World Cup 2026: Norway Have a Huge Head Start Over Italy

Norway vs Italy

Norway are a few steps closer to reaching their goal of qualifying for the World Cup 2026. Ståle Solbakken’s men have six points after notching dominant victories over Moldova (5-0) and Israel (4-2), giving them a head start to take the top spot in Group I. Sealing the top berth is crucial since doing so will guarantee your tickets to North America in next year’s quadrennial event. On the other hand, the second seed will advance to the second-round play-offs.

Italy are at the bottom (alongside Moldova) with zero points because they have yet to play a match in the European qualifiers. The Azzurri just lost to Germany in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals last March, so they come into the competition with bad intentions.

Like Norway, Italy are also eager to qualify for next year’s World Cup after a long hiatus, and these two nations will convene at Ullevaal Stadion this Friday night.

 

Talking Points                 

Norway have a two-headed monster

Norway flexed their newfound firepower during their recent thrashing of Moldova and Israel. With Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth up front and Martin Odegaard pulling the strings in the middle of the park, the Løvene could be entering a new golden era.

Haaland is back at 100 percent fitness after missing six weeks due to an ankle injury. He is Manchester City’s top scorer this season with 22 Premier League goals and three assists, and he’ll feature heavily for the Sky Blues in the upcoming Club World Cup. 

Sorloth has done well in his first full season with Atletico Madrid. The 29-year-old striker finished as Los Rojiblancos’ top scorer with 20 La Liga goals and two assists while sharing the goalscoring duties with former Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez. Head coach Ståle Solbakken also has Jorgen Strand Larsen off the bench.

​Odegaard has three Premier League goals and eight assists this season, and he’ll join Sander Berge and Patrick Berg in midfield, with Oscar Bobb and Antonio Nusa as off-the-bench options. Norway are also stacked at the back with Kristoffer Ajer and Julian Ryerson there.

 

Notable withdrawals for Italy

Head coach Luciano Spalletti faces a huge lineup dilemma because he has been hit by several withdrawals this international break, and the most affected area on the pitch is their backline.

Francesco Acerbi has turned down a recall due to his past beef with Spalletti, as the former Napoli boss made public comments about the former’s age. Alessandro Buongiorno (thigh), Matteo Gabbia (calf), Riccardo Calafiori (knee), and even midfielder Manuel Locatelli (ankle) are injured. That leaves plenty of uncertainty about who will start in a likely back three in front of team captain Gianluigi Donnarumma.

On the other hand, Spalletti must decide who starts up front, with Moise Kean, Giacomo Raspadori, Mateo Retegui, and Riccardo Orsolini as his options.

 

History

As mentioned, Norway and Italy aim to return to the World Cup after missing out for more than a decade. Norway’s last appearance in the quadrennial event was in 1998 when they reached the Round of 16. Italy’s most recent appearance was when they failed to advance past the group stage in 2014, though they’ve won the tournament four times.

Italy are keen to take the top spot in Group I because of what happened the last time they finished as the group’s second seed. During the World Cup 2022 qualifiers, the Azzurri finished second in Group C behind Switzerland. They were placed in play-off Path C and suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat to North Macedonia in the semi-finals. 

These two teams will square off for the first time since Italy won 2-1 during a Euro 2016 qualifiers match in October 2015.

 

Betting Tip

The World Cup 2026 odds predict a close fight between Norway and Italy. Despite being the road team, the Azzurri have the slight edge at 2.44, while the Løvene aren’t far behind at 2.62, and a draw is at 3.21 in the 1X2 market. Norway’s head start is not an accident since they’ve been playing well. Italy could make life difficult for the hosts, but they have shown signs of vulnerability lately.

Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP football fans and bettors can expect an entertaining match filled with new World Cup 2026 highlights, making alternatives Over 2.25 at 1.63, Over 2.50 at 1.85, Over 2.75 at 2.09, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.99 viable. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favor of Italy – the result of their last meeting – could yield a robust 9.20 payday.

   

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