In a thrilling encounter held on neutral turf in Debrecen, Hungary, Italy narrowly avoided a major setback in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, securing a 5-4 victory against Israel. The match, a rollercoaster of lead changes and stunning goals, saw Italy twice come from behind to eventually edge out their opponents in a game that went down to the wire.

The Azzurri, under the guidance of Gennaro Gattuso, entered the match with the aim of building on their recent 5-0 win against Estonia. However, they faced a determined Israeli side that proved to be a tough nut to crack. Israel twice took the lead, first through Dor Peretz, putting Italy under pressure early on. Moise Kean responded for Italy, leveling the score. Israel then regained the lead, only for Kean to strike again, showcasing his importance to the Italian attack.

The second half saw Italy take the lead for the first time, with Matteo Politano finding the net after a clever back-heel flick assist from Mateo Retegui. Giacomo Raspadori further extended Italy's advantage, making it 4-2. At this point, the game seemed to be heading towards a comfortable Italian victory. However, Israel had other plans.

In a stunning turn of events, Israel scored twice in quick succession to level the score at 4-4. An own goal from Alessandro Bastoni and a second goal from Dor Peretz brought the game back to parity, leaving the Italian side reeling. With the match seemingly headed for a draw, Sandro Tonali stepped up to become the hero for Italy. In the first minute of stoppage time, Tonali unleashed a curling shot that found its way through a sea of legs and into the bottom corner of the net. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the Italian players and fans, as they secured a crucial victory in their World Cup qualifying journey.

Despite the win, the match exposed some vulnerabilities in the Italian team. Italian errors were a major talking point, with two own goals and some questionable moments from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Gattuso acknowledged the need for improvement, stating that his team made too many mistakes and lacked the right approach from the start. He emphasized the importance of analyzing the match and addressing the issues to ensure a more solid performance in future games.

With this victory, Italy moved ahead of Israel into second place in Group I. Norway currently leads the group with four wins from four games. The match was played in a unique atmosphere, with some reports indicating that there were whistles during the Israeli anthem, and the Israeli players wore black armbands to honor the victims of a recent attack in Jerusalem. Gattuso described the game as the "craziest game" he has been involved with.