In a roller-coaster nine-goal thriller in Budapest, Italy edged Israel 5-4 thanks to a last-gasp rocket from midfield maestro Sandro Tonali. The result keeps Italy's #WorldCup2026 dream alive—nervous but still on track.
After a shocking 3-0 loss to Norway, the Azzurri needed a spark. Israel stunned them twice, but Moise Kean ⚡ ghosted in to level on both sides of halftime. Then came Matteo Politano's back-heel tap-in (shoutout to Mateo Retegui for the assist!), followed by Giacomo Raspadori's cool finish to make it 4-2. Fans started breathing… until Israel answered with two quickfire strikes for 4-4. 😱
Just when everyone thought penalties were coming, Tonali unleashed an audacious curler in injury time. The shot looked tame—until it squeezed through the chaos and bulged the net. ¡Increíble! 🇮🇹🙌
It wasn't pretty. The match featured two own goals and some shaky moments from Italy's new No.1, Gianluigi Donnarumma. Still, the win lifted Italy above Israel into second place in Group I, just three points behind Norway. With only one direct qualifying spot on the line, every point now feels like gold.
Next up, Italy will need to keep the momentum and tighten the defense if they want to book a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Stay tuned for more twists in this qualifying saga! 🔥
Reference(s):
Tonali the hero as Italy survive nine-goal thriller against Israel
cgtn.com
