Tonali, Kean goals send Italy to WC playoff final
Why it matters: Italy's World Cup hopes hang by a thread, while other nations chase historic qualifications.
- Italy ended a playoff winless streak, beating Northern Ireland 2-0 with goals from Tonali and Kean, and now faces either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina to qualify for the World Cup.
- Sweden advanced past Ukraine 3-1, with Viktor Gyökeres scoring a hat trick, and will next play Poland.
- Poland's Robert Lewandowski, at 37, scored a crucial header in a 2-1 win over Albania, keeping his bid for a third World Cup alive.
- Kosovo upset Slovakia 4-3, recovering twice from a deficit, and is now one game away from its first-ever World Cup, facing Türkiye in the final.
- Türkiye defeated Romania 1-0, with a goal set up by Real Madrid's Arda Güler, and will play Kosovo for a spot at its first World Cup since 2002.
- Denmark secured a dominant 4-0 victory over North Macedonia, with Gustav Isaksen scoring twice.
Italy, a four-time champion, secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland, propelled by goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean, to advance to the World Cup playoff final. This win offers the Azzurri a chance to avoid missing their third consecutive World Cup, a stark contrast to their past struggles since 2006. Meanwhile, Sweden, Turkey, Kosovo, and Denmark also progressed, setting up high-stakes final matches with narratives ranging from veteran stars like Robert Lewandowski chasing a third World Cup to Kosovo vying for its first-ever appearance.
