Norway vs Italy Preview & Prediction | 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (UEFA)
by Alex Lawes ·
Updated
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Norway are under a lot of pressure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a lot of talent in their squad as they take on four-time world champions Italy in Oslo in a qualifier this week.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – FOX Sports
How to watch online: UK – Amazon Prime / US – Disney+
Key Stats
- The only previous World Cup qualifying matches between these teams were in the qualifying tournament for the 2006 finals. (Italy 2-1 Norway and Norway 0-0 Italy).
- Norway have lost only one of their last ten World Cup qualifying matches (W6 D3).
- Norway are unbeaten in their last eight World Cup qualifying matches at home (W5 D3). Their last defeat was against Germany in September 2016 (L 0-3).
- Norway have kept four clean sheets in their last six World Cup qualifying matches at home.
- Norway are aiming to start a World Cup qualifying campaign with three successive wins for the first time since the 1998 edition.
- Norway have won their last four international matches.
- Norway have scored four or more goals in each of their last four international matches.
- Erling Haaland has scored 13 goals in Norway’s last ten international matches.
- Erling Haaland has scored in his last five World Cup qualifying appearances (seven goals in total).
- Italy have lost only one of their last nine international matches against Norway (W5 D3).
- Italy have lost only two of their last 23 World Cup qualifying matches away from home (W12 D9).
- Italy have won only one of their last six World Cup qualifying matches (D4 L1).
- Italy have not conceded a goal in their last four World Cup qualifying matches away from home.
Norway vs Italy Prediction
Norway come into this one on the back of an impressive start to their European qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They defeated Israel by four goals to two in Hungary in their most recent outing, a few days after they had hammered Moldova by five goals to nil in Chisinau, with an impressive array of attacking talent getting in on the act.
Italy head into this one on the back of a very entertaining clash with Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League during the March international break. The Azzurri were beaten 2-1 by the Germans in the first-leg before then coming from 3-0 down to earn a dramatic 3-3 draw but a 5-4 aggregate loss in the second-leg.
Norway have an abundance of attacking talent and they will be expected to take the game to the Italians, with the visitors also playing a fluid style of football under Luciano Spalletti so it is an intriguing and potentially entertaining encounter for the neutral.
Norway vs Italy Tip: Norway to win & both teams to score
