Norway Stuns Italy at Home to Qualify for World Cup

Norway has officially qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 28 years, ending a wait that began after their 1998 appearance. The team secured their spot by finishing as the leaders of Group I, winning all eight of their qualification matches. In a decisive match, they defeated Italy 4-1 in their own country, which required a record win for direct qualification. This result means Italy will now have to go through the playoffs.

Erling Haaland, continuing his remarkable form, played a key role in Norway’s significant victory. He scored two goals, bringing his total to 16 goals in just 8 World Cup qualifying matches. So far this season, Haaland has scored 32 goals in 19 games. For his country, he has now scored 55 goals in 48 appearances.

Italy took an early lead in the 11th minute with a goal from Francesco Esposito, but their advantage crumbled in the second half. Antonio Nusa scored Norway’s equalizer in the 63rd minute from an assist by Sørloth. In the 78th minute, Haaland scored his first goal, assisted by Oscar Bobb, to give Norway the lead. He quickly added another goal just a minute later, this time assisted by Thorsby, to solidify Norway’s win.

In injury time, Jørgen Strand Larsen, who came on as a substitute for Haaland, scored in the 93rd minute from another Thorsby assist to complete the victory. For Italy, the four-time world champions who failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, the only remaining path to the tournament is through the playoffs.