Overview
- Late headers from Gianluca Mancini and Francesco Pio Esposito sealed a 2-0 victory in Chișinău for Italy, their sixth straight qualifying win.
- Italy sit on 18 points, three behind Norway’s 21, with a goal-difference gap of +12 to Norway’s +29 after Norway beat Estonia 4-1.
- To top Group I and qualify directly, Italy would need to defeat Norway by at least nine goals at San Siro on Sunday, a scenario described as highly unlikely.
- Coach Gennaro Gattuso defended heavy rotation and condemned jeers from travelling fans, calling the protests a disgrace and urging unity.
- Italy are set to be seeded for the World Cup play-off draw on Nov. 20, with single-leg semi-finals and finals scheduled for March 26 and 31, 2026.