Italy’s 2026 World Cup hopes nearly ended Monday at the Nagyerdei Stadium, as underdogs Israel gave the Azzurri a scare in a 5-4 World Cup qualifier.
In a wild contest, Italy scored two own goals, came from behind twice, and conceded a late equalizer, but won to stay alive in Group I.
Italy won their first game under Gattuso 5-0 over Estonia on Friday. Away against Israel, performance slipped but they still secured three points on neutral ground.
“It was murder today. It’s the craziest game I’ve been involved with as a coach, but it is my problem and not that of the players. If we want to play in a certain way, we need to get better at this. We were crazy to go on the attack systematically, that’s what Israel were waiting for, they hit us on the counter every time. We could’ve defended deeper when leading,” Gattuso told reporters after the game.
Italy’s qualification hopes received a much-needed lift with the scrappy result. The win over Israel has moved them into second in Group I, giving them a clear path to the play-offs. With group leaders Norway now just three points ahead, the team is in a prime spot. Missing out on a second straight World Cup would be nothing short of a disaster for the nation.
