The Matchday 3 World Cup 2026 qualifier between Norway and Italy will be held on June 6 at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo. Norway vs. Italy: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Norway
Ståle Solbakken's side confidently navigated their first two matches in this qualifying cycle. They first crushed Moldova 5-0 away and then defeated Israel 4-2 on the road. With such a start, Norway has taken the lead in Group I, and in terms of scoring, the team has no equal among all participants in this qualification. It's worth noting that Norway has only one defeat in their last 10 World Cup qualifiers (6 wins, 3 draws).
- Norway has conceded no more than one goal in 8 of their last 10 World Cup qualifying matches.
- The team has not lost in 8 of their last 9 home games in this tournament, securing 5 victories.
- In 7 of their last 9 home World Cup qualifiers, Norway has scored at least one goal.
Predicted lineup for Norway (4-3-3)
Ørjan Nyland – Thorbjørn Heggem, David Møller Wolfe, Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer – Morten Thorsby, Martin Ødegaard, Sander Berge – Erling Haaland, Alexander Sørloth, Antonio Nusa.
Striker Oscar Bobb, who has recovered from a serious injury, has been called up to the squad. Meanwhile, defender Andreas Hanche-Olsen is absent due to an injury.
Italy
Italy missed the opening rounds due to their participation in the Nations League. Luciano Spalletti's side failed to reach the semifinals of the Nations League, losing to Germany on aggregate (1-2, 3-3). In the previous World Cup qualifying cycle, the team went through the group stage unbeaten (4 wins, 4 draws) but ended up second in their group. The subsequent playoff match against North Macedonia resulted in a sensational 0-1 defeat for Italy. This loss is their only defeat in their last 9 World Cup qualifying matches.
- Italy has not scored more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 World Cup qualifiers.
- The team has kept a clean sheet in 5 of their last 6 away matches in this tournament.
- Italy has not lost in 21 of their last 23 away World Cup qualifying matches (12 wins, 9 draws).
Predicted lineup for Italy (4-3-3)
Gianluigi Donnarumma – Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Diego Coppola, Andrea Cambiaso – Nicolò Barella, Nicolò Rovella, Sandro Tonali – Riccardo Orsolini, Giacomo Raspadori, Mateo Retegui.
Defenders Alessandro Buongiorno, Matteo Gabbia, midfielder Manuel Locatelli, forward Moise Kean, and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario have sustained injuries while with the squad, and have been replaced by Luca Ranieri, Daniele Rugani, and Marco Carnesecchi. Defender Francesco Acerbi declined the call-up.
Referee
José María Sánchez Martínez (Spain)
Matches – 11 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 40;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.6;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 20;
Penalties – 18%.
Norway vs. Italy: Match Prediction
Norway faced no problems in the previous rounds, showcasing excellent scoring ability by netting 5 goals against Moldova, who hadn't conceded that many at home in World Cup qualification since 2012. Just one goal less was scored against a strong Israel side. Norway is likely to continue their scoring exploits at home, where they've already performed well, scoring in 7 of their last 9 World Cup qualifiers.
Catenaccio is becoming a distant memory for the Italians. Luciano Spalletti's side did not perform well in the last Nations League, mainly due to defensive issues: they kept a clean sheet only once in 8 matches during this Nations League campaign. However, Italy scored in all these matches. I expect them to start the World Cup qualifiers in a similar fashion. After all, it's impossible to completely revamp the team's play in such a short time.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
