FIFA World Cup Qualifying - UEFA

Italy vs Northern Ireland, 2026 World Cup Qualifying - UEFA, Playoff Semifinals

· FIFA World Cup Qualifying - UEFA
Italy
  • 56': Sandro Tonali
  • 80': Moise Kean
FT
2 - 0
Northern Ireland

    Tonali, Kean score as Italy see off Northern Ireland to reach playoff final

    Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean scored for Italy to send them to the UEFA Path A World Cup playoff final.

    Match Timeline

    • 0': Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
    • 0': First Half begins.
    • 3': Foul by Alessandro Bastoni (Italy).
    • 3': Jamie Donley (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
    • 4': Alessandro Bastoni (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 4': Foul by Ruairi McConville (Northern Ireland).
    • 4': Attempt blocked. Moise Kean (Italy) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Manuel Locatelli.
    • 4': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Brodie Spencer.
    • 5': Attempt missed. Sandro Tonali (Italy) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Federico Dimarco with a cross following a corner.
    • 6': Attempt blocked. Sandro Tonali (Italy) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked. Assisted by Mateo Retegui.
    • 6': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Shea Charles.
    • 7': Attempt missed. Riccardo Calafiori (Italy) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Federico Dimarco with a cross following a corner.
    • 7': Attempt saved. Federico Dimarco (Italy) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Pierce Charles (Northern Ireland). Assisted by Gianluca Mancini with a headed pass.
    • 9': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Ruairi McConville.
    • 10': Foul by Manuel Locatelli (Italy).
    • 10': Jamie Donley (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 11': Foul by Brodie Spencer (Northern Ireland).
    • 11': Matteo Politano (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 14': Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Riccardo Calafiori.
    • 18': Offside, Italy. Matteo Politano is caught offside.
    • 20': Foul by Ethan Galbraith (Northern Ireland).
    • 20': Mateo Retegui (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 20': Attempt saved. Ethan Galbraith (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy). Assisted by Shea Charles.
    • 27': Foul by Manuel Locatelli (Italy).
    • 27': Shea Charles (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 28': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Terry Devlin.
    • 30': Attempt blocked. Mateo Retegui (Italy) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
    • 30': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Paddy McNair.
    • 30': Delay in match (Italy).
    • 31': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
    • 33': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Isaac Price.
    • 34': Attempt blocked. Alessandro Bastoni (Italy) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sandro Tonali with a cross.
    • 34': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Brodie Spencer.
    • 36': Attempt missed. Ruairi McConville (Northern Ireland) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Paddy McNair with a cross.
    • 38': Attempt missed. Moise Kean (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Mateo Retegui with a headed pass.
    • 39': Alessandro Bastoni (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 39': Foul by Jamie Donley (Northern Ireland).
    • 42': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Ethan Galbraith.
    • 42': Attempt missed. Alessandro Bastoni (Italy) header from the right side of the six yard box is too high. Assisted by Federico Dimarco with a cross following a corner.
    • 43': Attempt blocked. Terry Devlin (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ethan Galbraith.
    • 45': Attempt blocked. Sandro Tonali (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Riccardo Calafiori.
    • 45': Foul by Ethan Galbraith (Northern Ireland).
    • 45': Gianluca Mancini (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 45': Fourth official has announced 1 minutes of added time.
    • 45'+1': Attempt saved. Mateo Retegui (Italy) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner by Pierce Charles (Northern Ireland). Assisted by Manuel Locatelli with a through ball.
    • 45'+1': Attempt missed. Jamie Donley (Northern Ireland) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Terry Devlin.
    • 45'+2': First Half ends, Italy 0, Northern Ireland 0.
    • 45': Second Half begins Italy 0, Northern Ireland 0.
    • 46': Foul by Mateo Retegui (Italy).
    • 46': Ruairi McConville (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 47': Attempt missed. Trai Hume (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
    • 50': Attempt saved. Riccardo Calafiori (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Pierce Charles (Northern Ireland).
    • 50': Foul by Shea Charles (Northern Ireland).
    • 50': Sandro Tonali (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 51': Foul by Alessandro Bastoni (Italy).
    • 51': Isaac Price (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
    • 52': Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Alessandro Bastoni.
    • 53': Foul by Mateo Retegui (Italy).
    • 53': Pierce Charles (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 55': Attempt saved. Moise Kean (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Pierce Charles (Northern Ireland). Assisted by Sandro Tonali.
    • 55': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Pierce Charles.
    • 56': Goal! Italy 1, Northern Ireland 0. Sandro Tonali (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner.
    • 58': Foul by Alessandro Bastoni (Italy).
    • 58': Jamie Donley (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
    • 58': Alessandro Bastoni (Italy) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
    • 62': Foul by Justin Devenny (Northern Ireland).
    • 62': Moise Kean (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 63': Substitution, Italy. Federico Gatti replaces Alessandro Bastoni.
    • 64': Substitution, Italy. Francesco Pio Esposito replaces Mateo Retegui.
    • 65': Offside, Italy. Sandro Tonali is caught offside.
    • 66': Attempt saved. Moise Kean (Italy) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Pierce Charles (Northern Ireland). Assisted by Francesco Pio Esposito.
    • 68': Substitution, Northern Ireland. Paul Smyth replaces Terry Devlin.
    • 71': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Ruairi McConville.
    • 72': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Paul Smyth.
    • 73': Attempt blocked. Francesco Pio Esposito (Italy) header from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Federico Dimarco with a cross.
    • 73': Corner, Italy. Conceded by Trai Hume.
    • 74': Attempt missed. Nicolò Barella (Italy) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high following a corner.
    • 75': Foul by Manuel Locatelli (Italy).
    • 75': Paul Smyth (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
    • 79': Attempt missed. Moise Kean (Italy) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Nicolò Barella with a cross.
    • 79': Substitution, Northern Ireland. Jamie Reid replaces Brodie Spencer.
    • 79': Substitution, Northern Ireland. Josh Magennis replaces Jamie Donley.
    • 80': Goal! Italy 2, Northern Ireland 0. Moise Kean (Italy) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sandro Tonali.
    • 83': Substitution, Italy. Marco Palestra replaces Matteo Politano.
    • 83': Substitution, Italy. Niccolò Pisilli replaces Sandro Tonali.
    • 86': Foul by Ethan Galbraith (Northern Ireland).
    • 86': Marco Palestra (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 88': Substitution, Italy. Giacomo Raspadori replaces Moise Kean.
    • 89': Foul by Giacomo Raspadori (Italy).
    • 89': Shea Charles (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
    • 90': Foul by Nicolò Barella (Italy).
    • 90': Paul Smyth (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
    • 90': Attempt blocked. Ruairi McConville (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Justin Devenny with a cross.
    • 90': Attempt blocked. Jamie Reid (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
    • 90': Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Gianluca Mancini.
    • 90'+1': Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time.
    • 90'+2': Attempt missed. Isaac Price (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Shea Charles.
    • 90'+3': Handball by Giacomo Raspadori (Italy).
    • 90'+4': Second Half ends, Italy 2, Northern Ireland 0.
    • 0': Match ends, Italy 2, Northern Ireland 0.

    Statistics

    https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/countries/500/nir.png&h=25&scale=crop&w=25&location=originNIR ITAhttps://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/countries/500/ita.png&h=25&scale=crop&w=25&location=origin
    8 Fouls 11
    0 Yellow Cards 1
    0 Red Cards 0
    0 Offsides 2
    3 Corner Kicks 12
    5 Saves 1
    37.4 Possession 62.6
    8 SHOTS 19
    1 ON GOAL 8
    0.1 On Target % 0.4
    0 Penalty Goals 0
    0 Penalty Kicks Taken 0
    236 Accurate Passes 423
    311 Passes 504
    0.8 Pass Completion % 0.8
    2 Accurate Crosses 11
    10 Crosses 34
    0.2 Cross % 0.3
    60 Long Balls 53
    28 Accurate Long Balls 29
    0.5 Long Balls % 0.5
    3 Blocked Shots 5
    7 Effective Tackles 9
    17 Tackles 10
    0.4 Tackle % 0.9
    13 Interceptions 8
    38 Effective Clearances 24
    38 Clearances 24

    Game Information

    Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifying - UEFA

    Venue: New Balance Arena
    Location: Bergamo, Italy
    Attendance: 23,439

    Line-Ups

    ITA Italy (3-5-2)

    No. Name
    1 Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK)
    21 Alessandro Bastoni Yellow Card
    13 Riccardo Calafiori
    23 Gianluca Mancini
    8 Sandro Tonali
    18 Nicolò Barella
    5 Manuel Locatelli
    3 Federico Dimarco
    7 Matteo Politano
    9 Mateo Retegui
    11 Moise Kean
    Italy Substitutes:
    Marco Palestra, Marco Carnesecchi, Leonardo Spinazzola, Giorgio Scalvini, Davide Frattesi, Niccolò Pisilli, Federico Gatti, Alex Meret, Alessandro Buongiorno, Bryan Cristante, Pio Esposito, Giacomo Raspadori.

    NIR Northern Ireland (5-4-1)

    No. Name
    23 Pierce Charles (GK)
    17 Paddy McNair
    13 Ruairi McConville
    5 Trai Hume
    20 Brodie Spencer
    2 Terry Devlin
    7 Ethan Galbraith
    19 Shea Charles
    14 Isaac Price
    15 Justin Devenny
    10 Jamie Donley
    Northern Ireland Substitutes:
    Jamie Reid, Tom Atcheson, Ciaron Brown, Callum Marshall, Josh Magennis, Brad Lyons, Conor Hazard, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Patrick Kelly, George Saville, Paul Smyth, Eoin Toal.

    WCQ - UEFA News

    Italian soccer prez Gravina, Buffon quit after World Cup failure
    Italian soccer prez Gravina, Buffon quit after World Cup failure

    Italy's soccer federation president resigned amid political pressure on Thursday, two days after the national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

    Why didn't Italy qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
    Why didn't Italy qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

    Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens react to Italy not qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

    Italy's soccer chief told to quit after latest World Cup failure
    Italy's soccer chief told to quit after latest World Cup failure

    Italy's sports minister has called on the country's soccer federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina to resign after the four-time world champions failed to qualify for a third successive World Cup on Tuesday.

    2026 World Cup: Which 48 teams qualified for the tournament?
    2026 World Cup: Which 48 teams qualified for the tournament?

    The race to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is complete. Here's how it all went down across the globe.

    Italy have themselves to blame for third straight World Cup miss
    Italy have themselves to blame for third straight World Cup miss

    We don't need think pieces or inquests into Italy's failure to qualify for a third straight World Cup; in the end, it came down to bad decisions and bad performances, like it always does.