While the French team, Spain (the opponent of the Blues on Thursday), Germany and Portugal play the Final Four of the League of Nations this week, the qualifications of the 2026 World Cup in the Europe zone are continuing. Six of the 12 groups of European playoffs (those with five teams) began last March. The England of Thomas Tuchel, for example, won its first two matches against Albania and Latvia. This week, Italy is entering.
The Nazional Gianluigi Donnarumma is in a particularly delicate situation. Installed in a group of five, the Azzurri were exempt from the first two days in March since they played their quarter-final of the League of Nations against Germany (1-2, 3-3 defeat). Without having played, the formation of Luciano Spaletti is the penultimate of group I (ahead of Moldova, which also has zero point but a difference in goals of -6) and played its first match directly against the other favorite in the pool!
Norway-Italie is scheduled for this Friday in Oslo this Friday. Erling Haaland and his teammates can hit a very big blow. The Rode, HVITE, BLA (The Reds, White, Blue) are at the top of the ranking with two victories (5-0 in Moldova, 4-2 against Israel in Hungary) and can therefore take nine points ahead of the Italians in the event of success at home. Next Monday, Norway will go to Estonia and Italy will receive Moldova in Sassuolo.
Italy against Odegaard and Haaland
Italy is already in great danger when it obviously remains on two non -participations in the World Cup (in Russia and Qatar). Bookmakers do not give them favorites of the meeting. Norway’s victory in front of its audience is for example fixed at 2.55 against 2.63 for a success outside. The Transalpine press is also concerned about the mental state of Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella and Davide Frattesi, who have just been humiliated in the final of the Champions League by the PSG of their “Gigio” teammate (5-0).
Haaland is present with Norway after finishing the season with Manchester City. Holder in the last four matches, he marked at the end of the Premier League against Fulham. Captain Martin Odegaard is the other big leader of the team, also alongside Atlético striker Alexander Sorho. The Toulousain Aron Donnum is in the group, unlike his teammate of Violets Warren Kamanzi and the Lille Osame Sahraoui. The 2026 World Cup qualifiers organized in Canada, the United States and Mexico can offer a first thunderclap this week.
