top the pile on seven points following a 3-0 home win over Liechtenstein.
Joe Rodon, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore struck in Cardiff to keep Wales unbeaten since the appointment last year of Craig Bellamy, whose side head to Brussels tomorrow.
“We could have made it a lot more [goals], and we’d like to make it a lot more,” Bellamy told BBC Wales.
“I’m looking forward to Monday [against Belgium],” he said.
Croatia hammered Gibraltar 7-0 in their opening match in Group J.
Substitutes Franjo Ivanovic and Andrej Kramaric both scored twice, with Marco Pasalic, Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic also on target in the Algarve.
The Czech Republic are the pacesetters in the section with three wins from three after a 2-0 victory at home to Montenegro. Adam Hlozek and Patrik Schick scored the goals for the hosts.
The 12 group winners qualify automatically for next year’s expanded 48-team tournament, while the runners-up head into the play-offs, which would decide the final four qualifiers from Europe.
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