SATV 8 June, Kathmandu: Erling Haaland scored and Norway humbled Italy 3-0 for the first time in 25 years in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Friday.
Haaland collected a through ball from playmaker Martin Odegaard and rounded goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the box for the third goal three minutes before halftime.
It was his 41st goal in his 42nd match for Norway to the delight of the spectators at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, including King Harald V of Norway.
Haaland also scored when Moldova was beaten 5-0 and Israel 4-2. Norway remained perfect in qualifying after three games in Europe Group I.
Striker Alexander Sorloth received a precise pass from Antonio Nusa then beat Donnarumma with a left foot shot. Nusa, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder, was a constant threat to the Italian defense. He left behind two defenders and doubled the advantage with a rising shot from inside the area.
Italy was missing some regulars for its first qualifying match, while others failed to impress, including Mateo Retegui, the best Serie A scorer.
Defenders Alessandro Buongiorno and Mattia Gabbia, defensive midfielder Manuel Locatelli and forward Moise Kean were all injured while key center back Francesco Acerbi, who was meant to mark Haaland, turned down his callup. Diego Coppola played center back in the three-man defensive line used by coach Luciano Spalletti that was not able to stop Norway.
Norway dominates, Italy in trouble
In the other Group I game, Israel won in Estonia 3-1 for a second win and second place. The Azzurri are under pressure from the start of their qualifying after failing to reach the last two World Cups.
Winning the group is the only way to ensure direct qualification to next year’s tournament in North America. The second-placed team goes into the playoffs — the stage where Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia and ruled out of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.
A four-time World Cup champion, the only other time Italy didn’t qualify was for the 1958 edition. Italy hosts Moldova on Monday when Norway will be in action at Estonia.
Croatia cruises, Belgium held
Croatia opened its qualifying with a 7-0 rout of minnow Gibraltar.
Mario Pašalić and Ante Budimir struck twice for Croatia within two minutes to break the deadlock after half an hour. In the second half, substitutes Andrek Kramaric and Franjo Ivanovis scored a couple each and Ivan Perisic piled on.
Croatia was runner-up in the 2018 World Cup and third in 2022. In the same Group L, Adam Hložek and Patrik Schick each scored as the unbeaten Czech Republic beat Montenegro 2-0 for a third straight win.
Belgium was 1-0 up on a goal by defender Maxim De Cuyper but Ezgjan Alioski salvaged a draw for North Macedonia in a surprise in Group J.
Wales tops the group with seven points from three games after a 3-0 victory over Liechtenstein. North Macedonia was two points behind. Europe to contribute a third of all teams
Europe will have 16 teams in the expanded 48-team field for the World Cup.
They will come from the winners of the 12 qualifying groups plus four from a playoff of the 12 group runners-up together with four best-ranked group winners in the Nations League that don’t finish first or second in the qualifying. The group stage of European qualifying runs through November.
Meanwhile, Venezuela beat Bolivia 2-0 on Friday to extend its advantage in seventh place in South American World Cup qualifying and a potential spot in an intercontinental playoff for next year's tournament in North America. Bolivian Héctor Cuellar scored an own goal in the fifth minute after a simple pass to goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra ended in the back of the net. The hosts added a second in the 30th minute with striker Salomón Rondón, Venezuela's all-time top goal scorer with 47 goals, after he chested down a cross from Nahuel Ferraresi and scored with his left foot.
Bolivia, which now trails Venezuela by four points with only three rounds to play, never threatened goalkeeper Rafael Romo at the Monumental Stadium in the eastern city of Maturin, Venezuela.
“It was a very important win for us. But we haven't won anything yet," said Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia. “We have to keep winning, we are going for our dream. It will be another final on Tuesday."
Venezuela has not lost at home in the current edition of South American qualifying. So far, it has four wins and four draws. Only Argentina is also unbeaten at home.
Also on Friday, Colombia drew Peru 0-0 at home and failed to overtake Brazil in the standings. It was Colombia's fifth consecutive match without a win.
The hosts at the Metropolitano Stadium in Barranquilla missed suspended striker Luis Díaz, who scored six goals in World Cup qualifying. Jhon Córdoba and Rafael Santos Borré were also out due to injury.
World Cup champion Argentina, which secured its 2026 berth in March, leads South American qualifying after 15 matches with 34 points. Ecuador and Paraguay are next with 24 points, but the Ecuadorians have better goal difference. Brazil is in fourth place with 22 points.
Uruguay and Colombia, both with 21 points, are in fifth and sixth, respectively, separated by goal difference. Venezuela, the only South American team to have never competed in a World Cup, has 18 points.
Bolivia, which still has a chance of moving into seventh place, has 14. Peru and Chile have 11 and 10 points respectively.
Several teams could secure their World Cup spots in Tuesday's next set of matches. Ecuador will clinch its spot with a win at Peru and Brazil could also secure its berth with a win, provided Venezuela doesn't add points at Uruguay.
Colombia will have to beat Lionel Messi's Argentina in Buenos Aires to come close to its spot before the two final rounds in September. Bolivia will have to overcome Chile at home to keep its chances alive.
All 10 South American nations play each other home and away. The top six countries qualify directly to the finals next year.
The seventh-place South American team will go into the intercontinental playoffs in March 2026 in North America when six teams will vie for the remaining two spots in the main tournament.
