Udine, Italy – October 14: Italy players pose for a team photo before the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Italy and Israel at Stadio Friuli on October 14, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Marco Ruzzani/Getty Images)
Dreams of direct qualification may have all but disappeared, but Italy have secured the next best thing by qualifying for the World Cup play-offs. Giancarlo Rinaldi weighs the successes and failures of coach Lino Gattuso’s recent games.
Raise your hand if you wanted to suffer a little more. Not content to subject Azzurri fans to the hardships of the group stage, it looks like another stage is in store for them to decide whether they will be able to book tickets for next summer’s party. Catching Norway always seemed like a long-term goal, but what did clashes with Estonia and Israel tell us about this Italian international and his prospects?
A tearing roar
Lino Gattuso can thank one of his predecessors, Roberto Mancini, for bringing in Matteo Letegui to increase his scoring threat. Despite saving one penalty, he bounced back by scoring a goal from open play against Estonia, and showed absolute beauty by converting a penalty against Israel. His record of scoring almost every other game in his La Nazionale appearances confirms that he may not have been needed by Argentina, but he has become a vital cog in the Azzurri machine.
attack options
It wasn’t just Retegui’s show over two games. Moise Kean also scored a fine strike before he was forced to go limp, before Francesco Pio Esposito scored the first strike (as many players would hope). With Jacques Raspadori providing another option and Francesco Camarda already starting to score regularly for the Under-21 team, it looks like the national team could have some regular sources of goals in the coming years.
distracted defense
Things may be going well on the other side of the park, but the same cannot be said for the rearguard. Although there were definitely fewer leaks than in the previous international break, there were still some worrying moments throughout both games. The biggest contributing factor to a particularly unpalatable cake was Gijo Donnarumma’s failure, which made the win against Estonia slightly more unpleasant than it should have been. Although there were signs of improvement, there was still much work to be done. A better team will definitely take advantage of the chances missed in the two games in October.
happy return
Although they ended up outside the framework of the previous regime, both Gianluca Mancini and Manuel Locatelli showed they still had something to offer their country. The Roma defender managed to keep his cool, showing that he is not as impatient as we are used to and can be a useful addition at the back with some well-timed interventions, and pinched goals up front as well. The Juve man may not be to everyone’s taste, but he has a passing width that not many in the heart of this Italian team can offer. I would also like to mention Riccardo Orsolini, who was often ignored until now and had an eye-catching performance against Estonia.
Reflective lino?
For those who thought it might just be a matter of guts and determination, Italy’s new manager has shown a more measured approach, which has resulted in four wins out of four. It was a rather unusual start to the national team manager’s career and he was pleased to have come up with a tactical solution to avoid the insane goal feast the last time his country faced Israel. It’s always been about the heart above all else, but he’s clearly keen to show a more thoughtful side, which may surprise some of his critics. If he wants to lead his team to where they all want to be, which is the World Cup, he will need to have both passion and precision.
@ginkers
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