The Italian national team faces an uphill battle in their quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Currently lagging behind Norway and Israel in their qualifying group, Italy must focus on maximizing their goal difference, which could prove crucial in determining their fate.
Italy`s late start in the qualifying campaign, due to their participation in the Nations League quarter-finals, has put them at a disadvantage. Norway currently leads the group with a perfect record from four matches, while Israel has accumulated nine points from the same number of games.
The Azzurri`s campaign began with a 3-0 loss to Norway, followed by victories against Moldova and Estonia. This leaves Italy with six points from three matches, highlighting the importance of their upcoming fixtures.
Italy`s Road to World Cup Qualification
The path to the 2026 World Cup is narrow for European teams. Only the top 12 group winners will secure direct qualification, while the 12 runners-up must navigate through a challenging play-off stage. Italy`s recent history in play-offs has been disappointing, having failed to qualify for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups through this route.
With only 16 European teams set to participate in the tournament hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, competition is fierce. In the event of teams finishing level on points in the group, goal difference will be the primary tiebreaker, not head-to-head records. This makes it imperative for Italy to not only win their matches but to do so by significant margins.
As the qualifying campaign progresses, every goal scored and conceded could have a significant impact on Italy`s chances of reaching the World Cup. The team must focus on maintaining a strong defensive record while also maximizing their offensive output in each match.