Italy's Faint World Cup Hopes Kept Alive with Late Goals

Gianluca Mancini and Francesco Pio Esposito's late goals secured Italy a 2-0 victory over Moldova, sustaining their chances for automatic 2026 World Cup qualification. The win lifts Italy to 18 points, just behind group leaders Norway ahead of their decisive matchup. Italy dominated possession but faced resilient defense.

Italy's national football team kept their 2026 World Cup dreams alive with a thrilling 2-0 victory against Moldova on Thursday, thanks to late goals by Gianluca Mancini and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The win moved Italy up to 18 points, three behind group leaders Norway, setting up a critical showdown on Sunday. Despite dominating possession, Italy struggled to break through Moldova's defense until the final minutes.

Gennaro Gattuso's squad demonstrated resilience as Mancini scored in the 88th minute, followed by Esposito's stoppage-time goal, to maintain Italy's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup after missing the last two editions.

(With inputs from agencies.)