Unlucky Italy met the most in-form European team in World Cup qualifiers

Italy may no longer be the dominant force they once were, but the Azzurri have also faced bad luck in their World Cup qualifying campaign, meeting Europe’s most in-form country in Group I.

Italy will face Norway in the final Group I game this evening, but are already certain to go through the World Cup playoffs in March.

Only the group winners qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while runners-up must earn their spot in the playoffs. The only way for Italy to win the group is by securing a victory by nine goals this evening. Frankly, an impossible task.

Italy already failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, so the Azzurri will be facing increasing pressure in the coming months.

The Azzurri are unlikely to win their group despite securing six victories from seven games, losing only once (3-0) to Norway in June.

As TMW highlights, the Azzurri were ‘unlucky’ to meet the most in-form European country during their qualification path.

Norway, in fact, have not only won all their group stage games so far, but also netted 33 goals in seven outings, averaging 4.7 per match. With just four conceded, they have a goal difference of +29. Not even England or Spain have been so dominant in their qualifying groups.

Furthermore, Norway’s star striker, Erling Haaland, is the best scorer in the European World Cup qualifiers with 14 goals, and if Norway were to find the net once at San Siro this evening, they’d become the team with the most goals scored in the history of World Cup qualifiers in groups with five teams.