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.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Taiwan’s world No. 6 shuttler Chou Tien-chen yesterday defeated India’s H.S. Prannoy to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Changzhou. It was former world No. 2 Chou’s eighth win in 14 matches against Prannoy, who had earlier this week lamented the age divide between him and up-and-comers, although he is only two years younger than 35-year-old Chou. The Taiwanese, who is seeded sixth at the tournament, rebounded from a close 21-18 loss in game 1 on Court 2 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. He bounced back to take the next games 21-15, 21-8 and set up a tough quarter-final
The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday acquired Taiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations to fill the roster after All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe was placed back on the injured list. Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Braves on Monday after hitting .216/.273/.333 in 28 games for Atlanta, with most of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He joins Tampa Bay as a versatile fourth outfielder option. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred relief pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (forearm strain) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day
RSS