Italy national team boss Luciano Spalletti said his team was in a “difficult period” after a 3-0 loss to Norway in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Alexander Sørloth and Antonio Nusa put the hosts 2-0 up in Oslo before Arsenal playmaker Martin Ødegaard set up Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to score the third goal – all before half-time.
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Italy, who have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, are in fourth place in Group I, although they have played two games fewer than the teams above them due to their participation in the Nations League.
Norway tops the group with nine points, Israel is second with six points, and Estonia is third with three points.
“I am the leader of this group, it is a team I have chosen and therefore I continue with them,” Spalletti told RAI Sport.
“We have to improve in certain areas, because we can’t give the opponents advantages by giving the ball away.”
Italy’s captain Gianluigi Donnarumma said he had “no explanation”.
“Our fans don’t deserve this type of game,” said the Paris St-Germain goalkeeper. “We have to look ourselves in the mirror. This is unacceptable.”
Italy’s next game is against Moldova, who are last in the group without a point after two games, on Monday.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Spalletti said this was a “difficult period.”
He added, “There are always worries, because after such an achievement, you obviously have to ask yourself questions and realize that there are problems, but you have to face them, because there is no other option.”
Here is the translated table in Norwegian:
Group I
| Team | K | S | U | T | M+ | M– | MF | P Form | (last 6 games, oldest first) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Norway | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | +10 | 9 | – – – S (win) S |
| S 2. Israel | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 6 | – – – S T (Tap) S |
| 3. Estonia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | –2 | 3 | – – – T S T |
| 4. Italy | 1 | 0 | 0 1 | 0 | 3 | –3 | 0 | –
–T |
|
| 5. Moldova | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | –6 | 0 | – – – –T |
Explanations:
- K = Matches played
- S = Victories
- U = Draw
- T = Loss
- M+ = Goals scored
- M– = Goal conceded
- MF = Goal difference
- P = Points
The form shows the results in order (oldest first), where S = Win, U = Draw, and T = Loss. Dash (–) means that no result has been registered for that match.
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