In a match that breathed new life into their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Italy defeated Israel in a dramatic 5-4 victory at the Nagyerdei Stadion. The win extends Italy’s unbeaten streak against Israel to eight games and provides a crucial boost to their hopes of qualifying after missing the last two tournaments.
The game started with Israel on the front foot, as they appeared to take an early lead after Federico Dimarco scored an unfortunate own goal. However, the goal was controversially disallowed for a foul on Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite the setback, Israel maintained their pressure and took the lead around the 15-minute mark when Manuel Locatelli also turned the ball into his own net.
As the first half progressed, Italy found their rhythm. A powerful volley from Locatelli struck the crossbar, signaling a shift in momentum. Just before halftime, Moise Kean leveled the score, converting a lay-off from Mateo Retegui to send the teams into the break at 1-1.
The second half was a goal-fest. The frantic pace was set by two goals in two minutes. Dor Peretz hammered a shot into the top corner to give Israel the lead once more, but Kean quickly responded, scoring his second goal of the night just 60 seconds later. Before the hour mark, Matteo Politano completed Italy’s comeback with a clever finish, making it 3-2.
Israel refused to back down. After a period of pressure, they were back on level terms with a Dor Peretz header, making it 4-4. But the drama was not over. In a final, decisive moment, Sandro Tonali curled the ball into the bottom corner, securing all three points for Italy.
The victory is a significant achievement for Italy and their new manager, Gennaro Gattuso, who now boasts a perfect record of two wins from his first two games. The win puts them in a strong position for a playoff spot. Israel, on the other hand, will surely regret not holding on to their lead, having been ahead twice in the match.
