The Italy national football team has reached its lowest world ranking since 2020, following a 4-1 defeat against Norway during World Cup qualifying on Sunday night.
Italy Falls to 12th in World Rankings
Despite starting strong with a 1-0 lead at halftime thanks to Francesco Pio Esposito, the Azzurri suffered a collapse in the second half, conceding four goals from Antonio Nusa, Erling Haaland (twice), and Jorgen Strand Larsen.
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This outcome confirmed Italy’s second-place finish in Group I of World Cup qualifying, where they ended with 18 points across eight matches. Norway, with a perfect win record, topped the group and has qualified directly for the final tournament this summer.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 16: Erling Haaland of Norway celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025, in Milan, San Siro. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
The 4-1 defeat at San Siro on Sunday was particularly disheartening for several reasons.
Firstly, it marked Italy’s worst home defeat in 70 years. Additionally, the Azzurri have only won three matches at San Siro over the past 20 years and have lost their last three games at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium.
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Moreover, this disappointing result means Italy is set to drop to 12th place in the world rankings, their lowest position since June 2020.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 16: Gennaro Gattuso watches on before the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match against Norway at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025, in Milan. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
FIFA will officially release the updated world rankings on Wednesday, November 19. However, according to Calcio e Finanza, which has analyzed the results from the latest international matches, Italy is expected to drop from ninth to 12th place.
The Azzurri were ranked 13th in summer 2020 but climbed to fourth after their triumph at EURO 2020, which took place in the summer of 2021. Since then, however, their position in the world rankings has steadily declined.