Italy gave outgoing coach Luciano Spalletti a parting gift by beating Moldova 2-0 on Monday, earning their first points in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. However, Italy remains in a difficult position as it aims to return to the tournament for the first time since 2014.
Spalletti was informed before the match in Reggio Emilia that he would be stepping down following a heavy 3-0 loss to Norway last week. Despite the rocky start to qualifying, goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso allowed Italy to finish on a high note in his final game. Yet, Italy still trails Group I leader Norway by nine points, although they have played two fewer matches. Norway maintained a perfect record with a 1-0 win over Estonia, thanks to Erling Haaland’s goal in the 62nd minute.
Spalletti, who led Italy for less than two years, admitted disappointment in the team’s overall performance. “We certainly are not leaving my successor a sense of enthusiasm, despite the positive response from the fans,” he said. “The coach has to make the difference, the players have to make the difference, and unfortunately I did not make the difference.”
Only the winner of each qualifying group will earn automatic entry to the expanded 48-team World Cup next year in North America. Runners-up enter playoffs, where Italy was eliminated in 2018 and 2022, missing out on the tournament in humiliating fashion.
Andrea Cambiaso reflected on the Moldova match, saying, “We are the first to know it wasn’t a great game, we wanted to give the coach a better send-off. We are professionals, unfortunately these things happen in sport. Spalletti is a great coach with passion for the sport, and every time a coach is fired, it hurts the players. We feel really sad.”
Meanwhile, Belgium secured a dramatic 4-3 victory over Wales at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, thanks to a late goal by Kevin De Bruyne in the 88th minute. Belgium appeared headed for a second straight draw after a 3-0 lead evaporated, with Wales staging a remarkable comeback to tie the game by the 69th minute.
Belgium’s early goals came from Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans, and Jeremy Doku. De Bruyne’s winning volley added to his legacy as he prepares to leave Manchester City after a decade, with Napoli rumored as a potential next club.
North Macedonia leads Group J with eight points following a 1-0 win over Kazakhstan. Wales sits second, just one point behind, and Belgium is four points back but has two games in hand.
Wales coach Craig Bellamy praised his team’s resilience despite the loss: “I don’t like the defeat and I don’t feel, ‘Oh, unlucky Wales.’ We need to win these games. But after being 3-0 down, where it could’ve gone the other way, for them to believe in themselves, that will give us so much going forward.”
Elsewhere, Croatia beat the Czech Republic 5-1, with veteran Luka Modric scoring. Croatia now trails the Czech Republic by three points in Group L but has played two fewer matches. Gibraltar nearly earned its first-ever qualifying point but conceded late and lost 2-1 to the Faroe Islands.
