World Cup qualifier | Norway 3-0 Italy: Humiliation in Oslo

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 4:40 PM ET

Italy had a truly disastrous start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, swept aside 3-0 by Norway by half-time and mustering no response in Oslo.

This was the first game in Group I for the Azzurri, which also has Israel, Estonia and Moldova, but Norway had already won both their matches. Injuries ruled out the likes of Moise Kean, Alessandro Buongiorno, Matteo Gabbia, Riccardo Calafiori and Giorgio Scalvini, while Francesco Acerbi refused the call-up. Verona defender Diego Coppola therefore made his senior Italy debut and Davide Zappacosta his first appearance since September 2018.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a poor start, as Alessandro Bastoni’s cross-field pass was cut out by Antonio Nusa, who placed a smart through ball for Alexander Sorloth to spring the offside trap and squeeze the finish beneath the on-rushing Gianluigi Donnarumma from seven yards.

Giacomo Raspadori fired over from the tightest of angles, but Donnarumma had to make a one-handed save at the near post on Sorloth.

Norway doubled their lead with a fantastic goal from the lively Nusa, who cut inside past two from the left and smashed a ferocious finish into the roof of the net from the edge of the area.

It got worse on the stroke of half-time, Erling Haaland springing the offside trap on the Martin Odegaard through ball and sending Donnarumma to ground with a shimmy to deposit into the empty net. This was the first time in their history that Italy had conceded three goals in the first half of a World Cup qualifier.

Davide Frattesi came on for the restart and Odegaard generously threw himself in the way of a Destiny Udogie effort, but Sander Berge almost made it 4-0 on 66 minutes with a sweeping shot from outside the area that smacked against the far post.

Italy never managed a single genuine shot on target, as the Norwegian goalkeeper was left entirely undisturbed until an easy save on Lorenzo Lucca’s header in stoppages from a Riccardo Orsolini cross.

Norway 3-0 Italy

Sorloth 14 (N), Nusa 34 (N), Haaland 42 (N)

06-06-2025 19:45 MatchDay 3 Ullevaal Stadion

Norway

Italy 3 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Alexander Sörloth (Assist: Antonio Nusa)		14'
Antonio Nusa		34'
Morten Thorsby		38'
Erling Haaland (Assist: Martin Ødegaard)

42' 2nd half

Patrick Berg

55' Norway Italy

Starting lineups

Ørjan Nyland Goalkeeper 5 David Möller Wolfe Defender 75' 14

Julian Ryerson Defender 3

Kristoffer Ajer Defender 17 Torbjørn Heggem Defender 71' 10

Martin Ødegaard Midfielder 2

Morten Thorsby Midfielder 46' 8

Sander Berge Midfielder 7

Alexander Sörloth Attacker 83' 20 Antonio Nusa Attacker 75' 9

Erling Haaland Attacker 1

Gianluigi Donnarumma Goalkeeper 21

Alessandro Bastoni Defender 2

Davide Zappacosta Defender 71' 19

Destiny Udogie Defender 83' 14 Diego Coppola Defender 22

Giovanni Di Lorenzo Defender 18

Nicolò Barella Midfielder 14

Nicolò Rovella Midfielder 46' 8

Sandro Tonali Midfielder 10

Giacomo Raspadori Attacker 83' 9

Mateo Retegui Attacker

71'

Substitutes

19 Aron Dönnum Attacker 20 Andreas Schjelderup Midfielder 13 Egil Selvik Goalkeeper 12 Mathias Dyngeland Goalkeeper 15 Jostein Gundersen Defender 23 Lasse Berg Johnsen Midfielder 18 Thelo Aasgaard Midfielder 6

Patrick Berg Midfielder 46' 4

Leo Östigard Defender 71' 16

Marcus Pedersen Defender 75' 22

Oscar Bobb Attacker 75' 11

Jörgen Strand Larsen Attacker 83' 20 Andrea Cambiaso Defender 19

Luca Ranieri Defender 12

Alex Meret Goalkeeper 19

Daniele Rugani Defender 6 Federico Gatti Defender 23

Marco Carnesecchi Goalkeeper 23

Cesare Casadei Midfielder 16 Davide Frattesi Midfielder 46' 7

Riccardo Orsolini Attacker 71' 17

Lorenzo Lucca Attacker 71' 28