The Italian national team knows that qualifying for the 2026 World Cup may come through the European playoffs, unless a miracle happens, but they must secure their second place in Group 9 by winning against Israel on Tuesday amid intense tension due to the geopolitical context.

Italy, led by former midfielder and current coach Gennaro Gattuso, has returned to winning ways, securing three consecutive victories, the latest being a 3-1 win over Estonia on Saturday, scoring 13 goals in this streak.

These results allowed them to rise to second place with 12 points from 5 matches, three points ahead of Israel, while Norway leads with six consecutive wins.

The Azzurri live with the fear of missing out on the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, having missed the last two editions in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 after failing to overcome the playoff hurdle both times.

Gattuso’s men trail Norway by six points, who have a perfect record (18 points), and despite having played one more match, the goal difference favors Norway (+26 compared to +7 for Italy).

The four-time world champions no longer control their fate as it is difficult to guarantee topping the group and direct qualification for the World Cup, even if they win their last three matches, including the awaited “final” against Norway on November 16 at San Siro stadium.

Even coach Gattuso, who replaced Luciano Spalletti in June after being dismissed following a 0-3 defeat in Oslo in the third round, no longer holds high hopes and now openly aims for second place.

The former AC Milan midfielder said: “We are playing for a lot this Tuesday, because if we win, we can put Israel out of the equation and prepare well for the playoffs.”

Demonstration Under Tight Security

In the match against Israel, which suffered a 4-5 defeat to Italy in an exciting game in September in Debrecen, Hungary, during the sixth round of qualifiers, “Reno” may miss his star striker Moise Kean, who was injured in his ankle against Estonia and scored six goals in his last four matches with the national team.

The Italian team’s offensive line has regained its threat in front of opponents’ goals under a complete revival plan by Gattuso, notably with Matteo Retegui who has scored four goals since the coach took over, Giacomo Raspadori (two goals in three matches), and the promising Francesco Pio Esposito.

Four days after Norway crushed Israel 5-0 in Oslo amid pro-Palestinian protests, Italian authorities are preparing for a “high-risk day,” as Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi acknowledged.

Piantedosi said: “All matches carry risks, but risks do not mean panic, rather utmost caution.”

About a thousand police officers will be deployed, including in the streets of Udine, chosen for its distance from major Italian urban centers where hundreds of thousands protested in early October chanting: “Stop the genocide,” and its mayor hoped until last week to move the match venue.

Before the match kickoff, despite the successful completion of the first phase of the Gaza peace plan with the release of Israeli hostages on Monday, around 10,000 demonstrators are expected to participate in a tightly guarded march starting at 5:30 pm (15:30 GMT).