Norway conquers San Siro and will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Norway will play in its first World Cup since 1998 after beating Italy 1-4
Norway have secured a direct qualification to the
2026 World Cup finals after a
4-1 away win over Italy, sending them into the play-offs. With a dominant performance and a
4-1 win over Italy, Norway secured a direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup finals, returning to the major tournament for the first time since 1998.
In contrast, the “Squadra Azzurra” will claim their presence on North American stadiums through the play-offs process.
In Milan, Italy came out strong and opened the scoring in just the 11th minute through Esposito, giving the hosts hope. However, the rest belonged entirely to Norway. Ståle Solbakken's team dominated the second half, achieving an impressive turnaround.
Nosa equalized in the 63rd minute, but the star of the night was Erling Haaland. The Manchester City superstar gave his team the lead with a stunning volley in the 78th minute and just two minutes later (80th minute) he scored again, "locking" the victory and qualification. The final 1-4 was formed by Strand Larsen in injury time, completing the Scandinavian triumph.

Manos Staramopoulos
Journalist and Analyst of International Football and Affairs
Chief Editor English Zone of Discoveryfootball.com
Athens (Greece)











