Result Italy 1 – 4 Norway, Sunday 16 November 2025, World Cup Qualifiers

     Italy 1 – 4 Norway 

11′ Francesco Pio Esposito     63′ Antonio Nusa
.                                                          78′ Erling Haaland
.                                                          79′ Erling Haaland
.                                                          93′ Jorgen Strand Larsen

Nothing to do now, as Italy has collapsed and is now waiting for the playoffs. Italy faced a setback against Norway on Sunday, November 16, 2025, during the World Cup Qualifiers. Fans were left disappointed at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy. The journey towards the 2026 World Cup has officially begun!

Italy faced a challenging home loss in front of 70,000 fans. Unfortunately, Francesco Pio Esposito’s goal wasn’t sufficient. Norway equalized with a goal from Antonio Nusa. Erling Haaland wreaked havoc on Italy’s defense, scoring 2 goals. Jørgen Strand Larsen completed the scoring with a poker. The final score was 4-1. Now, we look ahead to the playoffs, hoping to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. It’s disappointing to have such a poor result.

Gattuso expressed his regrets to the supporters: “It was a difficult outcome, a pity because we played well in the first half.”

Group I Standings: Norway, 24 points (eight games played), ITALY, 18 points (eight), Israel, nine points (seven), Estonia, four points (eight), Moldova, one point (seven).

What to expect?

Coach Gennaro Gattuso has achieved victory in all of his first five matches as Italy’s head coach.  Gattuso matches the win total of Edmondo Fabbri from 1962 to 1963 and Azeglio Vicini from 1986 to 1987. In the history of the senior national team, no coach has ever accomplished six wins in their first six matches as Italy’s coach.

🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 0 Norway 🇳🇴

⚽️   Italy gained the upper hand in the 11th minute. Francesco Pio Esposito found the net with a right-footed strike. Ryerson fumbled the ball in the penalty area, allowing Federico Dimarco to set up Esposito perfectly. Although the Inter player was facing away from the goal, he skillfully turned and outsmarted the Norwegian goalkeeper, Ørjan Nyland. The Azzurri are in the lead!

#VivoAzzurro #ITANOR #ItalyNorway #WorldCupQualifiers

 

🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 1 Norway 🇳🇴

⚽️    Norway leveled the score in the 63rd minute with a goal from Antonio Nusa. The Leipzig player showcased his skills by gathering the ball in the attacking midfield after a clever dummy from Thorstvedt, sidestepping Giovanni Di Lorenzo, executing a double step past Matteo Politano, and unleashing a left-footed shot that went past Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for the equalizer.

Photo via x.com/TouchlineX

#VivoAzzurro #ITANOR #ItalyNorway #WorldCupQualifiers

🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 2 Norway 🇳🇴

⚽️   In the 78th minute, Erling Haaland scores. Norway also manages to turn the tables with Haaland’s left-footed volley that beats Donnarumma after Bobb’s pass from the left. A fantastic move by Nusa sets up the City midfielder, who then provides the assist.

🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 3 Norway 🇳🇴

⚽️ In the 79th minute, Erling Haaland scores with a left-footed shot. The City striker beats Mancini to Thorsby’s pass. It all started with Bastoni’s loose ball, which gave the Norwegians possession.

Erling Haaland: out of this world 🛸#WCQ pic.twitter.com/3vYvm97LI1

— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) November 16, 2025

🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 4 Norway 🇳🇴

⚽️ In the dying moments of the match, specifically the 93rd minute, Jorgen Strand Larsen netted the fourth goal. The visitors then took control, with the Wolverhampton striker being assisted by Morten Thorsby, who skillfully maneuvered past Gianluca Mancini before finding the back of the net with his left foot. This result is disappointing for Italy, who now look ahead to the playoffs.

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma 

 

What is the current status regarding the 2026 World Cup Qualifications?

The 12 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup. The runners-up will take part in the play-offs, alongside the four highest-ranked group winners from the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League who did not finish their European Qualifiers group stage in the top two positions. As of now, Italy has clinched a playoff position, having secured second place in Group I.

Player Statistics

👉   Mateo Retegui has netted four goals in his last two home matches for the national team; the most recent player to achieve at least five goals in three consecutive home games for Italy was Filippo Inzaghi, who did so between 2003 and 2006 (including a hat-trick, a brace, and a single goal).

👉 Francesco Pio Esposito, in the previous match against Moldova, scored his second goal for the senior national team at just 20 years and 138 days old. If he manages to score again against Norway, he will become the fourth-youngest player to net a third goal for Italy (20 years, 141 days at the time of the match), following Giuseppe Meazza (19 years, 191 days), Mario Corso (20 years, 71 days), and Gianni Rivera (20 years, 84 days).

 

✅Statistics BEFORE the game.

Italy has secured victory in 10 out of their 18 past encounters with Norway (D4 L4), with their latest defeat being a 3-0 loss in June 2025. The Azzurri have never faced back-to-back losses against the Norwegians.

Italy’s only home defeat to Norway occurred during their first match (1-2 on September 25, 1985, in a friendly): since that time, Italy has triumphed in three and drawn two of their subsequent five home games against the Scandinavian side.

In their last match against Norway, Italy conceded three goals, matching the total they allowed in their previous eight games (which included five clean sheets). The Azzurri are at risk of going two consecutive matches without scoring against Norway for the first time since a stretch of two games between 1999 and 2000.

Norway has claimed victory in their last four away matches, netting 14 goals while allowing just three. The Scandinavian squad has never managed five straight away wins, having previously reached four on four occasions (1995, 1999, 2005, and 2010).

Italy has won their last three home games in World Cup qualifying without letting in a goal and has not recorded at least four consecutive home wins with clean sheets in such matches since the period of 1997–2001 (a streak that extended to five).

Italy jersey goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma

Italy official starting lineup against Norway

Photo via x.com/Azzurri

Photo via x.com/Azzurri

World Cup Qualifiers Group I
🇮🇹  Italy 1 – 4 Norway  🇳🇴
Sunday 16 November 2025
San Siro Stadium
Milan, Italy

20:45

Referee: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández ESP.
Assistant Referee 1: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez ESP.
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP.
Fourth Official: José María Sánchez Martínez ESP.
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP.
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP.
UEFA Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED.
UEFA Delegate: Iain Blair SCO.

⚽️ Goals: 11′ Francesco Pio Esposito (I), 63′ Antonio Nusa (N), 78′, 79′ Erling Haaland, 93′ Jørgen Strand Larsen (N)

🟨 Yellow Cards: 45+2′ Nicolò Barella (I), 67′ Alessandro Bastoni (I), 69′ Francesco Pio Esposito (I), 69′ Erling Haaland (N), 93′ Jørgen Strand Larsen (N)

✅ Official Lineups – Formations – Tabellino:

🇮🇹   Lineup ITALIA (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Frattesi, Dimarco; Retegui, Francesco Pio Esposito.

Subs: Carnesecchi, Vicario – Bellanova, Gabbia, Buongiorno – Ricci, Cristante, Cambiaso – Zaccagni, Orsolini, Raspadori, Scamacca.

Head Coach:  Gennaro Gattuso

  🇳🇴  Lineup NORWAY (4-4-2): Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Thorstvedt, Berg, Berge, Nusa; Haaland, Sorloth.

Subs:  Dyngeland, Tangvk – Ostigard, Bjorkan, Langas – Thorsby, Bobb, Aasgaard – Arnstad, Strand Larsen, Schjelderup, M.Pedersen.

Head Coach: Stale Solbakken

Click the video to watch Italy – Norway highlights on Sunday, 16 November 2025