Italy’s national football team is set to play Israel tonight at 8:45 PM in a 2026 World Cup qualifier. The match will be held on neutral ground in Debrecen, Hungary, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Head coach Gennaro Gattuso has confirmed an attacking duo of Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean. The defensive lineup sees a change from the Estonia match, with AS Roma’s Gianluca Mancini replacing Riccardo Calafiori. In midfield, Juventus’s Manuel Locatelli takes the place of Mattia Zaccagni.
The Azzurri approach the match rejuvenated by a resounding 5-0 victory over Estonia in Bergamo, which marked a successful debut on the bench for Gattuso. In Group I, Italy currently sits in third place with six points, three points behind Israel but with a game in hand. A win is crucial against an Israeli side, managed by Ran Ben Shimon, that has won three of its four matches, losing only to group leaders Norway.
On the eve of the match, Gattuso called for concentration and humility from his squad. “It’s a pity we’ve drawn Israel,” admitted ‘Ringhio’, “because they are a good team that can cause us problems.” The coach also addressed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stating, “We all know: it hurts to see what is happening, people and children losing their lives. I don’t want to say more than that. We are here to play the match and respect our work. There is a lot of respect and a lot of pain.”
Returning to football matters, Gattuso warned his team not to underestimate Israel, noting their dangerous counter-attacking ability with “stocky players.” He expects a completely different challenge compared to the Estonia game, describing Israel as a “quality” side. “In the last seven games, they have six wins and one loss,” he highlighted, “and they didn’t deserve to lose against Norway.”
Midfielder Sandro Tonali praised the new coach’s impact: “Gattuso has immediately transmitted his desire and his grit to us… We have spoken a lot. My first thought is to win without looking at Norway or the playoffs. We must make sure there are eleven Gattusos on the pitch.”
In a somber note, the Israeli team will wear black armbands following a terrorist attack in Jerusalem that killed six people, a gesture confirmed by UEFA.