Italy secured a dramatic victory over Israel, propelling their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign forward in a match marked by multiple own goals and late drama. The Azzurri triumphed after a rollercoaster encounter, finishing with a 4-3 scoreline.
The win, achieved on September 6, 2024, marks Gennaro Gattuso‘s second consecutive victory since assuming the role of Italy’s head coach and considerably boosts their chances of direct qualification for the tournament in North America. Though, the path to the World Cup remains challenging, requiring wins in upcoming fixtures against estonia on October 11 and a rematch against israel on October 14.The match unfolded as a chaotic affair, with Italy initially taking the lead before israel responded with two own goals – the first earlier in the game, and the second from Alessandro Bastoni in the 87th minute. Dor Peretz then leveled the score at 3-3 in the 89th minute, setting the stage for a tense finale.
Tonali ultimately secured the win for Italy in added time (90+1 minute), breaking through the Israeli defense to find the back of the net.”Today was a nightmare. We are crazy because we got ridiculous goals. it was terrible, but we fought ourselves back,” Gattuso stated after the match, acknowledging the unusual circumstances of the victory.
Direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup is now within Italy’s grasp, but hinges on securing maximum points from their remaining qualifying matches. The expanded 48-team format of the 2026 World Cup offers more opportunities for European nations to qualify,but a strong finish to the qualifying campaign is crucial for Italy to avoid a potential playoff scenario.
