Erling Haaland scores as Norway thrash Italy 3-0 in 2026 World Cup qualifying. Croatia dominates, Belgium stumble, and Europe’s path to 2026 heats up.
Erling Haaland/ goal.com
Oslo, Norway — Erling Haaland’s ruthless form on the international stage continued Friday night as Norway shocked Italy 3-0 in Oslo, marking their first victory over the four-time world champions in 25 years.
The Manchester City striker scored Norway’s third goal just before halftime, finishing off a clever through ball from captain Martin Ødegaard and calmly slipping past Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Haaland’s goal — his 41st in just 42 matches for Norway — sent the home crowd at Ullevaal Stadium into raptures, with even King Harald V in attendance to witness the moment.
Norway, now undefeated in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign after three games, sits atop Group I and is starting to look like a serious contender for a spot in North America.
Norway’s intent was clear from kickoff. Antonio Nusa, the 20-year-old Club Brugge midfielder, wreaked havoc on the Italian defense throughout the first half. After setting up the opener with a pinpoint pass to striker Alexander Sørloth, who buried the chance with his left foot, Nusa doubled Norway’s advantage with a powerful rising shot after slicing through Italy’s backline.
The visitors were clearly off balance and failed to recover from Norway’s clinical counterattacks. Head coach Luciano Spalletti’s side was missing key players through injury, including defenders Alessandro Buongiorno and Mattia Gabbia, midfielder Manuel Locatelli, and forward Moise Kean. Experienced center back Francesco Acerbi, initially called up to mark Haaland, declined the invitation.
In his absence, 21-year-old Diego Coppola was tasked with anchoring a makeshift back three, and Norway took full advantage of the inexperience.
Italy’s World Cup qualifying woes appear to be far from over. After missing the last two tournaments in 2018 and 2022, the Azzurri have little room for error in this cycle. Only the group winner will qualify directly for the 2026 tournament. A second-place finish sends a team to the high-stakes European playoffs — the same stage where Italy was famously eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in recent years.
Italy will host Moldova on Monday in their second qualifying fixture, and Spalletti will be hoping for a sharper showing to avoid falling further behind in Group I.
Croatia 7-0 Gibraltar
The 2018 World Cup runners-up delivered a statement win over Gibraltar, scoring seven unanswered goals in their Group L opener. Mario Pašalić and Ante Budimir each struck twice in a dominant first-half display. The rout continued after the break as Andrej Kramarić and Franjo Ivanović found the net, and veteran Ivan Perišić added one late on.
Czech Republic 2-0 Montenegro
The Czechs maintained their perfect start to qualifying with a third straight win. Adam Hložek and Patrik Schick scored to keep the team top of Group L.
North Macedonia 1-1 Belgium.
In a surprising result, North Macedonia held Belgium to a draw in Group J. Maxim De Cuyper gave the visitors the lead, but Ezgjan Alioski leveled things up late in the second half. Belgium missed several chances to take control, and now trail group leaders Wales.
Wales 3-0 Liechtenstein.
Wales are now top of Group J with seven points from three matches. Their latest win over Liechtenstein showed both dominance and efficiency, giving them a two-point cushion at the summit.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature an expanded field of 48 teams. Europe has been allotted 16 places in the tournament. Automatic qualification goes to the 12 group winners, while 12 group runners-up will compete in playoffs, along with the top four unqualified Nations League group winners.
The European qualifiers will run through November, with playoff rounds scheduled for early next year.
What’s Next?
Italy will look to bounce back when they face Moldova on Monday.
Norway travels to Estonia, aiming to extend its perfect record.
Croatia and the Czech Republic will also resume their campaigns in Group L.
As the qualifying heats up, all eyes will be on whether Norway can continue their historic rise — and whether Italy can avoid a third consecutive World Cup heartbreak.
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