Italy were dealt a 3-0 blow by Norway at the beginning of their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign on Friday night, which has already brought a genuine risk of missing out on direct qualification

Italy's World Cup qualification campaign has barely begun and already the country is worried about the shocking possibility of failing to reach the final tournament for a third consecutive time after a humiliating defeat by Norway.

Norway currently leads Group I, putting it in position to qualify directly to the World Cup, though there's a lot of time still left to go. Italy has yet to play a Group I match.