Italy vs Northern Ireland

Italy took a commanding step towards the 2026 World Cup with a professional 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland in their Path A playoff semi-final in Bergamo. The Azzurri were made to wait, but second-half quality proved the difference on a tense Thursday night. Sandro Tonali broke the deadlock on 64 minutes with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box, finally rewarding Italy's patient build-up play. Moise Kean then put the tie to bed in the 80th minute, driving past Ruairi McConville before slotting home to double the lead. Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland battled gamely but rarely threatened going forward and were ultimately outclassed in the final third. Gennaro Gattuso's side now advance to Tuesday's Path A final, where they will face the winners of Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina with a World Cup spot on the line.