Video: Sandro Tonali leads Italy to victory in the 2026 UEFA World Cup Qualifiers vs Northern Ireland

That wraps up our live blog coverage of Italy  vs Northern Ireland in the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. See you next time!

Although the first half was fairly even, Italy managed to get the better of Northern Ireland thanks to a brilliant performance by Sandro Tonali. While the midfielder didn’t stand out in terms of playmaking, he was instrumental on the offensive end, scoring the first goal and setting up Moise Kean for the second. Furthermore, Michael O’Neil’s team failed to make an impact on offense.

Looking to rest his best striker, Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has decided to take off Moise Kean, giving Giancomo Raspadori a chance.

Although the opening minutes were quite difficult for Italy, they managed to gain the upper hand over Northern Ireland as the game progressed. On the wings, Barella and Tonali linked up as passing options, creating passing triangles to move the ball around. This has allowed Moise Kean to return to his best form, as Pio Esposito has proven to be an excellent strike partner.

After securing a two goal advantage, coach Gennaro Gattuso has decided to substitute Matteo Politano and Sandro Tonali,  giving a chance to Marco Palestra and Niccolo Pisilli.

Following a great cross from Sandro Tonali, Moise Kean received the ball on the right side, controlled it, and dribbled past Ruairi McConville to score a spectacular goal into the left side of the net, securing Italy's second goal.

After winning a corner kick, Federico Dimarco sent in a low cross that found Pio Esposito. However, Pierce Charles made another spectacular save, keeping Northern Ireland in the game.

In an effort to boost the offense, Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neil substitutes Terry Devlin for Paul Smith, who is purely an offensive player.

After winning the ball in the deep midfield, Pio Esposito finds Moise Kean making a run behind the defense. The forward beats the Northern Ireland defenders, but Pierce Charles makes a monumental save.

After failing to make a significant impact, Mateo Retegui is substituted, making way for Pio Esposito in an effort to boost the team's attacking presence. Along with him, Coach Gattuso decides to replace Alessandro Bastoni with Federico Gatti.

Far from toning down their attacking intent, Italy have significantly increased their presence against Northern Ireland. Not only are Politano and Dimarco shining, but Kean and Tonali are also making their presence felt, distributing the ball effectively and creating more scoring opportunities. Furthermore, their defense is holding firm against the attacks from coach Michael O’Neil’s team, shutting down every opportunity.

After a relentless attack in the opening minutes of the second half, Sandro Tonali scored a stunning goal from outside the box to beat Northern Ireland. Following a poor header by Isaac Price, the Italian found himself unmarked in the box and unleashed a stunning shot to score the opening goal.

Faced with Italy's overwhelming dominance, Northern Ireland are looking to score their first goal by capitalizing on one of its greatest strengths: long-range shots. Trai Hume tried to catch Donnarumma off guard, but his shot sailed too high. Nevertheless, they plan to stick with this strategy.

Italy vs. Northern Ireland UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers second half is underway

With Italy struggling offensively and Northern Ireland putting up a brilliant defensive performance, the match has remained tied. Tonali, Kean, and Retegui have failed to capitalize on the numerous chances they’ve created. 

Halftime!

Northern Ireland are holding their own against Italy's offense. As one of the best defensive teams, they are effectively shutting down their opponents' aerial game. Due to Coach Gattuso's strategy, the Azzurri are not attacking the spaces in their opponents' defense, allowing them to breathe and excel at what they do best: Defending.

Although Italy have managed to dominate, they seem to lack ideas and structure in their style of play. Despite having a talented midfield, Coach Gattuso hasn’t allowed the team to build play through the middle, leaving Kean and Tonali struggling on offense. Northern Ireland are defending resolutely, cutting off any chances they might have.

Although he has been one of the team's most prolific players, Mateo Retegui is struggling to find space. Both Tonali and Kean excel in the air, but he can't seem to shake off his opponents' marking. With Moise Kean in the striker spot, Retegui does not seem to find his place. 

Italy have remained the dominant force in the game, but they still have a major problem: Their footing game. In response, Northern Ireland consistently looks to press their opponents, especially in defense, as they know the Italians are prone to making mistakes with their passes and other plays. Aware of this, the Italians play the ball out wide, minimizing errors.

While Gennaro Gattuso relies on wing play and aerial attacks, Sandro Tonali plays an increasingly important role in the team’s overall play. The Italian not only contributes defensively but remains a key figure on offense. Pressing like an additional forward, he creates space for his teammates, looks for rebounds, and opens up the field for Kean and Retegui.

Although Coach Michael O’Neil’s defense remains fairly solid, Italy have dominated the early going. Capitalizing on the presence of Kean and Retegui, the Azzurri are looking to cause damage through their aerial play, taking complete control of the game. However, they have failed to convert the chances they’ve had, though they are dominating the opening minutes.

Northern Ireland take a very different approach from Italy. Rather than attacking down the wings, they aim to build their play through the midfield, looking for gaps in the opposing defense. However, coach Gennaro Gattuso manages to get his midfield and defense to drop back, leaving no space for shots on goal.

Although Italy have a fairly dominant midfield, they haven’t stood out in these early minutes of play. Coach Gennaro Gattuso has decided to have Matteo Politano and Federico Dimarco lead the attack, using speed and crosses into the box. For their part, Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Barella are looking to contribute offensively, but only in the final third, as they quickly drop back to cut off Northern Ireland’s advances.

Italy are already posing a threat on the counterattack and through aerial play. In the few minutes of play so far, they have earned three corner kicks, both resulting from crosses by Federico Dimarco. Sandro Tonili even missed a key opportunity when he failed to connect with a loose ball in the box.

As expected, Italy and Northern Ireland have set a fairly fast pace. While Gli Azzurri are looking to create space on the wings and play long balls, coach Michael O’Neil’s team is trying to break through by passing through the midfield of coach Gattuso’s side on the counterattack, with Isaac Price playing a key role in these opening minutes.

Italy vs Northern Ireland UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers clash is already underway at New Balance Arena!

You can watch the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers playoffs clash live on FUBO here.

While Italy stand as a historic national side, they are not enjoying their best present. Not only did they fail to secure direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but they could also become the first World Cup-winning nation to miss three consecutive tournaments.

After missing the 2018 and 2022 editions, Italy could record a third straight absence if they are defeated by Northern Ireland. As it is a knockout stage, they would have no chance to overturn the result and would be eliminated.

After a rather inconsistent performance in the 2026 UEFA World Cup Qualifiers, Italy face Northern Ireland today. Although most national teams securing their spot through the group stage, Italy and Northern Ireland failed to do so. For this reason, they face each other in a single-leg knockout stage, meaning there must be a definitive winner. With this in mind, any result will impact the playoffs, so we will analyze the three possible scenarios.

Throughout the history of Italy’s matches, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has pointed to San Siro as its official venue. Not only is it a traditional ground, but it has also enjoyed strong support over the years. However, coach Gennaro Gattuso has explicitly requested that the match vs. Northern Ireland national team be played at New Balance Arena.

“I chose the stadium. I want to thank the President and Buffon for letting me decide. I believe that when you go to a 60,000-seat stadium like San Siro, there are Inter and Milan fans, and they might start booing after a few wrong passes. Playing in a smaller stadium will likely give us a better atmosphere. They did so in my first game as Italy’s coach... We hope to create a real cauldron-like atmosphere and that we haven’t messed things up,” Gattuso said.

In light of this, Atalanta Bergamo’s New Balance Arena will be the official venue for today’s game. With only a limited capacity of 23,439 fans, they decided to bolster a tense environment for the rival, while losing nearly 40.000 fans compared to San Siro.

Although they aren't the favorites to win today, Northern Ireland have decided to field their strongest lineup, hoping for a historic victory over Italy—a feat they haven't achieved in 68 years. Given their offensive struggles, they've decided to start Jamie Donley as striker, hoping to give the team a boost.

Looking to seal the deal, Italy have decided to field their strongest lineup, as Sandro Tonali, Moise Kean, and Riccardo Calafiori have returned to the squad. With this, coach Gennaro Gattuso is making few changes to his usual starting eleven, aiming for a solid performance with Mateo Retegui in the striker spot.

Italy vs Northern Ireland game is set to start at 3:45pm ET / 12:45pm PT.

You can watch the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers playoffs clash live on FUBO here.

Welcome to our live blog of the match between Italy and Northern Ireland in the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers clash at New Balance Arena. Stay with us for all the key information about this clash, and once the game kicks off, for minute-by-minute updates.