Erling Haaland helps Norway shock Italy in 2026 World Cup qualifiers

(NLDO) - Not long after being defeated by Germany in the Nations League quarter-finals, the Italian team continued to lose shockingly 0-3 to Norway in the opening match of the European World Cup qualifiers.

It was a nightmare evening at the Ullevaal Stadium as Italy suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat to Norway in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers. This was the first match of the "Squadra Azzurri" in the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers, as they were previously busy playing in the Nations League. Norway had won both of their first two matches against Moldova and Israel, and they appeared quite comfortable in terms of mentality.

Alexander Sorloth opens the scoring for Norway

The match had only been 14 minutes when Alexander Sorloth opened the scoring for Norway after a clever assist from young talent Antonio Nusa. The Italian defense was passive in this situation, allowing the Villarreal striker to comfortably finish close to the goal.

In the 34th minute, Nusa doubled the gap with a spectacular solo effort, beating two Italian defenders before firing past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Six minutes later, it was Erling Haaland's turn to put his name on the scoreboard with a neat finish from captain Martin Odegaard, ending a nightmare match for Italy.

Antonio Nusa participated in 2/3 goals

There were no more goals in the second half, but that was not enough to salvage one of the worst performances by the 'Squadra Azzurri' in recent years. This was the first time in history that Italy had conceded three goals in the first half of a World Cup qualifier - a shocking statistic for the Euro 2020 champions.

Erling Haaland drowned "Azzurri" in the first half

After the match, goalkeeper Donnarumma could not hide his disappointment: "We played badly. Everything went wrong. This was an unacceptable performance." He also affirmed that the whole team needs to "look back at ourselves" if they still want to dream of a place in the 2026 World Cup.

Coach Luciano Spalletti, who is expected to revive the team after a period of decline, also did not hide his worries: "We have lost organization, control and fighting spirit. This is a warning bell. I will have discussions with the leaders to re-evaluate the team's direction."

The 65-year-old coach believes that an "overhaul" is necessary, not only in terms of expertise but also in terms of competition psychology.

Norway wins three opening World Cup qualifiers in Group H

Meanwhile, Norway continued their impressive form with a third straight win. They have scored 12 goals and conceded just two. The Nordic side are top of Group H with nine points, ahead of Israel (six) and Poland (four). Italy have played just one game and are fourth in the group without a point.

This victory is a strong affirmation of Norway - a team that is rising under the hand of coach Ståle Solbakken and owns a generation of young talent combined with stars like Haaland and Odegaard. In contrast, Italy's failure reminded fans of two consecutive times of failing to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Coach Luciano Spalletti disappointed with his Italian players

Although there is still a long way to go, the "Azzurri" are facing enormous pressure. If they do not quickly improve their performance, the risk of missing the biggest football festival on the planet for the third consecutive time is gradually becoming a reality.

Belgium were held to a 1-1 draw by North Macedonia in their opening match of Group I, temporarily ranking fourth in the group with 1 point. Leading Group I is Wales with 7 points after three matches, while North Macedonia has only 5 points after three matches and is temporarily ranked second.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/haaland-giup-na-uy-thang-soc-yo-vong-loai-world-cup-2026-196250607073200334.htm