Italy Stumbles in World Cup Qualifying with Heavy Loss to Norway; Belgium Held to Draw
Italy’s hopes for the 2026 World Cup suffered a significant setback as they were thrashed 3-0 by Norway in Oslo on Friday. The four-time champions endured a humiliating start to their qualifying campaign, while Belgium managed only a 1-1 draw against North Macedonia.
In a torrential downpour, Norway’s Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa, and Erling Haaland each found the back of the net in the first half, leaving Italy reeling. Captain Gianluigi Donnarumma expressed his frustration post-match, stating, “I have no explanation. Our supporters don’t deserve this kind of match. We need to do some soul-searching. It’s unacceptable.”
With this loss, Italy finds itself trailing in Group I, where Norway leads with nine points after previous victories over Moldova and Israel. Israel is currently second in the group with six points following a 3-1 win over Estonia. Italy will seek to rebound in their next match against Moldova at home in Reggio Emilia.
Meanwhile, Belgium began their qualifying campaign in Group J with a disappointing draw against North Macedonia. Maxim De Cuyper opened the scoring for Belgium, but Ezgjan Alioski equalized late in the match, volleying in the goal just four minutes from time. Belgium now sits behind Wales, who tops the group with seven points after a commanding 3-0 win over Liechtenstein.
Wales’ manager Craig Bellamy noted, “We could have made it a lot more (goals), and we’d like to make it a lot more,” as his team prepares to face Belgium in Brussels next week.
In other notable qualifying matches, Croatia dominated Gibraltar with a resounding 7-0 victory, featuring two goals each from substitutes Franjo Ivanovic and Andrej Kramaric. The Czech Republic also maintained their perfect start with a 2-0 win over Montenegro, putting them at the top of their group.
