Italy has finally achieved victory in the World Cup playoffs. The four-time champions now need one more win to avoid missing out on qualification for the tournament for the third consecutive time.
The Azzurri secured a 2-0 win against Northern Ireland in the European semifinals on Thursday.
Sandro Tonali opened the scoring with a half-volley early in the second half while playing at home in Bergamo and later assisted in a goal for Moise Kean.
Joining Italy in the playoff finals set for Tuesday are Sweden, Turkey, Kosovo, and Denmark.
Italy will next face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina, requiring another win to secure a spot in the upcoming tournament in North America and to avoid a 16-year gap without participation in soccer’s premier event.
Italy’s recent World Cup challenges have seen them exit in the playoffs, having been eliminated by Sweden in 2018 and shocked by North Macedonia in the semifinals for 2022.
Since 2010, Italy has struggled in the World Cup, failing to advance from the group stage in both 2010 and 2014.
The last time the Azzurri played in a knockout match was during their triumphant campaign in 2006, where they defeated France in a penalty shootout to win the title.
Earlier on Thursday, Turkey beat Romania 1-0 and will compete against either Slovakia or Kosovo for a chance to return to the World Cup for the first time since their third-place finish in 2002.
Turkey took the lead shortly after halftime when Ferdi Kadioglu scored following a precise pass from Arda Güler, a promising 21-year-old winger with Real Madrid.
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Vincenzo Montella’s Turkish squad reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 European Championship.
Romania’s defeat means that 80-year-old Mircea Lucescu will not have the opportunity to coach in the World Cup for the first time since he captained the Romanian team in the 1970 tournament.
Nicolae Stanciu came close to scoring for Romania, hitting the post in the second half.
“We anticipated a difficult match. Lucescu knows our capabilities and prepared us well,” stated Turkey’s captain Hakan Çalhanoglu. “We could have made better runs in the first half, but after Ferdi scored from a well-placed ball behind the defense, we took control.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.