Sandro Tonali: “We have to win the second game to play in the World Cup.”
Post: Result Italy 2 – 0 Northern Ireland, Thursday, 26 March 2026, World Cup Playoffs
🗣️ “We keep going, we keep pushing because we have to win the second game to play in the World Cup.”
Sandro Tonali speaks to @adriandelmonte after Italy’s 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland.#WCQ #Italy 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/1TYIPb0wQA
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) March 26, 2026
Result Italy 2 – 0 Northern Ireland, Thursday, 26 March 2026, World Cup Playoffs
63% Ball Possession ITALY and 37% Ball Possession N. IRELAND
Italy 2 – 0 Northern Ireland 
👉 🇮🇹 Italy has taken a significant step towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. On Thursday, March 26, Italy triumphed in the Playoff match held at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium. They secured a 2–0 victory over Northern Ireland, with goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.
In simple terms, it was crucial to achieve this as best as possible. Italy faced challenges but ultimately celebrated a win. They managed to set aside all worries and fears, even after a lackluster first half. It wasn’t until the second half that Italy discovered their scoring path. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma hardly had to intervene, acting almost as a spectator. The final hurdle for qualification is set for Tuesday.
With a remarkable head-to-head record, Italy has not lost to Northern Ireland since 1958. Italy has achieved seven consecutive clean sheets against them.
⚽️ Italy gains the upper hand in the 56th minute. Sandro Tonali scores with a right-footed shot that beats Northern Ireland’s goalkeeper, Pierce Charles, in the bottom right corner.
⚽️ Italy extends their lead in the 80th minute! Moise Kean scores with a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner. Sandro Tonali provides the assist. What a fantastic play by Italy! Pio Esposito passes to Tonali; the ball then goes to Kean, who skillfully controls it, turns, and blasts it into the net with his left foot. GOOAAALLLLL
5 – Prior to Moise #Kean, the last player to score in 5 matches in a row for Italy was Salvatore Schillaci between June and July 1990. Predator.#ITANIR pic.twitter.com/hXnaGRgYIT
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 26, 2026
#ItalianSoccerSerieA #ITANIR #WorldCup #Tonali
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Statistics: Italy has a flawless record against Northern Ireland, with five victories and two draws, and they have not conceded a single goal in their last seven encounters.
Currently ranked 69th in the FIFA Rankings, Northern Ireland secured their spot by finishing first in Nations League Group C. They placed third in Qualifying Group A, behind Germany and Slovakia, with a record of three wins and three losses. The two teams have met eleven times, with Italy winning seven matches, drawing three, and suffering one unfortunate defeat—a 2-1 loss on January 15, 1958, in Belfast, which cost the Azzurri a World Cup qualification. Their most recent encounter, also in Belfast, ended in a 0-0 draw during the final qualifier for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which led Italy to the play-offs.
Credit via x.com/Atalanta_BC
🎶🎶 Fratelli d’Italia,
l’Italia s’è desta,
dell’elmo di Scipio
s’è cinta la testa.
Dov’è la Vittoria?
Le porga la chioma,
ché schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò. 🎶🎶
Italy’s national anthem ahead of its FIFA World Cup Qualifying playoff matchup against Northern Ireland 🎵🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/7XL9N4OZTU
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 26, 2026
Credit via x.com/Azzurri_En
Photo via x.com/Azzurri
World Cup Playoffs
🇮🇹 Italy 2 – 0 Northern Ireland
Thursday, 26 March 2026
New Balance Arena
Bergamo, Italy
20:45
Referee: Danny Makkelie
Assistants: Hessel Steegstra and Jan De Vries
Fourth official: Jesus Gil Manzano.
VAR: Pol van Boekel
AVAR: Jeroen Manschot
⚽️ Goals: 56′ Sandro Tonali, 80′ Moise Kean
🟨 Yellow Cards: 58′ Alessandro Bastoni (I)
✅ Official lineups – Tabellino:
🇮🇹 Lineup ITALIA (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui.
Subs: Carnesecchi, Meret, Palestra, Buongiorno, Spinazzola, Gatti, Scalvini, Pisilli, Cristante, Frattesi, Raspadori, Esposito
Head Coach: Gennaro Gattuso
Lineup IRLANDA DEL NORD (3-5-1-1): Charles, Hume, McNair, McConville; Devlin, Charles, Galbraith, Devenny, Spencer; Price; Donley.
Head Coach: Michael O’Neill
Italy vs Northern Ireland Official Lineups, Thursday, 26 March 2026, World Cup Playoff
Italy – Northern Ireland Here are Italy vs Northern Ireland official starting lineups on Thursday, 26 March, 2026, in the World Cup Playoff at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo, Italy. The game starts at 20:45.
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🇮🇹 Lineup ITALIA (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui.
Subs: Carnesecchi, Meret, Palestra, Buongiorno, Spinazzola, Gatti, Scalvini, Pisilli, Cristante, Frattesi, Raspadori, Esposito
Head Coach: Gennaro Gattuso
Lineup IRLANDA DEL NORD (3-5-1-1): Charles, Hume, McNair, McConville; Devlin, Charles, Galbraith, Devenny, Spencer; Price; Donley..
Head Coach: Michael O’Neill
Photo via x.com/Azzurri
World Cup Playoffs
🇮🇹 Italy – Northern Ireland
Thursday, 26 March 2026
New Balance Arena
Bergamo, Italy
20:45
Referee: Danny Makkelie
Assistants: Hessel Steegstra and Jan De Vries
Fourth official: Jesus Gil Manzano.
VAR: Pol van Boekel
AVAR: Jeroen Manschot
Calafiori: “Think positively, need to be more carefree and focused”
The Arsenal defender spoke in a press conference at Coverciano: “The fans in Bergamo will help us. Gattuso kept in touch when I was out.”
The last time Italy played in a World Cup, Riccardo Calafiori was just eleven years old. Today, at 23 years of age, he can help the Azzurri make it to North America and guarantee the many young fans the chance to watch Italy in the finals of the tournament for the first time. “Going to the World Cup is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid,” he said in a press conference at Coverciano today. “I can’t wait to play in this game. The pressure is on, and it’s useless to try to avoid it. We know how important it is to qualify. We all want the same thing. We’ll try to shed the worry and think positively.”
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Italy 28 players called up for the Northern Ireland, World Cup Playoffs
By Anna Italia
Follow me on X @ItalianSerieA,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page
Instagram: annaitalia2
Italian Soccer Serie A
🇮🇹👉 Italy’s Head Coach Gennaro Gattuso has summoned 28 players for the World Cup playoffs against Northern Ireland. The squad will gather on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio Technical Centre in Coverciano. They are set to compete against Northern Ireland in the playoff semifinal on Thursday, March 26, at 20:45 CET at the Stadio di Bergamo.
The stakes are high for the Azzurri; a victory over Northern Ireland would lead Italy to face the winner of the Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina match for a World Cup spot on Tuesday, March 31, away from home. The two teams that lose in the semifinal of Play-Off Path A (Italy vs. Northern Ireland / Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina) will instead play a friendly on March 31, which the Azzurri would also play away, either in Cardiff or Zenica.
Among the newly called-up players is Marco Palestra, a fresh addition to the squad. Palestra, a defender from Cagliari born in 2005, will make his debut with the senior national team. This call-up also marks the first for Giorgio Scalvini and Niccolò Pisilli under Gattuso, as they have been away since March and November 2024, respectively. Federico Chiesa, the 2021 European champion who has not played for the national team since EURO 2024, will return to don the Azzurri jersey.
Goalkeepers: Elia Caprile (Cagliari), Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Alex Meret (Napoli);
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Diego Coppola (Paris FC), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Marco Palestra (Cagliari), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Leonardo Spinazzola (Napoli);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);
Forwards: Federico Chiesa (Liverpool), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atalanta), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta).
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Northern Ireland, currently ranked 69th in the FIFA Rankings, secured their position by finishing first in Nations League Group C. They ended up third in Qualifying Group A, trailing behind Germany and Slovakia, with a record of three wins and three losses. The two teams have faced each other eleven times, with Italy achieving seven wins, three draws, and one unfortunate defeat—a 2-1 loss on January 15, 1958, in Belfast, which prevented the Azzurri from qualifying for the World Cup. Their latest match, also held in Belfast, concluded in a 0-0 draw during the final qualifier for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which led Italy to the play-offs.
Italy has maintained an unbeaten streak in Bergamo, where they will once again play in front of 23,000 fans, six months after their impressive 5-0 win against Estonia during Gennaro Gattuso’s debut as the National Team coach. The team has played four matches in this city, achieving two 5-0 victories (the other one was against Malta in January 1987) and drawing 1-1 on two occasions (once in a friendly against Turkey in November 2006 and again in the Nations League match against the Netherlands in October 2020).
