Italy must now confront the painful reality that they have failed to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, forcing them into the treacherous play-off route that has become their undoing in recent years.
The Azzurri’s hopes were dashed on Sunday (16/11/2025) after a devastating 4-1 home loss to Norway in San Siro, confirming Norway’s spot at the tournament as Group I winners.
A Promising Start Crumbles
Italy began the decisive match with the right intent, providing a momentary spark of hope for their fans. It was Inter Milan’s young talent, Pio Esposito, who opened the scoring with a well-taken right-foot shot.
The goal marked Esposito’s third for the senior national team, further cementing his place in history. At just 20 years, 141 days, he became the fourth-youngest player to score his third goal for Italy.
However, the promising lead dissolved in the second half as Norway mounted a decisive comeback, scoring four unanswered goals to seal their victory and Italy’s fate.
4 – Francesco Pio #Esposito (20 years, 141 days) became the fourth-youngest player to score his third goal for #Italy, after Giuseppe Meazza (19 years, 191 days), Mario Corso (20 years, 71 days), and Gianni Rivera (20 years, 84 days). Growth.#ItaliaNorvegia pic.twitter.com/GZACjbo9DI
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 16, 2025
Gattuso Apologizes and Pinpoints Second-Half Struggles
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso was deeply disappointed after the match, focusing on the team’s collapse following the break.
“I want to apologise to our fans, because 4-1 is a heavy result,” said Gattuso, as quoted by UEFA. “It’s a shame after a very good first half when we played like a real team. The biggest disappointment was the second half, but we’re licking our wounds and congratulate Norway.”
Gattuso suggested that a tactical breakdown and mental frailty were the key factors in the defeat. “In the first half, we were more compact, but in the second we gave them a lot of space.
That was the key to the game,” he explained. “We need to improve; the game changed when they had their first shot on goal at the start of the second half and we started to play with fear.”
The Play-Off Peril
Italy must now prepare for the demanding play-off tournament, with the crucial semi-final and final matches scheduled for March 2026.
The World Cup play-offs have, unfortunately, become Italy’s ‘kryptonite’. This is the exact stage where the Azzurri stumbled in both the 2018 and 2022 qualification campaigns, leading to them missing two consecutive editions of the World Cup.
In 2018, they failed to defeat Sweden in the play-off.
In 2022, it was a stunning loss to North Macedonia that prevented them from going to Qatar.
Gattuso’s side will now face immense pressure to break this painful cycle and ensure that the reigning European champions do not miss a third consecutive World Cup.
2026 World Cup Qualification Result UEFA
Sunday (16/11/2025)
Hungary vs Ireland 2-3 (Daniel Lukacs 3’, Barnabas Varga 37’; Troy Parrot 15’-Pen, 80’, 90+5’)
Portugal vs Armenia 9-1 (Renato Veiga 7’, Goncalo Ramos 28’, Joao Neves 30’, 41’, 81’, Bruno Fernandes 45+3’-pen, 51’, 72’-pen, Francisco Conceicao 90+2’; Eduard Spertsyan 18’)
Albania vs England 0-2 (Harry Kane 74’, 82’)
Azerbaijan vs France 1-3 (Renat Dadasov 4’; Jean-Philippe Mateta 17’, Maghnes Akliouche 30’, Shakhruddin Magomedaliyev 45’-gbd)
Serbia vs Latvia 2-1 (Aleksandar Katai 49, Aleksandar Stankovic 60’; Vladislavs Gutkovskis 12’)
Ukraina vs Iceland 2-0 (Oleksandr Zubkov 83’, Oleksii Gutsuliak 90+3’)
Israel vs Moldova 4-1 (Dor Turgeman 21’-pen, Roy Revivo 65’, Eliel Peretz 85’, Vladislav Baboglo 88’-GBD; Ion Nicolaescu 37’)
Italy vs Norway 1-4 (Francesco Pio Esposito 11’; Antonio Nusa 63’, Erling Haaland 78’, 79’, Jorgen Larsen 90+3’)
