Milan have moved quickly to secure one of the Balkans’ most promising young forwards, with Partizan teenager Andrej Kostic set to undergo his medical on Friday ahead of completing a permanent move to the club.

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The 2007-born Montenegrin will join at the end of the current season for a fee of around €3 million, according to TMW, and will initially be integrated into Milan Futuro, the club’s reserve team setup, as part of a carefully planned development pathway.

Milan have been tracking Kostic for several months and decided to act now to beat rival clubs to his signature.

Kostic next in Milan hunt for younger talent

The move reflects the club’s broader strategy of identifying and securing young talent from emerging markets before competition drives up prices, with the forward considered one of the most exciting prospects currently playing in the region.

The intention is to nurture Kostic gradually through Milan’s system, with the long-term aim of eventually integrating him into the first-team setup.

At just 19, he has plenty of time on his side, and the club are in no rush to accelerate his development beyond what is appropriate for his age.

It is a measured but forward-thinking piece of business from sporting director Igli Tare, low risk, high potential, and exactly the kind of deal that can pay significant dividends further down the line.

Former Italy midfielder Riccardo Montolivo has expressed concern about the mental state of Gennaro Gattuso’s squad ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup playoff final against Bosnia, calling on the players to approach the match with freedom rather than anxiety.

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Speaking to Sky Sport, via TuttoMercatoWeb, Montolivo pointed to Italy’s nervy start against Northern Ireland as a warning sign.

“I am a little concerned about the morale of our players,” he said.

“The team must not start as tense as they did against Northern Ireland, they need to be loose. That is the key issue, and we are also playing away from home. The manager will have to work on the players’ mindset.”

Montolivo: ‘I’d like to see Pio Esposito start for Italy’

On potential selection changes, Montolivo backed Pio Esposito for a starting role.

“I would like to see him from the first minute,” he said, though he acknowledged the value of an impact substitute, noting that those who come off the bench are often more decisive than those who start.

In midfield, Montolivo saw no reason to change personnel, defending Manuel Locatelli despite some early difficulties in the Northern Ireland match.

“He is having an excellent season and deserves his place in the national team,” he said.

“The other night he had some early difficulties but it was purely a tactical issue to adjust, nothing more.” He suggested any tweaks should be positional rather than involving personnel changes.

Tuesday’s World Cup playoff final against Bosnia in Zenica carries enormous consequences beyond the pitch, with prominent journalist Giancarlo Padovan warning that a third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup could trigger a complete overhaul of the FIGC’s senior leadership.

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Speaking on Radio Radio, via CalcioMercato, Padovan was unequivocal.

“I think that if Italy fail to qualify for the World Cup, the federation would be placed under external administration for a year with the current leadership wiped out,” he said.

FIGC boss Gravina in trouble if Italy miss out on World Cup

FIGC president Gabriele Gravina is the most prominent figure under threat.

Despite overseeing back-to-back World Cup absences, he was re-elected recently, running unopposed, and has so far survived significant pressure to step down.

A third consecutive failure to reach the tournament would make his position almost certainly untenable, according to Padovan, with other senior officials around him also at risk.

Italy face Bosnia knowing that only a victory will secure their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side won their semi-final against Northern Ireland and now stand one match away from ending a painful absence from the global stage.

Defeat, however, would set in motion what Padovan describes as a fundamental reset of Italian football’s governing structures.

Mario Giuffredi, one of Italian football’s most prominent agents, has spoken at length about several of his clients ahead of Italy’s World Cup playoff final against Bosnia, touching on Pio Esposito’s potential starting role, Matteo Politano’s remarkable evolution and Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s injury timeline.

On the question of whether Pio Esposito should start in Bosnia, Giuffredi was careful not to overstep, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“Gattuso will know how to make the right choices for the good of the national team, he does not need advice from anyone,” he said. “Pio Esposito is a boy with great personality. If he is called upon from the first minute, he will approach this match the same way he approaches every game, with simplicity. That is one of his qualities.”

After Pio Esposito comments, Giuffredi talks Napoli contingent

Politano, who impressed alongside Tonali in the win over Northern Ireland, drew particularly enthusiastic praise from his agent.

“When he was at Inter he was not mentally ready for the sacrifice his current role demands,” Giuffredi said. “Now he is more predisposed, mature, and he has accepted playing as a complete wide midfielder. He and Tonali were the best players on the pitch against Northern Ireland. The longer time goes on, the stronger he becomes, which is unusual, because most players’ performances start to decline.”

Di Lorenzo will not travel to Bosnia, having already made a significant personal sacrifice to attend the Northern Ireland match in Bergamo while managing a serious injury.

“He left after his afternoon therapy sessions and returned to Naples at 6am the next day,” Giuffredi revealed. The agent expressed hope that his client could return to action in the final week of April.

On Antonio Vergara, another Napoli client who has broken into Conte’s plans this season, Giuffredi expressed frustration that injury had struck at precisely the wrong moment. “He could have received a national team call-up. The timing of the injury is particularly unfortunate.” A contract renewal is expected to be discussed at the end of the season.

Giuffredi also reserved special praise for Torino loanee Luca Marianucci, a former Napoli academy product. “I believe he will be part of Italy’s future,” he said firmly. “I have said the same about Hysaj, Mario Rui, Di Lorenzo and Politano over the years, and I have rarely been wrong about players from Napoli.”

Ardon Jashari has opened up on his settling-in period at Milan since arriving from Club Brugge in January, paying warm tribute to Massimiliano Allegri’s influence while outlining his personal ambitions at San Siro.

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The Swiss midfielder, who has been gradually integrating into Allegri’s squad since his winter move, was effusive in his praise for the Milan head coach in an interview with Il Foglio.

“He is a master for me, I try to learn as much as possible from him,” Jashari said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“He has great experience and speaks to me often. He tells me to get forward more, to play with intensity and to shoot when the opportunity arrives. He pushes me to improve even in training.”

Jashari: ‘I’m at Milan to win – for myself, the team and the fans’

The midfielder also acknowledged that his positional role has evolved significantly in recent years, suggesting Allegri’s guidance has been particularly valuable in helping him adapt.

His ambitions at the club are refreshingly straightforward.

“I am here to win, for myself, for the team, for the supporters,” he said. “I want to give my maximum every day, with enthusiasm and professionalism. I hope to wear this shirt for many more years.”

On the immediate priorities, Jashari was equally clear. Milan currently sit second in Serie A, six points behind Inter with eight games remaining, and the Swiss international knows what the minimum requirement looks like.

“We must think game by game, our objective is to return to the Champions League among the most important clubs in Europe,” he said. “We know we have to work hard, but that does not scare us.”

Manuel Akanji has delivered a confident and unambiguous message to Inter’s title rivals as the season enters its final stretch, insisting the Nerazzurri are focused solely on themselves and fear nobody in the race for both the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia.

The Swiss defender spoke to Sportmediaset, via CalcioMercato, following Switzerland’s thrilling 4-3 friendly defeat to Germany, a result that raised eyebrows despite the loss, but his mind is clearly already fixed on the decisive weeks ahead with Inter.

Cristian Chivu’s side sit six points clear at the top of Serie A with their nearest rivals closing in, and face a Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Como at San Siro that could book their place in the final at the Stadio Olimpico.

Akanji: ‘Inter are not afraid of anyone’

Akanji was refreshingly direct when asked about the pressure of leading the title race.

“We are focused only on ourselves,” he said. “We don’t look at our opponents and above all we are not afraid of anyone, we just have to win our matches and if we do, we will be champions.”

He laughed as he delivered the line, but the conviction behind it was unmistakable.

On the Coppa Italia, Akanji was equally bullish.

“We want to win both competitions that remain, the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia,” he said. “In Serie A we are first with a six-point lead and we want to stay there until the end. The same goes for the cup. We have a home game against Como and we hope to win there too and lift the trophy.”

For a squad that has been dominant for much of the campaign, the confidence feels entirely earned. Whether it translates into silverware over the coming weeks remains to be seen, but Inter are clearly in no mood to let either prize slip from their grasp.

Milan are set to allow Niclas Fullkrug to return to West Ham at the end of the season, with the club already scouting for a replacement striker despite the German’s buyout clause sitting at just €5 million.

The striker joined on loan in January as an emergency measure with Milan’s attack badly depleted, but has failed to make the impact the club hoped for.

A foot injury has hampered his progress throughout, and a single goal in 14 appearances, covering just 429 minutes of football, has done little to change minds at senior level.

Milan unlikely to trigger Fullkrug option after disappointing loan

According to transfer journalist Matteo Moretto, via CalcioMercato, Milan viewed the deal as a straightforward loan from the outset, with the purchase option only ever intended to be triggered in the event of an exceptional contribution.

That contribution has not materialised, and despite the remarkably low buyout fee, unusually modest given Fullkrug’s contract with West Ham runs until June 2028, the club are not prepared to exercise it.

The Rossoneri have already instructed their scouting network to identify a striker with similar physical characteristics for the summer window.

As for Fullkrug himself, a return to London looks the most likely immediate outcome, though a move back to Germany, particularly if former club Schalke earn promotion to the Bundesliga, has not been ruled out as a longer-term possibility.

His brief spell in Serie A will be remembered as one that never truly got off the ground.

Juventus and Dusan Vlahovic are edging closer to a contract renewal, but a formal meeting between all parties has yet to take place, and one is needed before any deal can be signed.

According to CalcioMercato, Vlahovic’s father Milos visited his son in Turin this week, but the timing did not align for a summit with the club, with CEO Damien Comolli abroad on scouting trips and international engagements.

Contract discussions therefore remained within the family circle, with a fresh meeting between all parties now expected before Easter.

The broad parameters of a deal are already understood by both sides.

Juventus will not go beyond the salary structure agreed with Kenan Yildiz in his recent renewal, meaning Vlahovic would need to accept a reduction to €6-7 million net per season, roughly half his current earnings.

In return, his entourage are pushing for a substantial signing-on bonus to offset the pay cut.

Juventus willing to give Vlahovic three-year extension

On contract length, there is agreement, a maximum of three years, potentially with an option in the club’s favour, replacing the five-year deal originally signed.

Vlahovic himself is understood to be genuinely open to staying.

A candid conversation with Luciano Spalletti, who has assured the Serbian striker of his central role in the attack going forward, has been pivotal in shifting his thinking.

Meanwhile, reported approaches from Barcelona and Premier League clubs have never materialised into concrete offers, with only Milan maintaining a communication channel without ever submitting a real proposal.

That lack of genuine alternatives strengthens Juventus’ hand in negotiations and could prove decisive.

Securing Vlahovic’s renewal would also free up what is expected to be a limited summer transfer budget for reinforcements in other positions, a practical consideration that makes the deal as important strategically as it is sporting.

A potential crisis is brewing at Napoli after Romelu Lukaku failed to return to the club following the international break with Belgium, opening what La Gazzetta dello Sport describes as a growing rift between the Belgian striker and the club.

For those with long memories, the situation carries uncomfortable echoes of previous episodes in Lukaku’s turbulent career, and Gazzetta has drawn the comparison explicitly, via CalcioNapoli, highlighting a pattern of behaviour that has surfaced at multiple clubs over the years.

The most striking parallel is with his departure from Manchester United in 2019.

Lukaku had been so determined to join Antonio Conte’s Inter that he engineered a dramatic exit from Old Trafford, making no secret of his desire to work with the Salento-born coach whom he has long regarded as a father figure.

That partnership delivered the Serie A title in 2020-21, albeit in the eerie silence of stadiums emptied by the Covid pandemic.

Lukaku & Conte relationship tense at Napoli

Now, with Conte once again his manager, this time at Napoli, the relationship that has defined Lukaku’s career appears to be under strain for the first time.

The Belgian’s decision to remain isolated in his homeland rather than report back to the club is being interpreted as a significant signal, particularly given that transfer windows are approaching and Lukaku has historically timed his periods of withdrawal to coincide with contract uncertainty.

Gazzetta’s verdict is blunt, Lukaku is a player capable of forming intense bonds with clubs and managers before abruptly reversing course when new opportunities arise.

Whether Conte can smooth things over with one of his most trusted attacking weapons remains to be seen, but the situation is one Napoli will need to resolve quickly with the season entering its decisive phase.

According to Marca, Inter star Alessandro Bastoni is open to joining Barcelona in the summer, yet club-to-club negotiations have not begun.

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Bastoni’s green light to Barcelona move

Inter defender Bastoni is reportedly open to discussing a summer move to Barcelona, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.

Bastoni is said to have already informed Barcelona that he’d consider a move to Camp Nou in 2026-27.

According to the report, even Inter are open to offers for their star defender, but Barcelona have not yet made a formal approach to the Serie A table leaders.

Bastoni has been linked with a summer move to Barcelona for several weeks. This past February, the Italian received praise from the Catalans’ defender, Pau Cubarsì, who described Bastoni as a “spectacular centre-back.”

Marca adds that Barcelona will be looking for a left-footed central defender who is dominant in the air for next season and that Bastoni is their primary target for 2026-27.

Inter, however, are unwilling to negotiate a sale for less than €70m.

Bastoni, 26, has proved his ability on both ends, scoring two goals and providing six assists in 35 appearances with Inter this season.

• More Inter transfers – Tottenham’s Vicario joins Inter and Juventus stars for Italy dinner amid transfer speculation

Italy players enjoyed an evening off on Friday, and Inter target Guglielmo Vicario, who has joined the national team despite a recent surgery, was spotted at dinner with four Nerazzurri stars.

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Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso gave his players a Friday evening off after a day of training at Coverciano, the day after a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semi-final.

As reported by Gazzetta, a group of Azzurri players, including Inter’s Federico Dimarco, Nicolò Barella, Alessandro Bastoni, and Francesco Pio Esposito, went out for dinner at a restaurant not too far from the Azzurri training centre.

Juventus’ Manuel Locatelli and Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario were also at the table and posed for photos with the restaurant owner, who later shared them on social media.

Several sources have been reporting for weeks that Vicario is Inter’s top goalkeeping target for next season, so his private dinner with some of the most influential Nerazzurri players has fuelled transfer speculation in Italy.

Tuttosport reported earlier this month that even Juventus had begun preliminary talks with the goalkeeper’s entourage.

Vicario recently underwent hernia surgery, so he’s not available for the World Cup play-off, but he still joined his teammates in Coverciano last week.

Italy players enjoy an evening out in Florence

Miralem Pjanic, a former Juventus and Roma star, says he doesn’t understand why Italy celebrated Bosnia and Herzegovina’s win over Wales: ‘They’ll need personality in Zenica.’

Ex-Serie A star Pjanic commented on Italy’s celebration of Bosnia’s victory against Wales in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

Pjanic: ‘I don’t understand’ Italy’s celebration

“I don’t understand why,” said the ex-midfielder.

“Bosnia is waiting for them with open arms,” he added, smiling.

“We’ll see how it ends, anyway. Italy is Italy, and we have the utmost respect, but who knows?

“They’ll have to be good at playing a game in a terrible environment. They’ll need personality to leave Zenica with a victory.”

Pjanic also spoke to Sky Sport Italia, warning the Azzurri that the atmosphere in his country will be far from friendly on Tuesday.

Italy secured a home 2-0 win over Northern Ireland on Thursday to qualify for the World Cup play-off Final, while Bosnia and Herzegovina needed penalties to beat Wales away.

Some Italian players, including Federico Dimarco, were caught on camera celebrating Bosnia’s victory, and the video has quickly gone viral on social media.

Dimarco explained his reaction at a press conference on Saturday, insisting that he was not arrogant and that it was “disrespectful” to show the Azzurri’s celebration on live TV.

Pjanic scored 42 goals in 281 Serie A appearances with Roma and Juventus.

He won four Serie A titles with the Bianconeri and retired last year.

The World Cup play-off Final between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina will be played in Zenica on Tuesday, March 31 at 20:45 CET.

Italy have an allocation of 500 tickets for the World Cup play-off Final against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica on Tuesday.

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Sky Sport Italia reports that only 500 Italian fans will be allowed in the away sector at Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica on Tuesday for the World Cup play-off Final between the Azzurri and the home side, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A draw determined the home side in December.

The stadium has a capacity of 15,600, which, however, has been reduced by 2,100 seats by FIFA following incidents during Bosnia’s most recent home match against Romania in November 2025.

The Bosnian Football Federation has already confirmed that all the tickets available for the Final against Italy were sold just a few hours after their victory on penalties against Wales in the semis on Thursday.

Date and time for World Cup play-off final

On the same day, Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo with goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.

The World Cup play-off Final will be next Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 20:45 CET (19:45 GMT).

Kevin De Bruyne admits Romelu Lukaku is ‘not in a good situation’ but feels that whatever happens at Napoli ‘gets amplified.’

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Belgium star De Bruyne commented on the latest incident involving his compatriot and Napoli teammate Lukaku during a press conference on Saturday.

De Bruyne comments on Lukaku’s Napoli row

Lukaku has remained in Belgium without Napoli’s consent as he aims to train individually to regain full fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The Partenopei are furious with the 32-year-old and will freeze him out of the team if he fails to return to the club’s training centre by next Tuesday.

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia sided with Lukaku and said he hopes the striker will get more playing time at Napoli after the break.

“There’s always a lot of noise around Napoli. If something happens, it gets amplified. I don’t know the details or what exactly happened,” De Bruyne added, via Gazzetta, while on Belgium international duty.

“But it’s not a good situation for Romelu. There was a long-lasting injury, and I just hope he returns as soon as possible.”

Lukaku is currently in Antwerp, training at the same clinic where De Bruyne was treated for a high-degree muscle injury over the last few months.

De Bruyne has recently returned to action for the Partenopei, while Lukaku has only made seven appearances across all competitions, playing barely 60 minutes and scoring one goal.

“Romelu and I followed a similar path after our injuries. I did a full rehabilitation [in Belgium], Romelu partially in Antwerp and partially in Naples,” concluded De Bruyne.

“When there are two different views, it’s hard to work together. There have been differences, and this is not ideal if you aim to get back in shape.”

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia sides with Romelu Lukaku, who has to follow a ‘specific program’ to get back in shape and hopes the 32-year-old will get ‘more playing time’ when he returns to Napoli.

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Belgium coach Garcia, a former Napoli tactician, appeared to back Lukaku despite the striker’s decision to cancel his return to Naples to train individually in Belgium during the break.

Belgium coach defends Lukaku after Napoli row

Lukaku broke the internal rules at Napoli and will be fined by the club. According to several sources, the Partenopei will even freeze him out of the team if he fails to return by next Tuesday.

Lukaku initially joined the Belgian national team during the March break, but was soon left out because of his poor form.

“Lukaku was not 100% fit, and he had to follow a specific program to recover,” Garcia explained at a press conference on Saturday, via Gazzetta.

“It’s normal for him to want to be at the top. When you are not, the mental aspect plays a significant role because there’s a fear of getting injured again. We understand him. Totti had the same injury, and we know it takes time to recover from something like that.”

Lukaku sustained a severe muscle injury during the pre-season and has played barely 60 minutes across all competitions this season, scoring one goal in seven appearances.

“I hope Lukaku can return to Napoli soon and get more playing time there,” continued Garcia.

“It’s important for the club and for us that he returns to full fitness as soon as possible. We must convince everyone that Romelu needs to do what he thinks is best to get in his best shape, physically and mentally.”

A former Napoli coach, Garcia, is not on good terms with President Aurelio De Laurentiis. Last year, the coach said he had enjoyed “everything” of his time at the club, except for the owner.

Read more – De Bruyne admits: ‘Not a good situation’ for Lukaku at Napoli

During his press conference at Coverciano today, Italy star Federico Dimarco said the Azzurri would mostly need ‘mental strength’ in the World Cup play-off Final against Bosnia and Herzegovina next week.

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Dimarco met reporters at Coverciano on Saturday, three days before the World Cup play-off Final against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dimarco’s Italy press conference ahead of World Cup play-off Final

“We expect a fiery atmosphere and a team that has the same desire to qualify for the World Cup,” said the Inter defender via TMW.

“We need a bit of everything. We’ve been missing at the World Cup for too long, and we absolutely want to earn qualification because we deserve it.

“This is a group that has fun together. We must take it. We must be mentally strong. We know the environment, but if we stay in the game for the full 95 minutes, I believe we’ll take it home.”

When asked about the “best quality” the Azzurri will need to show in Zenica on Tuesday, Dimarco replied: “Mental strength. After a somewhat tense first half and Retegui’s missed opportunity, we didn’t get discouraged.

“One might have started seeing the ghosts, but instead, we stayed there; we scored the first goal and then killed it off with Moise. We remained focused for the whole 90 minutes.

“In the end, it’s the head that controls the legs; we know we’ll face a strong team,” he continued.

“They have a few players from our league, and we’ll have to be good in every aspect. They’ll attack strongly, and we’ll have to hit back.”

During his press conference, Dimarco explained his reaction to Bosnia’s win over Wales on Thursday, saying it was disrespectful to show it live on TV.

Dimarco also confirmed that he texted his former Inter teammate and Bosnia captain, Edin Dzeko, after the video went viral.

“He’s such a great person; you had to provide assists to him to make him happy,” Dimarco said.

“I also met him on holiday last summer, and I know him really well.”

Dimarco has contributed to 22 Inter goals in 38 appearances this season, and one of his Nerazzurri teammates, Francesco Pio Esposito, is tipped to start against Bosnia next week.

“I’m having a good season, but as I’ve always said, personal achievements count little. The results are what matter; otherwise, numbers are meaningless,” Dimarco concluded.

“Pio is in this group because he deserves it; but the coach decides whether he plays or not.

“He’s truly a special lad because, despite his age, he’s ahead mentally. It’s really hard to get angry with him because he always gives 100% in games and training sessions. This explains his growth in the last six or seven months. There is little advice to give him, because it’s useless to put more pressure on him.”

Dimarco, 28, has scored three goals in 37 appearances with the Italy national team, making his senior debut in June 2022.

Italy defender Federico Dimarco insists he respects Bosnia and Herzegovina and confirms he texted Edin Dzeko, but believes it was ‘disrespectful’ to show his celebration on TV.

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Dimarco made headlines following Italy’s win over Northern Ireland on Thursday as he and other Italy players were caught on camera while celebrating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s win on penalties against Wales.

The Azzurri had just beaten Northern Ireland 2-0 and were following the outcome of the penalty shootout in the other World Cup play-off semifinal on their phones.

Dimarco spoke for the first time about the incident during a press conference in Coveciano on Saturday: “I’m here, given that after the game against Northern Ireland, I was the protagonist of an incident. I respect every club and every country; it was an instinctive reaction,” the Inter star explained via TMW.

“I was simply watching the penalty shootout with my teammates. Dzeko also plays for Bosnia. I played with him for two years, and I texted him. He replied to me, and I’m happy to see him in the final.”

Dzeko is the Bosnia and Herzegovina captain, and his late goal against Wales on Thursday night forced the game to extra time and then penalties.

Two other Serie A players, Tarik Muharemovic of Sassuolo and Sead Kolasinac of Atalanta, are part of the Bosnia squad and are expected to start against Italy next Tuesday.

“I didn’t lack respect for Bosnia or the Bosnian people,” concluded Dimarco.

“It was said I was arrogant; with what right, since we haven’t been at the World Cup since 2014? How could I be arrogant? That said, I believe it was disrespectful to be filmed in a context where there were also friends, family, and children present.”

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma’s Manu Koné remains a top Inter target for next season, and the Nerazzurri could offer Davide Frattesi in a player-plus-cash swap deal.

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Inter will make a new attempt to sign Roma midfielder Koné next summer, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.

Inter’s new attempt for Koné next summer

The Serie A leaders already tempted the Giallorossi and the France international with a formal offer last summer, but the Roma owners blocked the midfielder’s exit.

According to Gazzetta, the Nerazzurri are determined to add physical strength to their midfield in 2026-27, so Koné remains very high on their summer agenda.

The Pink Paper claims that Inter would even be ready to invest up to €50m to sign the Frenchman, but one way to potentially reduce costs would be to include Italy international Frattesi in the deal.

Roma will face strong interest in Koné next summer, and the Giallorossi might be forced to sell one of their stars for financial reasons if they don’t qualify for the Champions League.

Frattesi has been struggling for playing time under Cristian Chivu this season, and he has already played in Roma’s youth sector from 2014 to 2017.

The Italian midfielder has provided only three assists in 29 appearances across all competitions with Inter this season, without scoring.

The capacity of Zenica’s Bilino Polje Stadium, the venue of the World Cup play-off Final between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina, was reduced by 20% by a FIFA ruling this past January, so over 2,100 seats will be unavailable for the match against the Azzurri.

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Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina will meet in the World Cup play-off Final on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Why World Cup play-off Stadium final has limited capacity

The stadium chosen by the Bosnian federation is Bilino Polje in Zenica, with a capacity of 15,600. 

The World Cup play-off Final against Italy, however, will be played with fewer fans in the stands due to a FIFA decision dating back to this past January.

FIFA reported several incidents during the most recent Bosnia and Herzegovina home match against Romania on November 15, 2025, so the Bosnian federation received a fine and a warning, and was ordered to play the following home match with a reduced capacity.

FIFA reported “Team misconduct, discrimination and racist abuse, lighting of fireworks or any other objects causing a disturbance during national anthems and a lack of order or discipline in or around the stadium.”

The Bosnian federation confirmed FIFA’s decision in a statement in January: “Due to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision (No. FDD-26056) dated January 9 2026, ordering partial stadium closure for the next qualifying match, FFBiH must reduce the number of commercial tickets for the playoff in Zenica on March 31 2026.

“The sanction was imposed following incidents at the FIFA World Cup qualifier Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Romania match. The ruling requires closure of at least 20% of available seats, primarily behind the goals. As a result, the South stand blocks B, C, and D will be fully closed (1508 seats), along with part of the West stand (first three rows, 592 seats), totalling 2100 seats unavailable for this crucial match.”

The Bosnian Federation announced on Friday that all tickets for the World Cup final against Italy had sold out just hours after a penalty shootout victory over Wales in the semis.

Italy’s Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, believes that the Azzurri’s celebration of Bosnia’s victory over Wales has been overemphasised: ‘There doesn’t seem to be anything provocative.’

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Minister for Sport: No ‘excessive enthusiasm’ in Italy’s celebration

A group of Italian players was caught on camera on Thursday night while briefly celebrating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s penalty shootout win over Wales in the World Cup play-off semifinal.

The victory sent Bosnia to the Final against Italy as the Azzurri had beaten Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo.

The celebration by Italian players upset a few fans on social media and even prompted one of the players involved, Federico Dimarco, to text his former Inter teammate and Bosnia captain Edin Dzeko, according to Gazzetta.

Italy’s Minister for Sport Abodi, however, defended the Azzurri, arguing that the players did not want to provoke or mock their next opponents.

“It doesn’t seem to me that there was excessive enthusiasm,” Abodi told Gazzetta.

“I don’t even know what they were thinking at that moment. I don’t understand why that celebration was given so much importance. We’re talking about guys who had just finished a match, and there doesn’t seem to be anything provocative. Let’s try to move on. We already have plenty of objectively complicated things, and this is a controversy that doesn’t make any sense.”

Italy have returned to Florence to prepare for the World Cup play-off Final, which will be played at the Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, on Tuesday, March 31.

• Read more – Dimarco unwise to celebrate, but televising incident only harms Italy

Former Serie A referee Nicola Rizzoli recalls a classy gesture from Roberto Baggio during a tense Serie A match between Lazio and Brescia: ‘We won’t make things difficult for you.’

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Baggio is rightly regarded as one of the greatest Italian players ever, as his class and style inspired millions of fans in Italy and abroad.

His quality, however, was not only about his ability with the ball, as former referee Rizzoli told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I refereed my second Serie A match at the Olimpico in Rome, Lazio against Brescia,” Rizzoli said.

Baggio told referee: ‘Let me know’ if my players put you under pressure

“I was about 29-30 years old. It had the potential to be a difficult game, but I felt good. You could have expected a 2-0 or 3-0 win for Lazio, but after four minutes, Luigi Di Biagio scored, and Brescia went ahead. The match changed in terms of tension and dynamics; it didn’t become easy.

“Between the first and second half, as we were going back onto the pitch, Baggio came up to me and said: ‘Look, you’re refereeing really well.’ He didn’t know who I was. Then he added: ‘We won’t make things difficult for you. If any of my players tries to put you under pressure, tell me. I’ll take care of it.’

“That gives you an idea of the willingness to let you do your job properly, even though I was just a young referee that nobody knew,” Rizzoli concluded.

“These kinds of moments help you understand the athletes’ level.”

Rizzoli went on to become one of the most respected Italian referees, officiating many big games, domestically and abroad, such as the 2014 World Cup Final between Germany and Argentina and the 2012-13 Final between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

Juventus target Bernardo Silva hints at a possible summer exit, saying that Manchester is ‘not 100 per cent what I would ideally want in my life,’ but also admits: ‘If Manchester City were in Lisbon, I would stay until I’m 40.’

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Bernardo Silva’s contract with Manchester City expires at the end of the season, and according to Italian sources, Juventus are determined to make a move to sign the Portuguese star as a free agent this summer.

During an interview with the official Manchester City Podcast, the 31-year-old spoke about his life on and off the pitch in Manchester, leaving the door open for a possible summer exit.

“I have two sides of my life; I have the football side of my life, the professional side of my life, and then my life at home, where my wife and my daughter right now are really, really important to me,” Silva said as quoted by City Xtra.

“So, I definitely need a balance and to understand throughout my life, I always make decisions together with my wife, what was best for our family. Culturally, Portuguese and English are quite different; the weather is very different, the food is very different, the way of living is not very different but a bit different.

“I always joke and say that if Manchester City was located a bit more (in the) south of Europe, I would stay here until people kicked my ass out of the club,” he continued.

“Because I truly love the football club, I love my teammates, I love the staff, I love the fans, I love the (Etihad) stadium, I love the atmosphere, I love everything about my professional life.

“Then, the other side of my life, it’s different because I’m not saying that I don’t like, but culturally it’s not 100 per cent what I would ideally want in my life.”

Juventus and Benfica both interested in Bernardo Silva

Silva’s latest comments have been widely reported on Italian media, suggesting that the midfielder’s exit at the end of the season seems very likely.

On the one hand, it’s good news for Juventus, but on the other hand, Benfica are also said to be interested in the Portuguese star, and a return to his native country surely appeals to the Manchester City captain.

“Before I met my wife, I was alone in Manchester for a while, and I didn’t feel that well about myself,” Bernardo Silva continued.

“And I definitely thought a lot about leaving, not because I didn’t like the football club – which I really love – but because of the other side of my life. And at the end, it didn’t happen.

“I’m really happy that it didn’t! I’m really happy because I would’ve probably lost the opportunity to live the memories of the treble, the four-in-a-row, even now, these memories, this opportunity of being a captain, being in the leadership group and passing all this experience on to the young guys, and trying to put the club back it deserves to be.

“But if Manchester City were in Lisbon, I would stay until I’m 40.”

Lionel Messi looked impressed as Como talent Nico Paz scored his first goal for Argentina from a free kick last night.

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Como talent Nico Paz bagged his first goal for Argentina last night in a 2-1 friendly win over Mauritania at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires.

Paz made his senior Argentina debut in 2024, and last night marked his seventh international appearance with the defending World Cup champions.

Paz scored an excellent free kick at minute 31, while Barcelona legend Messi, watching from the sidelines, applauded the talent from Como after the goal.

Video: First Nico Paz goal for Argentina

Nico Paz has magic in his left foot pic.twitter.com/LDyNNchQc8

— WolfRMFC (@WolfRMFC) March 28, 2026

Nico Paz apontou o gol de falta que fez pro Messi no banco de reservas.

pic.twitter.com/w90kjeicgq

— LM10 Brasil (@MessiLeoBrasil_) March 28, 2026

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Federico Dimarco texted his former Inter teammate Edin Dzeko on Friday after a video of Italy players celebrating Bosnia’s win over Wales went viral on social media.

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Dimarco and a group of Italian players were caught on camera celebrating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s penalty shootout win over Wales on Thursday.

The video quickly went viral on social media, upsetting some Bosnia fans.

According to Gazzetta, the FIGC believes the incident was blown out of proportion, yet Dimarco reportedly texted Bosnia captain Dzeko on Friday to explain his reaction.

According to the report (via FcInter1908), the Inter defender and the ex-Nerazzurri star had a friendly exchange via WhatsApp, in which Dimarco clarified the Azzurri’s intentions.

Dimarco and Dzeko spent two years together at Inter, from 2021 to 2023, winning the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana twice.

Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina will meet in the World Cup play-off Final on Tuesday, March 31, in Zenica.

• Read more – Dimarco unwise to celebrate, but televising incident only harms Italy

La Gazzetta dello Sport

World Cup goals needed: Kean is there, Pio Esposito challenges Retegui

We give you America

Esposito tempts Gattuso. Promoted to starter in the Final? Bosnia furious with Italy: ‘Arrogant Azzurri, they celebrate our qualification…’ And Dimarco writes to Dzeko…

Lukaku is frozen out if he doesn’t return by Tuesday

Inter pounce on Diaby again on the right.

Due to the journalists’ national strike in Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport is the only newspaper out today.

Italy legend Alessandro Nesta gives his prediction for the World Cup play-off final against Bosnia, and stands with Alessandro Bastoni. ‘I simulated many times in my career.’

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The Azzurri took over 55 minutes to break Northern Ireland down in Bergamo during last night’s World Cup play-off semi-final.

They eventually ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean, setting up the final showdown with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday evening in Zenica.

Nesta anxious as an Italy supporter

“I too got worried in the first half,” confessed Nesta on Sky Sport Italia.

“If the real qualities of the teams emerge, then it’s not even close for any of the teams involved in the play-offs, but the pressure of wearing the Italy jersey is different to representing Northern Ireland or Bosnia.

“The first half performance was down to the visible tension that the Azzurri were dealing with.”

Due to the draw, the play-off final will be played with Bosnia and Herzegovina as the hosts in a fiery atmosphere.

“We must be well aware that it’s going to be a lot tougher in Bosnia, both because we are away from home in front of their passionate fans, but also as Bosnia are a better team than Northern Ireland, who frankly didn’t impress me much.”

There were some doubts ahead of the semi-final that fans might continue jeering Bastoni, who has been targeted for insults since he confessed to simulation when getting Juventus player Pierre Kalulu sent off against Inter.

A few had also called for Bastoni to be frozen out of the Italy squad as punishment for this unsporting behaviour, but Nesta is having none of it.

“I have to congratulate Bastoni, because they really piled on him about that simulation, and despite not being at his best yesterday due to an injury, he played a great game.

“I always had a reputation for being a fair player, but I too simulated many times in my career. I’ll never lecture Bastoni on morality, he’s super in my eyes.

“Admittedly, he is less able to make the most of his attacking characteristics when playing centrally in a back three.”

Charles De Ketelaere insists he ‘doesn’t regret’ joining Milan in 2022, but feels he has ‘improved as a player’ with Atalanta and Belgium.

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The Belgium international has been occasionally used as a False 9 for his club this season and seems to be employed there at international level too, especially after Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku’s notorious injury problems.

“That is how the coach likes to use me. I also feel good in that role, I think I did well, especially because we are a team with many attackers and midfielders who like to play football,” De Ketelaere told Nieuwsblad.

“Romelu remains the number one, of course. He is super important and has already meant a lot to the national team. Look at the number of goals he has scored; that is impressive. I also have a lot of respect for him as a person off the pitch.

“He is the first-choice striker anyway, but I think I seized my opportunity in his absence. I scored twice against Liechtenstein. So things are going well there too.”

Difficult season for De Ketelaere

De Ketelaere had been out of action for over a month with meniscus damage in the knee, but confirms he recovered ahead of schedule.

He had not originally been lined up for these friendly tests, but was able to accept the call from Belgium.

The player has contributed five goals and five assists for Atalanta so far this season, but maintains the statistics don’t show the whole picture.

“I might’ve scored slightly less than last season, but I really do feel that I’m playing much better. I know that sounds contradictory, but I do feel that I am more important to the team now.”

Part of that is the change of management, as after Gian Piero Gasperini left Atalanta, there was a brief spell under Ivan Juric, before flourishing with Raffaele Palladino.

“Gasperini often substitutes his strikers after 60 minutes, but now I play more and I feel that I have grown as a player.”

De Ketelaere first came to Italy for Milan at a cost of €37.5m plus bonuses from Club Brugge in 2022 and struggled, so after just one year he went to Atalanta.

“I still don’t regret that move from Club Brugge to Milan. Perhaps I should’ve had more self-confidence, but I have learned that in the meantime,” continued the Belgian.

“The style of play with Atalanta helped me in my development. I think my qualities come to the fore best in a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2.

“I enjoy being at Atalanta. I am super happy there and still have some time left on my contract. Sometimes you have to cherish what you have.”

They were the only Italian team to make it into the Champions League Round of 16, even if they were hammered 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich.

“Bayern made us play badly. I’ve faced many top European teams with Atalanta, including Real Madrid, and always felt something was possible, that we had the chances to score and win.

“I never felt that with Bayern Munich. Their level was so high, when we tried to press them, it actually played to their advantage. Total football is the right description, they are in my view the favourites to win the Champions League,” concluded De Ketelaere.

Miralem Pjanic warns Italy that they will face ‘an infernal’ atmosphere when playing Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off. ‘Edin Dzeko remains the reference point.’

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The Azzurri swept Northern Ireland aside 2-0 to reach the World Cup play-off final, while Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Wales on penalties in Cardiff following the 1-1 draw and extra time.

They will now go head-to-head for a place at the tournament, kicking off at the Stadion Bilino Polje on Tuesday March 31 at 19.45 UK time.

Pjanic can’t wait for Bosnia vs. Italy

“Seeing as there have always been many Bosnian players in Italian football, they’ll all be happy with this match-up,” former Juventus and Roma man Pjanic told the Sky Sport Italia podcast.

“We needed shaking up and that victory over Wales brought confidence back, which is fundamental for us.”

Only one of the two nations will go through to participate in the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA this summer.

“It is going to be a wonderful match between two teams who had really a very good qualifying campaign. Bosnia have finally rediscovered our self-esteem, it is a group that works hard, sacrifices itself on the field.

“The coach has done great work, both psychologically and tactically, with a strong sense of belonging.”

According to Pjanic, Italy are not going to be fully prepared for the atmosphere in Zenica on Tuesday, as it is a small and oppressive arena.

“There are on paper 11,000 seats, but I can assure you that when you are there, it feels more like 30,000. It’s quite an old stadium, even the dressing room is rustic, but opponents feel a bit uncomfortable when visiting.

“There is a lot of pressure and it feels like the fans are right there on the touchline. There also isn’t a proper VIP section, so even the authorities stand and sing with everyone else. It’s going to be an infernal noise from start to finish.”

While Italy know the Bosnian players well thanks to their time in Serie A, that goes both ways and they are familiar to each other.

“Italy are accustomed to playing at this level, with figures like Gennaro Gattuso, Gigi Buffon and Leonardo Bonucci behind the scenes who won major trophies,” added Pjanic.

“We have a few individuals who can make the difference, and Dzeko remains the absolute reference point. He is the man who can break the deadlock in tough situations, is ready in the difficult moments, holds up the ball and can also score the less pretty goals that prove decisive.

“His football intelligence is intact, despite the years going by. I think Amar Dedic is a pure talent too, the Bosnian team can count on him for the next 15 years. He’s afraid of nothing, ready to cross or shoot.”

Joaquin Panichelli’s agent had confirmed interest from Milan, but any negotiations for the RC Strasbourg striker stopped when he suffered a serious knee injury.

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The forward had been on international duty with Argentina when he was diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament during a training session.

Panichelli was on Milan radar

He is the current top scorer in Ligue 1 with 16 goals and was all set to feature for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico.

However, Panichelli is now going to be out of action for circa five to six months after this setback.

His agent Martin Gastadisegno confirmed in October that Milan had been “following him for some time” and were interested in a potential summer move.

They will now have to look elsewhere, as it is not clear when Panichelli will be back in action after this serious injury.

Milan were seeking a centre-forward after missing Santiago Gimenez for several months due to surgery.

Marco Palestra made his senior Italy debut last night and in just a few minutes showed why he’s being seriously considered to start against Bosnia.

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There had been suggestions before the game with Northern Ireland that Palestra could be chosen on the right flank, but Matteo Politano of Napoli shrugged off a knock and was able to play instead.

The Cagliari starlet, who is on loan from Atalanta, celebrated his 21^st birthday earlier this month.

As this is Italian football and not Spain, England, Germany or France, that means he is still considered too young to rely on for the national team or a big club.

Italy needs fresh Palestra influence

Palestra came through the legendary Atalanta youth academy, which he joined in 2015 first as a midfielder, then a full-back or wing-back, and was loaned to Cagliari in order to finally give him some regular Serie A playing time.

La Dea repeatedly refused to include a purchase option in the deal, as they know full well the talent they’ve got on their hands and don’t want to risk losing him.

He contributed one goal and four assists in 29 Serie A appearances this season, but the statistics don’t tell the full story of the impact he has had in Sardinia.

Palestra is fearless, ready to take opponents on and use his blistering pace to get away down the right flank.

As he is arguably more of a right-back than a winger, it means he can also provide more defensive cover than Politano, who has been transformed by Antonio Conte from part of a trident attack to a wide man in a five-man midfield.

When he came off the bench against Northern Ireland for seven minutes, Palestra showed one moment of extraordinary skill by taking down a long cross and stopping it dead, only failing to set up a goal because Francesco Pio Esposito’s first touch was too heavy.

This means he might be inexperienced, but he’s not afraid to try something spectacular under pressure.

If Italy are to surprise Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday in the World Cup play-off final, then the pace and class of Palestra could do real damage to some tired old legs.

He gets opponents booked repeatedly in Serie A and causes huge problems for the opponents covering the entire right flank, taking men on without fear.

The Nazionale looked so painfully predictable last night, this youngster can shake things up.

Roma winger Wesley has been released early from international duty due to an injury after he started against France.

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Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti had picked Wesley to be in the starting XI for last night’s 2-1 friendly defeat to France and he was replaced by Roger Ibanez at the 71^st minute.

However, both Wesley and Raphinha felt pain in the back of their right thighs during the match.

Wesley picks up injury with Brazil

A statement on the official Federation website confirms that tests showed muscular injuries and had been released home to undergo treatment with their respective clubs.

No other athletes have been called up to replace them ahead of the next scheduled friendly game against Croatia on Tuesday night.

Wesley has impressed since making the move to Roma over the summer, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 35 competitive games.

He has struggled with some minor muscular injuries this term, most recently in December, so it remains to be seen how bad this latest setback is.

Mohamed Salah has confirmed he will leave Liverpool as a free agent this summer, and one of the potential destinations is a return to Roma.

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The Egypt international will celebrate his 34^th birthday in June and has been at Anfield Road since the €42m sale from Roma in the summer of 2017.

It was with the Giallorossi that he first made his mark, after experiences at Chelsea and Fiorentina.

Roma could welcome Salah back after 9 years

Salah has still made a significant impact at Liverpool this season with 10 goals and nine assists in 34 competitive appearances, but had differences with manager Arne Slot.

It is widely assumed that he will now move to either MLS for San Diego, or into the Saudi Pro League where Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah are interested.

Another option mentioned by Retesport and La Gazzetta dello Sport is a possible return to where it really started at Roma.

This would be a short-term arrangement, and he would need to accept a pay cut from his current €12m per season net salary.

Even if they qualify for the Champions League, Roma’s salary cap would be closer to €4m.

Nicolò Fagioli insists he was not surprised at being snubbed by Italy for the World Cup play-offs, but Fiorentina teammates Moise Kean and Edin Dzeko will be ready.

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The midfielder has impressed in the Viola jersey so far this season with two goals and three assists in 37 competitive appearances.

He already has seven senior caps for Italy, but none since October 2024, after returning from a ban due to illegal gambling.

Fagioli ready to wait for Italy chance

It was widely expected that he would receive a call-up from Gennaro Gattuso for the World Cup play-offs, but he was not included.

“Honestly, no, I think all those players who are there deserved it,” Fagioli told Sky Sport Italia.

“There was controversy over these call-ups, but it would’ve been the same if I had been called up or anyone else, because that is how it works in Italy.

“All we should do is cheer on the Azzurri against Bosnia, wishing them all the best. I hope to do enough to earn my place in the squad in June.”

Some of his teammates are in the Italy squad after the 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland, as Kean was on target following the Sandro Tonali opener.

“Kean struggled more this season, but that’s because in Italian football they study you more carefully after a successful campaign,” insisted Fagioli.

“He also had some injuries and wasn’t in the best shape, but he gave us a big hand to get us out of the difficult situation at Fiorentina. He’s a great player and is proving it for the Nazionale too.”

Fagioli is also familiar with Bosnia and Herzegovina centre-forward Edin Dzeko, who scored the equaliser against Wales last night, forcing extra time and an eventual victory on penalties.

Now they will face Italy in the World Cup play-off final on Tuesday March 31.

“Bosnia are a tough opponent, there is no such thing as an easy game now, we saw how well-organised Northern Ireland were, despite not having any great individual talents.

“Bosnia have a lot more quality in the side, including Dzeko. I got along very well with him at Fiorentina, I was sad he didn’t get to fully prove himself here, but we all know what kind of a player he is.

“I wish him all the best, just maybe not against Italy…”

Does Fagioli have any advice about how Italy can stop Dzeko on Tuesday?

“It’s difficult, he has good technique, and is phenomenal in the air. Italy’s defenders need to be really focused.”

Napoli midfielder Luis Hasa, currently on loan at Carrarese, has decided to quit the Italy team and play his international football for Albania.

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The 22-year-old has dual citizenship, as he was born and raised in Italy, but has Albanian parents.

He has represented Italy at Under-18, Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 levels, though he was yet to receive a senior call-up.

As that seemed increasingly unlikely, Hasa decided to switch allegiance and will now represent Albania at senior level.

Hasa will play for Albania in future

He started out in the Juventus youth academy, moving on to Lecce in 2024, then was sold to Napoli in January 2025.

Hasa was then loaned out to Carrarese until the end of this season, scoring five goals with three assists in 25 Serie B appearances.

The creative midfielder picked up three caps for Italy at Under-21 level, most recently in a 1-0 win over France in June 2024.

Former Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi was delighted with Sandro Tonali’s performance in Italy’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland, so he urged ‘super’ Giorgio Chiellini to ‘bring’ the Newcastle star to Turin.

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Tonali’s goal and assist for Italy against Northern Ireland allowed the Azzurri to secure a 2-0 victory on Thursday and qualify for the World Cup play-off Final.

Ex-Italy and Juventus midfielder Tacchinardi, a Bianconeri fan, reacted to Tonali’s performance on social media, asking his friend and Juventus director Chiellini to sign the Newcastle star this summer.

“Super Chiellini, bring him to Turin, a proper player,” Tacchinardi wrote in an Instagram story published the day after the game.

Juventus are said to be interested in Tonali, even though recent reports suggest Newcastle will demand at least €90m for the ex-Milan star this summer.

Tonali has scored three goals and provided seven assists in 47 appearances across all competitions with Newcastle this season.

The 25-year-old has also scored four goals in 31 appearances with the Italy national team.

Picture: Tacchinardi asks Chiellini to sign Tonali

Italy progressed to the World Cup play-off Final with a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland, but fans on social media still have mixed feelings regarding the Azzurri’s performance on Thursday.

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Goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean gave Italy a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semifinal on Thursday, earning a ticket to the Final, to be played away at Bosnia and Herzegovina next Tuesday.

Tonali and Kean scored in the second half after Italy had failed to pose much of a threat to the Northern Ireland defence in the opening 45 minutes.

As coach Gennaro Gattuso admitted at full-time, the Azzurri were too predictable and “slow” in the first half, and the Nazionale will have to assess this in the coming days as they prepare for the final against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The celebrations by Federico Dimarco and other Italian players following Bosnia’s win over Wales also drew the fans’ attention, who now hope the video doesn’t come back to haunt the national team in a few days.

• Read more – Dimarco unwise to celebrate, but televising incident only harms Italy

Social media reactions to Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland

Took a peak at Italy’s starting lienup against Ireland. Lowkey Calafiori might be their most important attackerpic.twitter.com/ZJcLpKLnrE

— Wasi (@Wanalyst007) March 27, 2026

Blown out of proportion always. The mistake is RAI showing these images, NOT the player’s holding a personal preference for whatever their reasons are

IF Northern Ireland had beaten Italy do you honestly think it would have been any different from your own players towards them? https://t.co/7By11nvKLx

— AzzurriXtra (@XtraAzzurri) March 27, 2026

Italy will ALWAYS give 110% when it comes to their national anthem

World Cup qualification on the line. Their passion on display.

↳ European Qualifiers. Every Match. Live & Exclusive on Football’s New Home, Stan Sport.#StanSportAU #WCQ pic.twitter.com/1ic5loHHQP

— Stan Sport Football (@StanSportFC) March 26, 2026

You’re agreeing with me. They’re not a team, they’re a collection of individuals

— Patrick Kendrick (@patrickendrick) March 27, 2026

Tonali!!! What a game. Goal and assist

— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) March 26, 2026

Really like Moise Kean (another goal for Italy tonight against Northern Ireland)

Gets himself into dangerous areas, relentless runner, quick shot release and high volume shooter https://t.co/WbxC0EgsvZ

— Connor Holden (@ConnorHolden00) March 26, 2026

JUST IN: You think the Welsh or Bosnian players wouldn’t be doing the same thing had Northern Ireland beat Italy???

They too would be celebrating for an easier opponent…..

Don’t get your panties twisted for this… https://t.co/wUY0qDsQg1

— Juventino Gianlu (@gianlulamarca) March 27, 2026

Reckon he’s injured but miraculously recovers in time for italy’s game against Northern Ireland yeahhh he really doesn’t want to play for yous #NUFC https://t.co/fFD4Rb78fy

— SAFCSZN (@SAFCSZN_) March 27, 2026

Italy will have some atmosphere to compete against if we can take anything from those outstanding travelling Bosnia fans. They showed their experience and quality in that second half against Northern Ireland. Fancy them to squeeze through on Tuesday #Azzurri

— Fraeser (@FMOutsideTheBox) March 27, 2026

It was a natural reaction that anyone would have done. Bosnia would have been buying drinks for everyone if they drew N. Ireland. Italian media should’ve been more responsible, and not making Italy out to be a villain, and give Bosnia any form of motivation. Shame on them.

— Antcacc (@AntCacc14) March 27, 2026

Northern Ireland played well against the @Azzurri yesterday. Despite their loss let’s remember NI is a small country & the fact they were competing to qualify for World Cup vs the Italians is an accomplishment

— Sal Albanese (@salalbanesenyc.bsky.social) (@AlbaneseNYC) March 27, 2026

v

The lack of option between the lines for Italy is embarrassing.

Bastoni visibly frustrated. pic.twitter.com/qrVnF9oVyR

— Uncle Sharma (@RSharmzz) March 26, 2026

Lautaro Martinez is stepping up his Inter training routine and could be back in the starting XI for the Serie A clash with Roma.

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The captain has been out of action since limping off with a calf strain during the Champions League play-off defeat to Bodo/Glimt on February 18.

The recovery process cannot be rushed with such a delicate muscle area, and so Cristian Chivu has not called him up for any of the following games.

Inter gearing Lautaro Martinez up for comeback

According to the latest reports, Lautaro Martinez has been increasing the amount of work he does on the field, as well as in the gym and with physiotherapy.

Inter are confident that he has fully healed, so now the plan is to gradually get him back to match fitness after more than a month without games.

When the rest of his teammates return from international duty next week, Lautaro Martinez will begin to train with them, and could even start in next weekend’s encounter with Roma.

In the captain’s absence, Inter have seen their lead at the top of the Serie A table whittled down to just six points.

Since his injury, the team picked up just two victories, three draws and two defeats in all competition.

Serie A resumes after the international break with some big games in the Easter weekend, including Inter-Roma and Napoli-Milan.

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Serie A tickets are in demand as the races for the title, Champions League and survival resume after the international break.

The weekend will begin with Sassuolo-Cagliari on Saturday, April 4 at 15:00 CET and immediately after, at 18:00 CET, Hellas Verona will host Fiorentina at the Stadio Bentegodi in a massive game in the race for survival.

The Tuscans are just one point above the relegation zone, while Verona sit 19th, level on 18 points with last-placed Pisa and are better positioned just because of goal difference.

The other teams currently involved in the race for survival are Cremonese, who will host Bologna on Easter Day, Sunday, April 5, at 15:00 CET, and Lecce, who will play at home against Atalanta the following day.

The big games of Serie A Round 31 are surely Inter-Roma on April 5 and Napoli-Milan on Monday, April 6.

Table leaders Inter are winless in the last three league games, collecting just two points in the process, while Roma sit 6th and are chasing a Champions League spot, three points behind fourth-placed Como.

Roma have won just two of the last five Serie A matches, drawing once and losing twice.

Napoli and Milan will meet at the Stadio Maradona in an encounter that will likely determine which team will go all the way to challenge Inter for the Scudetto.

Napoli come to this game with four consecutive victories, while Milan have won three of the last five, losing twice.

Napoli will probably have to cope without Romelu Lukaku, who has remained in Belgium without the club’s consent during the international break.

The Belgian striker will be fined, but according to Sky Sport Italia, the Partenopei have also decided to freeze him out of the team if he doesn’t return to Naples by next Tuesday.

Another team fighting for a Champions League spot is Juventus, who are level on 54 points with Roma and three points behind Como.

The Bianconeri will host Genoa on Monday, April 6 at 18:00 CET and will look to bounce back from a disappointing home draw against Sassuolo before the break.

“We are distraught with disappointment for the result, but smile anyway,” Spalletti said after a 1-1 stalemate at the Allianz Stadium.

“We create so many situations where we could’ve won it, but we have to accept the result. There were some good things in the second half, even if we moved the ball a bit too slowly.”

Christian Pulisic talks for a new contract with Milan seem to have stalled, but that doesn’t mean both parties don’t want to continue together.

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The American has struggled so far this season with injuries, poor form, and the change of tactics under coach Max Allegri.

Although he has a healthy tally of 10 goals and three assists in 27 competitive games, he is yet to score in 2026, firing blanks in his last 12 appearances.

Pulisic secure of Milan status

His current contract only runs to June 2027, although there is an option to extend by another year that is controlled by the club.

According to Calciomercato, this is why the negotiations with Milan for a new deal are not considered to be a priority right now.

There are many reasons to suggest Pulisic and the Rossoneri intend to continue together in future.

This is partly because the American would be able to benefit from tax incentives in the Growth Decree for another five years, as long as he purchased a house on Italian soil.

The idea would be to meet at the end of the season to discuss a slight wage increase from his current €4m per year net, signing on until June 2031.

If that doesn’t happen, Milan can still use their option to extend until 2028, giving them more leverage in case of a potential sale.

The USMNT forward arrived at San Siro from Chelsea in 2023 at a cost of €20.8m plus bonuses.

Inter star Hakan Calhanoglu is thankful to the Nerazzurri and coach Cristian Chivu for giving him ‘time’ to prepare for Turkiye’s World Cup play-off.

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Calhanoglu and Vincenzo Montella’s Turkiye beat Romania 1-0 on Thursday to qualify for the World Cup play-off Final against Kosovo.

Calhanoglu was subbed off in the dying minutes due to a suspected calf injury, but according to recent reports in Italy, the Turkish star only had a cramp and should be available for Tuesday’s Final.

Calhanoglu didn’t even mention his latest injury problem in a post-match interview with Sky Sport Italia.

The Inter star, however, revealed that Chivu contacted him right after the match to receive a fitness update.

“He was looking at my physical condition because I had come back from an injury after one and a half months,” Calhanoglu said.

“He already texted me now, asking how I am. For me, Mr Chivu is special. I’m always thankful to him at Inter because they gave me time and preparation to be fit for this game, so I’m always thankful to my coach, Chivu.”

Calhanoglu has been on and off the pitch for Inter in 2026 due to physical issues.

Since January, he has made five Serie A appearances and missed six league games due to injuries.

After the break, Inter will host Roma at the Stadio Meazza on April 5.

Having already lost Ivan Provedel for the season, Lazio are bracing themselves after Edoardo Motta pulled out of the Italy Under-21 squad with an injury.

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The Biancocelesti had signed 21-year-old Motta in January from Reggiana as their reserve goalkeeper, but were not expecting to be so reliant on him already.

So when Provedel was ruled out for the rest of the season by a serious injury, he was thrown in at the deep end for his Serie A debut.

Lazio suffering goalkeeper shortage

Now he too might be out of action after leaving the Italy Under-21 camp with a fresh injury concern.

There is no confirmation of what exactly Motta is suffering from, but if he is not available for next weekend’s Serie A match against Parma, then they’ll have to look to third-choice Alessio Furlanetto, whose only experience is in Serie C.

Motta was released by the Azzurrini along with Frosinone striker Antonio Raimondo following the 4-0 victory over North Macedonia.

They were replaced in the group by Spezia goalkeeper Diego Mascardi and Juve Stabia forward Alvin Okoro, the latter promoted from the Under-20 team.

Italy’s Under-21 side is back in action on Tuesday March 31 against Sweden for the European Championship qualifiers.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina football federation has confirmed that tickets for the World Cup play-off Final against Italy on Tuesday are already sold out.

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World Cup play-off final tickets sold out

Zenica’s Bilino Polje Stadium will host the World Cup play-off Final between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, March 31. 

It’s an away fixture for the Azzurri, as determined by a draw that took place this past December.

Although the stadium picked by the Bosnian football federation only has 15,600 seats, the Azzurri must surely be prepared for a hostile welcome.

The Bosnian FA announced on X on Friday that tickets for the Final against Italy are sold out.

Enthusiasm in the country is running high as Bosnia and Herzegovina secured a spot in the Final after a penalty shootout victory over Wales on Thursday.

Veteran Edin Dzeko, a former Fiorentina, Roma and Inter star, scored a late equaliser last night, forcing the game to extra time and then penalties.

Just a few hours later, the federation confirmed that tickets for the final against Italy are no longer available.

Bosnia and Herzegovina have only played once in the World Cup, in 2014, which is also the last time Italy played in the competition, having failed to qualify in 2018 and 2022.

Italy have booked their spot in the World Cup play-off final, and the Azzurri boast an impressive head-to-head record against their upcoming opponents, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

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How have Italy previously fared against Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Italy is the highest ranked nation that does not have a place at the 2026 World Cup wrapped up. Gennaro Gattuso’s side finished second in their World Cup qualifying group behind Norway, which condemned them to the play-offs for the third tournament cycle in a row. 

The Azzurri fell short at this stage heading into the two previous World Cups. They have not qualified since 2014 and have not played a knock-out game at the tournament since beating France to claim the trophy in the 2006 final. 

Second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean sealed a 2-0 victory at home against Northern Ireland in Thursday evening’s play-off semi-final, which has set up a final date with Bosnia away from home on Tuesday evening. 

Since the inception of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team in 1995, Italy have faced them six times: Twice in friendlies, twice in qualifying for EURO 2020 and twice in the 2020-21 Nations League campaign. 

Italy have won four of their six previous meetings against Bosnia, have drawn one and lost one. 

Italy’s only ever loss against Bosnia came in their first meeting 30 years ago, which was an international friendly on November 6, 1996 and ended 2-1 in favour of the hosts. Enrico Chiesa scored Italy’s only goal that game, assisted by Gianfranco Zola. 

The other five meetings between Italy and Bosnia have all come within the last seven years. 

Italy won 2-1 at home and 3-0 away when the two nations met in qualifying for EURO 2020. The Azzurri were held to a 1-1 draw at home, but beat Bosnia 2-0 away during the 2020-21 Nations League campaign, and Italy were also 1-0 victors when the two sides met in a friendly just before EURO 2024 two summers ago. Davide Frattesi provided the only goal of the game on that occasion.

After securing a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland, Gennaro Gattuso could make a couple of changes to the Italy XI for the World Cup play-off Final against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Two Italy changes for World Cup play-off final?

Italy are preparing for the World Cup play-off Final to be played away in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, March 31.

The Azzurri progressed to the Final by beating Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo on Thursday, while Bosnia and Herzegovina secured a victory on penalties away at Wales.

Azzurri coach Gennaro Gattuso has a few days to work with the team, but Italian media are already suggesting that the CT could make a couple of line-up changes for the Final.

As highlighted by Calciomercato.com, Alessandro Bastoni’s fitness must be assessed as the Inter star returned to action against Northern Ireland after spending the previous two weeks on the sidelines and was subbed off around minute 60 after receiving a yellow card.

If Bastoni is fit to start, he’ll surely retain his starting spot; otherwise, Federico Gatti seems favourite over Alessandro Buongiorno and Giorgio Scalvini to join Gianluca Mancini and Riccardo Calafiori in a three-man defence.

The other main doubt appears to be in attack, especially after Pio Esposito’s encouraging display as a substitute and Mateo Retegui’s big miss against Northern Ireland

Even Italy and Inter legend Beppe Bergomi argued last night that Pio Esposito, scorer of three goals in six Italy appearances, should be considered for a starting spot in the Final.

Tuttosport reports that Juventus are preparing an offer to sign Franck Kessié as a free agent, as the ex-Milan and Atalanta star has put contract talks with Al Ahli on hold.

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Juventus are expected to make an attempt to sign ex-Milan and Atalanta star Kessié as a free agent.

The midfielder’s contract with Al Ahli expires at the end of the season, and according to Tuttosport, the 29-year-old has ignored a two-year extension offer from the Saudi Pro League club.

The Turin-based paper claims that Kessié is tempted to return to Serie A in the summer, even if leaving the Saudi Pro League will necessarily mean a lower salary from 2062-27.

According to the report, Juventus are ready to offer Kessié a two-year contract worth €5m per season. The ex-Milan star currently earns €14m at Al Ahli.

Tuttosport mentions other Serie A clubs who might be potentially interested in the Ivory Coast international.

Among them are Roma, coached by Gian Piero Gasperini, who previously worked with Kessié at Atalanta and Inter, who are looking for a midfielder with Kessié’s characteristics for next season.

Kessié is only one of the free agents targeted by Juventus for 2026-27, as the Bianconeri have already begun preliminary talks with Bernardo Silva and Leo Goretzka as well.

Northern Ireland head coach Michael O’Neill said that he was ‘proud’ of his young Northern Ireland team that lost 2-0 to Italy in the World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday evening, but argued: ‘I think we had a strong claim for a penalty’. 

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Second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean handed Italy a 2-0 victory over their visitors from Northern Ireland in Bergamo on Thursday night, which means that Gennaro Gattuso’s side will now go on to face Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home on Tuesday night for a spot in the final World Cup tournament. 

O’Neill reacts to Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland: ‘Strong claim for a penalty’

Italy are the highest-ranked nation in the World not to have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which meant that they were the strong favourites at home against Northern Ireland, who were missing two of its key Premier League players in Conor Bradley and Dan Ballard and named a starting XI with an average age of 22.5 years. 

“I’m very proud of the performance first of all, the players gave everything,” said O’Neill after full-time.

“I thought first half we were terrific in terms of our shape and our structure, we made it difficult for Italy. We had to defend corners, but we defended them extremely well.” 

The Northern Ireland head coach does feel that his side should have been awarded a penalty against Italy on the night, though.

“I felt at times we could have been a little bit better on the ball, I thought we had opportunities where we maybe just overhit the pass or maybe made the wrong option at times. I think we had a strong claim for a penalty with the handball as well. 

“Second half, we gave them a couple of moments that we created ourselves. The goal’s poor from our point of view. Terry (Devlin)’s out of shape and then Isaac (Price) is not in the position we’d really want him to be in. The ball’s headed down into a poor area and the one person you don’t want landing on the ball at that point in time is Tonali and it’s a strong hit.

“But again, I felt like there was always something for us in the game. The second goal obviously takes it away from you a little bit, but we had a couple of chances towards the end to try and make it a little bit tense, but look, it was a very young team tonight, I think the average age of the team was just 22. They gave everything, that’s all we can ask.

“I’m very proud of them and I think we showed that we’ve made huge strides as a team as well.”

Sky Sport Italia claims that Romelu Lukaku will be frozen out of the Napoli squad if he doesn’t return to the club’s training centre before next Tuesday, but according to Il Mattino, the striker is planning to remain in Belgium for at least another week.

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Napoli star Lukaku refused to resume training with his club on Thursday, remaining in Belgium to continue his recovery and regain full fitness for the final part of the season.

According to Il Mattino, Belgian doctors have informed Lukaku that he’s nowhere near the fitness level required for the 2026 World Cup, so he decided to remain in Antwerp to continue individual training.

The Naples-based paper reports that Lukaku is aware that Rasmus Hojlund has become Napoli’s primary attacking option and fears he won’t improve his shape by working with the Partenopei during the break.

According to Il Mattino, Lukaku has even informed Napoli that he’d need from seven to ten days of individual work before returning to the club.

Sky Sport, however, says Napoli are unwilling to wait this much, so they will surely fine their striker and will even freeze him out of the team if he fails to return before next Tuesday.

Lukaku suffered a severe muscle injury in August and only returned to action in recent weeks. He has barely played 40 minutes in Serie A since his return, scoring one goal in seven appearances across all competitions.

The Italian press have had their say on Italy’s 2-0 World Cup play-off semi-final victory over Northern Ireland, and many feel that there were encouraging signs from Gennaro Gattuso’s side in their second-half performance after what was widely described as a difficult first 45. 

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How did the press in Italy react to Northern Ireland victory?

Italy beat Northern Ireland thanks to goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean in Bergamo on Thursday evening, and will now go on to challenge Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home for a spot in the final tournament on Tuesday night as a result. 

The Azzurri are the highest-ranked nation in the World that has not yet qualified for the World Cup, and despite being the second-most successful nation in the tournament’s history, Italy has not appeared in the competition since 2014. They have not featured in a knock-out game since winning the trophy in 2006 either. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport admits that this is not a brilliant Italy side compared to some of its great teams of years gone by, but says that there is enough individual quality, particularly from Tonali. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport also says that Gattuso’s side showed the required level team spirit against Northern Ireland, and that this is a quality that Gattuso has picked up from his former mentor Marcello Lippi. 

Similarly, Corriere dello Sport editor Ivan Zazzaroni suggests that Italy’s biggest strength heading into the Bosnia and Herzegovina play-off final will be its unity. 

He points to the team that won the European Championship in 2021: Despite the fact that there was arguably more quality in that side compared to the current squad, it was the togetherness that got the Azzurri over the line after coming into the final as underdogs against hosts England. 

The Italian newspapers are widely in agreement over the best performing Italy players against Northern Ireland on Thursday night. Tonali has stolen most of the headlines, Kean has earned praise for his goal as well, but Tuttosport has also singled out Matteo Politano for praise, while others have praised Pio Esposito and Marco Palestra for their showings off the bench. 

On the other hand, most papers agree that Mateo Retegui was the worst performing Italy player on the night, with most outlets handing him a score of 5/10.

France beat Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil 2-1 in an international friendly last night, but Juventus star Gleison Bremer scored his first goal for the Seleçao.

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Juventus defender Bremer scored his first goal for the Brazil national team last night, in his side’s 2-1 loss against France.

Les Blues took the lead at minute 32 with Kylian Mbappé, and Hugo Ekitike doubled their advantage in the 65th minute.

Bremer found the net at minute 78 from a free-kick routine, beating Milan star Mike Maignan with a right-footed volley.

Watch Bremer’s goal below.

BREMER DIMINUI O PLACAR PARA A SELEÇÃO!

Brasil 1×2 França pic.twitter.com/HQWIJlzCCE

— HTE Sports (@sportsHTE) March 26, 2026

Gleison

Primo gol per Bremer con la Nazionale brasiliana nell’amichevole contro la Francia pic.twitter.com/sOc5Bu7Lh6

— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) March 27, 2026

Defenders Sead Kolasinac and Tarik Muharemovic are the only Serie A players in the Bosnia and Herzegovina squad, which, however, is led by ex-Inter, Fiorentina and Roma star Edin Dzeko.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina will host Italy in Zenica next Tuesday for the World Cup play-off Final.

Dzeko’s teammates beat Wales away on penalties last night, while the Azzurri secured a 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland.

Dzeko himself played a key role in Bosnia’s win, scoring a late equaliser in the 86th minute that sent the game to extra time and then penalties.

A former Serie A star, 40-year-old Dzeko is Bosnia’s captain and leader with 73 goals in 147 matches at an international level.

He spent the first part of the season at Fiorentina, but left the Franchi in the January window to join Schalke 04, where he has netted six times in eight appearances in the 2. Bundesliga.

Dzeko, a former Premier League winner with Manchester City, has scored 107 goals in 279 Serie A matches, playing for Inter, Fiorentina and Roma.

Two other familiar faces in the Bosnia squad are Kolasinac (Atalanta) and Muharemovic (Sassuolo), two regular starters in the backline.

Kolasinac, 32, is one of the most experienced Serie A defenders, while Muharemovic is ten years younger and is in his first full season in Serie A.

He’s one of the most promising centre-backs in Italy’s top flight and has proved to be dangerous on both ends with two goals and two assists in 26 league games this term.

Muharemovic played the full 120 minutes for Bosnia against Wales, even producing a brilliant clearance in extra time, while Kolasinac was replaced at minute 62.

A product of the Juventus Academy, Muharemovic had already spoken about a possible meeting with Italy in the World Cup play-off Final this past December.

“I’m not worried, I’ll be waiting for you. At our home,” the Sassuolo defender told Gazzetta.

“I used to be more shy, and I was scared even when I was playing. I had a personality close to my mother’s. Now I’ve become tough like my father. He changed me. He made me understand that, as the older of two sons, when he was away from home, it was my responsibility to protect the family. In the same way, today I feel the duty to defend on the pitch, even the more experienced teammates.”

Another defender in the Bosnia and Herzegovina squad, Dennis Hadzikadunic, plays in Italy with Serie B side Sampdoria, on loan from Rostov.

Italy national team head coach Gennaro Gattuso says that he attempted to bring Sandro Tonali to Napoli during his spell in charge of the Partenopei, but claims that ‘Milan were better’ at the time. 

Gattuso praise for Tonali: ‘I only knew how to do one thing, he knows how to do several’

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Tonali broke the deadlock and sent Italy on their way to the World Cup play-off final with his goal during Thursday evening’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in Bergamo. The Azzurri will go on to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica on Tuesday night: A one-legged decider for a spot at the final tournament. 

Tonali earned praise from both sets of head coaches after Thursday’s win over Northern Ireland: Michael O’Neill describing him as potentially the best midfielder in the Premier League at the moment. 

Gattuso also had nothing but good things to say about the Newcastle United star during his post-match press conference, and says that he tried to bring him to Napoli back in 2020. 

“When he went to Milan, he called me and asked if he could take my no.8 jersey, a call that surprised me,” Gattuso told the press after full-time on Thursday night (via TMW).

“I was at Napoli, I tried to bring him with me, but Milan were better,” the CT admitted. 

“Over the years, our relationship has continued. There’s always been mutual respect. Sandro is a complete player. I only knew how to do one thing, but he knows how to do several.”

Reports in Italy claim that Juventus delegates were in Poland to watch Robert Lewandowski, who continues to be linked with a move to Turin once his contract with Barcelona comes to an end upon the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. 

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Juventus step up Lewandowski pursuit

Both Milan and Juventus have been linked with moves for 37-year-old Lewandowski in the wake of the success that 40-year-old former Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric has brought to San Siro this season. 

Lewandowski, who will turn 38 in August, is into the final few months of his contract with Barcelona, and has not yet decided either way as to his next career steps. 

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus sent representatives to Poland to watch their national team, who beat Albania 2-1 in their World Cup play-off semi-final thanks to goals from Lewandowski and Inter midfielder Piotr Zielinski, and will now go on to face Sweden in their final next week. 

The Pink Paper claims that Juventus are trying to ‘man-mark’ the Poland and Barcelona veteran, who also has interest in the United States. 

Lewandowski, to little surprise, is a high earner, reportedly earning around €12.5m on his current contract in Barcelona with bonuses included, which would make him the second-highest earner in Serie A this season. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that on top of their interest in Lewandowski, Juventus are also still hoping to tie Dusan Vlahovic down to a new contract on reduced wages, and that Randal Kolo Muani remains a strong option for the summer transfer window as well.

Fabio Capello feels that Italy showed ‘pride’ and that they ‘put their soul’ into Thursday night’s 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland, and feels that the Azzurri got the best possible set of results from the World Cup play-off semi-finals. 

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Gennaro Gattuso and his players took a step towards qualification for the 2026 World Cup after a 2-0 victory against Northern Ireland in the play-off semi-final in Bergamo on Thursday night. 

The Azzurri have set up a final date with Bosnia, who beat Wales on penalties in Cardiff just after the Italy vs. Northern Ireland game had come to an end. The decider will be played in Bosnia on Tuesday night. 

Capello: ‘I was screaming like a madman, Wales would have been a more difficult obstacle for Italy’

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport after Italy’s victory against Northern Ireland, Capello admitted that he: “was screaming like a madman on the sofa. For me, the national team is much more than any other team.” (via TMW)

Capello feels that Italy were too slow and that they did not play with enough intensity during the first half, and says that Northern Ireland: “put their bodies and focus into it. For a long time, they didn’t allow us to have any fluidity in the final 30 metres and so we struggled to create any danger.” 

As a result of their victory against Northern Ireland, Italy have set up a final clash away against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday night.

• Read more: Dimarco and Italy teammates divide opinions after celebrating Bosnia penalty win

Capello says that the upcoming opponents have: “Good technique and are definitely superior to Northern Ireland. But I have to be honest, in terms of spirit and pace, Wales would have been a more difficult obstacle, especially at their home.” 

Capello also gave his thoughts on one of his former ‘students’, Gattuso, who now has five wins and two defeats from his seven matches in charge of the national team. 

“I thought he looked a bit tense, which is normal, but also quite fired up on the bench” Capello said. “We saw a national team that put its soul into it and fought for it. As an Italian, I know well that we’ve had stronger teams in the past, of course, but what I can’t tolerate is a lack of pride, of competitiveness.”

Federico Dimarco and a handful of his Italy teammates have divided opinions online after appearing to celebrate Bosnia and Herzegovina’s penalty victory shootout against Wales in their World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday evening, with some accusing the Azzurri stars of being too ‘arrogant’. 

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Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo in their World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday evening and will now go on to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica in the final on Tuesday night after Edin Dzeko and his compatriots beat Wales in a penalty shootout in Cardiff. 

Italy stars accused of being too arrogant after Bosnia celebrations

Footage has emerged of a handful of Italy players including Dimarco, Guglielmo Vicario, Pio Esposito and a number of non-playing staff members celebrating Bosnia’s penalty shootout victory over Wales on Thursday evening, which happened just over half an hour after the game in Bergamo had come to an end. 

The Italy representatives were seen pumping their fists as Kerim Alajbegović converted the winning spot kick, sealing a 4-2 victory in the shootout. 

The reason behind the players’ celebrations is not entirely clear, but many feel that it is due to the fact that Italy will now face a lower-ranked opponent, given that Wales are currently 35th in the FIFA world rankings, while Bosnia and Herzegovina come in at 66th. 

This theory has drawn some negative comments towards the Italy players, with some supporters accusing them of being too arrogant ahead of the play-off final away against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday night.

“Look at this disrespect and arrogance by Italy. They were already celebrating after we won penalties. We will take this to account in Zenica,” wrote the account named Bosnian Football on X.

Look at this disrespect and arrogance by Italy. They were already celebrating after we won penalties. We will take this to account in Zenica!pic.twitter.com/P8DCNvpb39

— Bosnian Football (@BosniaNTBall) March 27, 2026

“It’s not right to celebrate now. We celebrate on Tuesday. We need respect for Bosnia and for the opponent we still have to face. We have to stay focused, we never go in convinced that we’re stronger,” an Italian supporter wrote.

There have, of course, been other theories. Some suggest that the Italy players might have been relieved to not have to play away against Wales in Cardiff, while some claim that the Inter players spotted in the footage were simply pleased for their former teammate, Dzeko, and his colleagues.

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Italy yes 

World Cup play-offs: Final in Bosnia on Tuesday 

Convincing second half, Northern Ireland beaten 2-0. Tonali unleashed: Scores and gifts the assist to Kean. Gattuso: ‘We wanted a victory like this’

The infinite Dzeko scores, and it tastes like Serie A 

The next opponents beat Wales on penalties

Corriere dello Sport 

And that’s that 

Italy in the final: Tonali and Kean to thank 

Bosnia on Tuesday | World Cup play-offs: The Azzurri beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo

Complicated start. Sandro and Moise drag the Nazionale through in the second half. Gattuso: ‘We suffered’. Now the decisive appointment in Zenica. Dzeko eliminates Wales on penalties (3-5)

Goodbye to Savoldi, who became ‘Mr 2 billion’ in 1975

Tuttosport 

Here we go 

2-0: Well done, but it’s not over

World Cup play-offs, Bergamo drags Italy through against Northern Ireland: Tonali and Kean take us to Bosnia 

The tension blocked them up for a while, but the Azzurri were transformed in the second half: Retegui misses a great opportunity, the Newcastle ace scores a great goal, Pio Esposito comes on and then the spectacular doubler from the Viola bomber arrives. Gattuso: ‘We made life difficult for ourselves, but we will play this final with faith’. Alajbegovic freezes Cardiff on penalties: Tuesday at 19.45 in Zenica

Goodbye mister 2 billion, the singer of goals 

The death of Savoldi

‘They tried to take Juve down but never succeeded

Possetto on the Tuttosport podcast

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Gennaro Gattuso gives his first comment after learning Italy will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off final. ‘There are a lot of experienced players, Wales are very different.’

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The Azzurri were forced to wait for quite a while after their 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland, as Edin Dzeko cancelled out the Welsh opener in Cardiff and forced extra time.

It remained 1-1 after 120 minutes and they could only be separated in a penalty shoot-out.

The final for a spot in the World Cup will be at the Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica on Tuesday March 31.

Gattuso preparing Italy for Bosnia trip

“It’s going to be a fiery atmosphere, though if we had gone to Cardiff, it would’ve been a similar situation,” said Gattuso in his press conference.

“There are a lot of experienced players in the Bosnia team, Wales are very different. Bosnia close up well, rely on their strikers, so it’ll be another very difficult game, much like the one we had tonight.”

It took until the 56^th minute for Italy to break Northern Ireland down with a Sandro Tonali strike from the edge of the area, then the Newcastle United midfielder set up Moise Kean for the second.

Did the Azzurri feel the pressure of being the favourites a bit too much?

“Aside from the pressure, we also made a mistake in the first half with Locatelli sitting too deep, we ended up with Mancini acting as a full-back, which was not what we had prepared at all,” confessed Gattuso.

“We needed to bring their midfielders forward and look for our strikers, but instead we kept passing it down the right for Politano to take his man on, occasionally on the left, but not enough.

“Northern Ireland surprised us too, as we expected them to be far more vertical, but they did try to pass it around. After 15-20 minutes, we realised that and moved better. Our mentality and our tactics in the first half were not what we wanted.”

The tension was palpable on the touchline, but Gattuso assured he tried to keep his usually abrasive manner under wraps.

“If you noticed, I was very calm in the first half. I was angry too, because for long spells we didn’t do what we had prepared. I explained we needed to go for the strikers and not sit so deep. We did much better after the restart, I realise these are games where you feel the tension and what is at stake,” continued the coach.

“The decision to come here in a smaller stadium was also wise, because if we’d been in a bigger place with 70,000 in the stands, trust me that a good 30 per cent would’ve started jeering at half-time. Instead, we did well to pick Bergamo, the fans helped us and they were fundamental in not putting more pressure on my players.”

Alessandro Bastoni had been a major doubt due to an ankle injury and he was the first player substituted soon after receiving a yellow card.

“I’ll be honest, Bastoni had been out for nearly three weeks and not even training in that time. He was booked, I preferred to not take any more risks, but the others are to be relied upon. Only Scamacca is carrying a knock, but he should be there too in the second game.

“In other situations, Bastoni would 99 per cent not have been risked from the start today. Now we’ve got to try to recover as quickly as possible and do as little damage as possible.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Wales away on penalties in the World Cup play-off semifinal, setting up a Final with Italy next Tuesday.

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The Azzurri beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo on Tuesday night with goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean, while Bosnia needed penalties to earn a spot in the Final, beating Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Wales took the lead with Daniel James at minute 51, but ex-Fiorentina, Inter and Roma star Edin Dzeko sent the game to extra time with a late goal at minute 86. With no goals scored in the additional 30 minutes, the match was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout.

Wales’ Karl Darlow stopped Ermedin Demirović’s opening penalty, but Brennan Johnson and Neco Williams both faltered afterwards, Johnson blasting his shot over the bar and Williams denied by Bosnian keeper Nikola Vasilj. Kerim Alajbegović scored the decisive penalty, sending his national team to the Final against the Azzurri.

The World Cup play-off Final between Bosnia and Italy will be played at the Bilino Polje in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Tuesday, March 31. The kick-off time has yet to be determined, but it will either be at 18:00 CET or 20:45 CET.

Tonali was the Man of the Match for Italy against Northern Ireland tonight as he not only scored the opener, but also provided the assist for Kean.

Marco Palestra made his senior Italy debut in a 2-0 World Cup play-off win over Northern Ireland. ‘I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.’

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The Azzurri took a while to break through the Northern Ireland defence in Bergamo, eventually getting there with Sandro Tonali’s strike from the edge of the area.

Tonali then set up Moise Kean to seal the 2-0 result, sending them through to the play-off final.

It was also a special day because Palestra came off the bench in the last few minutes for his senior Italy debut.

Palestra makes Italy debut at age 21

“This was a unique experience, especially because we won on my debut, so I’ll remember this for the rest of my life,” Palestra told RAI Sport.

It was even more special because he is a product of the Atalanta youth academy and still owned by the club, on loan to Cagliari, so debuted in his home stadium.

“I spent many years in Bergamo, so I am even happier because it was here. Training with players like this and Gennaro Gattuso as a coach is certainly remarkable, we’ve got to keep going like this.”

The play-off final will be away to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday March 31 for a place at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and USA.

“We have to feel confident, we know that we are up against a strong opponent, but also know what our quality is. If we play our game the way we can, then we will go through.”

Manuel Locatelli reveals what Gennaro Gattuso said during Italy’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland and feels ‘responsible for all those children out there’ supporting the Azzurri.

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The Nazionale took a step closer to participation in the 2026 World Cup by winning the semi-final in Bergamo, thanks to goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.

They still have to play in the final away from home on Tuesday March 31, but don’t yet know who against, because Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina have gone to extra time following their 1-1 draw.

Locatelli feels Italy responsibility

“We haven’t taken a weight off our shoulders yet, because we still have a play-off final to play,” Locatelli told RAI Sport.

“We haven’t achieved anything yet. It was a bit of a tense start, but the second half was much better. Now we need to play another great final.”

It remains to be seen who that will be against, because Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina have gone to extra time after their semi-final ended 1-1.

Gattuso said that Locatelli was too deep in the first half and pressed close to the defensive line.

“I had the feeling on the pitch that I could help the team more from there, but the coach told me to get into a more advanced role, and we did better in the second half,” replied the Juventus midfielder.

Italy were the favourites going in, but Locatelli reveals what Gattuso told his squad at half-time.

“The coach said: ‘You didn’t think it was going to be easy, did you?’ We must always have this unity and solidity, because hard work pays off in the end.

“We expected it to be tough, we are a great side and Gattuso is our leader. We are truly united, also thanks to all the suffering we’ve been through in recent years.

“Now there can be no alibis, we must play a great final. We need character, players who want the ball and have positive words for their teammates. We showed patience to break them down and we did it in the end. We also thank the fans for their patience today.”

Italy have missed out on the last two editions of the World Cup after losing play-offs in 2018 and 2022, so there are entire generations who never watched the Azzurri participate on the biggest stage in football.

“We know full well that we are responsible for all those children out there and the entire Italian football movement. We are certainly not lacking in motivation,” concluded Locatelli.

Moise Kean ‘felt the whole country was on my shoulders’ after scoring in Italy’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland, but they have ‘one more game to go’ for a World Cup ticket.

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The Azzurri went into the play-off semi-final with so much pressure as the favourites, but needed until the 56^th minute to finally break the deadlock with Sandro Tonali’s strike.

Tonali also provided the assist for the second goal, which Kean controlled with his right foot to cut inside the defender, placing the left-foot finish into the far bottom corner.

Kean sealed the Italy win

“There is one more game to go, we need one more step, but we are feeling positive and need to keep going,” Kean told Sky Sport Italia.

“Northern Ireland are a good team, we should’ve studied them a bit more. Our game was good tonight, now we set our minds to the next test.”

Italy have won all but one of their matches since Gattuso took over from Luciano Spalletti, but it was still not enough to snatch first place in the qualifying group from Norway.

“The coach has so much love for the Azzurri shirt, he pushes us to never give up.”

Kean admits he felt the pressure too, knowing that the Nazionale have missed the last two editions of the World Cup by losing play-offs in 2018 and 2022.

“I felt the whole country was on my shoulders, and it was wonderful when I scored, I hope to continue helping my team and my country.

“We are a strong side, and I want to keep giving my contribution.”

It remains to be seen who their opponents will be in the play-off final, because Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina have gone to extra time thanks to a late equaliser from Kean’s former Fiorentina teammate Edin Dzeko.

Watch Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean’s goals in Italy’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semifinal.

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Tonali and Kean scored a goal each in the second half to give Italy a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in Bergamo on Thursday night.

The Newcastle star opened the account with a shot from the edge of the box at minute 56 and assisted Kean for the Azzurri’s second goal at minute 80.

The Fiorentina star did the rest with a perfect ball control inside the box and a precise finish at the far post.

Italy will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off Final next Tuesday.

Advantage Italy!

Sandro Tonali with a thunderous opener for the hosts #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/d85EmorpEY

— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) March 26, 2026

Kean with number two!

Italy have one foot in the World Cup play-off final.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/7zhlfq9uGk

— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) March 26, 2026

• Read more – Player Ratings: Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland – Decisive Tonali, Kean’s efforts rewarded

Sandro Tonali admits Italy felt ‘tension’ during the 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland, but ‘have no option but to win’ in the World Cup play-off final.

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The Azzurri struggled to break Northern Ireland down at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo, until Tonali smashed in a strike from the edge of the area on 56 minutes, pouncing on a poor clearance.

The midfielder was also instrumental in the second goal, as his assist was controlled by Moise Kean for a precise angled drive in off the inside of the far post.

Tonali felt Italy nerves before breakthrough

“It felt like a replay of the game with Estonia in Bergamo. We didn’t create as many chances, but were against a very physical side that was dangerous on long balls, which we had suffered with recently,” Tonali told RAI Sport.

“We didn’t have many moments of quality, but we did well to make the most of them when we did.”

The pressure was immense on the Nazionale, who missed the last two editions of the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.

“There was some tension at the start of the second half, but after taking the lead, we really started to feel free of pressure with our mentality,” added Tonali.

“We focused on not giving them their strengths, and were concentrated on the set plays, so when we do that, it’s unlikely we’ll concede to this kind of team.”

Not Italy must wait to discover who they will play in the World Cup play-off final on Tuesday March 31, because Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina have gone to extra time.

“We’ve been feeling positive since the coach arrived, we’ve got to continue like this, there’s no other option but to win.

“I dedicate this goal to everyone, because we all deserve to go to the World Cup. We’ve done nothing yet, but it still feels like the most important goal of my career, along with the one for Milan against Lazio.”

Gennaro Gattuso admits ‘it was a struggle’ for Italy to beat Northern Ireland 2-0, but ‘now we go together into this final’ of the World Cup play-offs.

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The pressure was immense going into the semi-final in Bergamo, which only got worse as the clock ticked on with no breakthrough in sight.

Sandro Tonali finally managed to give them the lead against Northern Ireland with a low strike from the edge of the area, then his assist was knocked down and drilled into the far bottom corner by Moise Kean for 2-0.

Gattuso relief at Italy victory

“It was a struggle, this was not at all easy. They even surprised us, trying to make vertical passes, we could’ve done better,” Gattuso told RAI Sport.

“There was concentration, Locatelli went too deep, we were not developing the play properly or the way we had prepared, but we did well, and it was not to be taken for granted.

“We were too slow, Locatelli was pushed back, but we moved the ball quicker after the break, and now we have to play the final.

“It’s difficult, we knew this game was tough too, so now we must try to recharge the batteries.”

The Nazionale are only halfway there, because they will now have to face Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off final in Cardiff on Tuesday March 31.

That tie has gone to extra time, as Edin Dzeko cancelled out the Daniel James opener.

“The tension that we feel is the same that the other team feels. Obviously, those are two very different teams and different atmospheres await us, but we want to enjoy this moment now,” added Gattuso.

“We thank the fans of Bergamo once again, I heard very few jeers, we went into the locker room at half-time to applause. I thank the people of Bergamo and now we go together into this final.”

Italy are through to the World Cup play-off final, as Sandro Tonali scored one and assisted another for Moise Kean to break Northern Ireland down.

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The Azzurri went into this crucial match without Federico Chiesa, Mattia Zaccagni, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Gianluca Scamacca, but Alessandro Bastoni and Matteo Politano shook off knocks to start. Northern Ireland missed Ali McCann, Conor Bradley and Daniel Ballard, qualifying for the play-offs largely thanks to their Nations League results. The winners will face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off final away from home on March 31.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Federico Dimarco twice tested the goalkeeper at the near post early on, including a ferocious half-volley was parried at the near post and struck Mateo Retegui.

Ethan Galbraith slipped on the counter-attack and prodded a finish straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma when he should’ve passed to Isaac Price.

Retegui’s angled drive was also charged down by Ruari McConville, while Bastoni’s header was deflected just wide off Brodie Spencer.

Moise Kean blasted high and wide from the edge of the area, while Bastoni nodded over from another corner.

Retegui’s effort was straight at the goalkeeper, then after the restart a Riccardo Calafiori hopeful attempt with his weaker right foot was deflected into the arms of Pierce Charles.

Retegui should’ve scored when he was sent clear through the middle on a Northern Ireland error, but his first touch was poor and he clattered into the goalkeeper.

Moments later, Charles got down for a great fingertip save on the Kean angled drive.

The pressure paid off, as a Politano cross was headed clear by Isaac Price to the edge of the area, where Tonali let it bounce to smash in hard and low with his right foot on the half-volley.

Federico Gatti replaced Bastoni after a yellow card, but Kean forced another save with an angled drive after running down the right.

Advantage Italy!

Sandro Tonali with a thunderous opener for the hosts #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/d85EmorpEY

— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) March 26, 2026

Dimarco’s touch was too heavy as Riccardo Calafiori rolled across, but Gianluigi Donnarumma got away with a terrible pass intercepted by Donley.

Francesco Pio Esposito’s glancing header from a corner was cleared almost off the line by Hume with Calafiori ready to make sure behind him.

Kean went so close with an acrobatic overhead kick from Barella’s cross on a short corner, but it was just a warning, as moments later he made it 2-0.

Kean with number two!

Italy have one foot in the World Cup play-off final.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/7zhlfq9uGk

— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) March 26, 2026

Tonali was involved again with a ball over the top, Kean controlled with his right, used the bounce to turn inside his defender and sweep the left-foot snooker shot in off the inside of the far post.

Marco Palestra made his senior debut and showed his skill with a sensational take on Dimarco’s cross, but Pio Esposito couldn’t keep it in play.

In added time, a Northern Ireland free kick ricocheted around in the six-yard box, but nobody could finish it off.

Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland

Tonali 56 (I), Kean 80 (I)

26-03-2026 19:45

1/2 Final

Italy

Northern Ireland

2 - 0

Player statistic

2nd half

Sandro Tonali		56'
Alessandro Bastoni		58'
Moise Kean (Assist: Sandro Tonali)		80'

Match statistic

63

Possession %

37

19

Total shots

8

8

Shots on target

1

6

Shots off target

4

5

Blocked shots

3

12

Corners

3

2

Offsides

0

11

Fouls

8

Italy

Northern Ireland

Starting lineups

1

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Goalkeeper

21

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

63'

3

Federico Dimarco

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

13

Riccardo Calafiori

Defender

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

18

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

8

Sandro Tonali

Midfielder

83'

9

Mateo Retegui

Attacker

64'

7

Matteo Politano

Attacker

83'

11

Moise Kean

Attacker

88'

23

Pierce Charles

Goalkeeper

20

Brodie Spencer

Defender

79'

17

Paddy McNair

Defender

13

Ruairi McConville

Defender

5

Trai Hume

Defender

7

Ethan Galbraith

Midfielder

14

Isaac Price

Midfielder

15

Justin Devenny

Midfielder

19

Shea Charles

Midfielder

2

Terry Devlin

Midfielder

68'

10

Jamie Donley

Attacker

79'

Substitutes

16

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

4

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

22

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

6

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

20

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

17

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

12

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Federico Gatti

Defender

63'

15

Pio Esposito

Attacker

64'

14

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

83'

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

83'

10

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

88'

12

Conor Hazard

Goalkeeper

1

Bailey Peacock-Farrell

Goalkeeper

6

George Saville

Midfielder

22

Ciaron Brown

Defender

3

Eoin Toal

Defender

8

Callum Marshall

Attacker

16

Brad Lyons

Midfielder

9

Patrick Kelly

Midfielder

4

Tom Atcheson

Defender

11

Paul Smyth

Attacker

68'

21

Josh Magennis

Attacker

79'

18

Jamie Reid

Attacker

79'

Vincenzo Montella’s Turkiye have qualified for the World Cup play-off final, beating Romania 1-0, but Inter star Hakan Calhanoglu was subbed off in the dying minutes due to a suspected calf injury.

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There’s mixed news for Montella’s Turkiye who beat Romania in the World Cup play-off semifinal on Thursday, but lost Inter star Calhanoglu due to a possible calf injury.

As reported by Sky Sport Italia, Calhanoglu sustained his new injury setback while taking a shot from distance around minute 85 and was then subbed off five minutes later.

The problem seems to be with his left calf, the same calf Calhanoglu injured in January during Inter’s home game against Napoli, which sidelined him for over a month.

The extent of the injury remains to be seen, and Calhanoglu is in doubt for Turkiye’s World Cup play-off Final against either Kosovo or Slovakia next Tuesday.

The 32-year-old has had several fitness issues since the start of 2026, making just five Serie A appearances since January and missing six league games due to injuries.

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill explains how he aims to ‘cause Italy problems’ in tonight’s World Cup play-off, trying to rely on their ‘running power and athleticism.’

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It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The winner will be decided tonight after 90 minutes, extra time, or even a penalty shoot-out.

Whoever goes through can then face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final on Tuesday March 31.

O’Neill had Northern Ireland injury problems

Liverpool defender Conor Bradley is out with a knee injury and they lost Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard too.

“With the players that we have unavailable to us, I think the most important thing was to put as much running power and athleticism in the team, so that is what we tried to do,” O’Neill told BBC Sport.

“With Pierce coming back in, and obviously Brody Spencer coming in on the left hand side, Justin playing in the midfield area too.”

Midfielder Ali McCann has also been left out after the Preston midfielder failed a late fitness test.

“We knew earlier in the week it was a long shot, so it was disappointing when he came in, but he did everything possible to be fit and unfortunately didn’t make it,” noted O’Neill.

“We’re young, but I think this team is ready for the occasion. I wanted to put as much athleticism on the pitch as I could.”

Jamie Donley is confirmed upfront for Northern Ireland after scoring his first international goal against Luxembourg.

“He played well against Luxembourg, he’s a different proposition from the other strikers that we have, he can drop into areas, and it might be difficult for them to play against him with a back three.

“His link-up play is good, a young player with high potential.”

How do Northern Ireland feel they can cause Italy difficulties as underdogs in this match?

“We know what type of game it is, and obviously we’re going to have to be very disciplined, but we can cause them problems, especially on transitions, we’ve got the running power particularly in the midfield four and the wide areas to get up the pitch and retain the ball in transition with players who can cause them problems,” added O’Neill.

“It’s not difficult to give players a message for a game like this. We’re obviously delighted to be here at this stage of the competition, but we want to go to the next step. The players have been brilliant all week, there’s a steely determination in them, confidence as well, a belief.

“This is a young team with everything to gain, and hopefully we can take that next step.”

"We can always cause them problems"

Can Northern Ireland get the job done in Bergamo?

Watch, listen and follow live across BBC One NI, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/RFrwwIPDQv

— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) March 26, 2026

Italy swept North Macedonia aside 4-0 in their European Under-21 Championship qualifier, including Cher Ndour, Luca Lipani and Jeff Ekhator goals.

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The Azzurrini had won five of their six games in the group, losing away to Poland. They lost Marco Palestra and Niccolò Pisilli to the senior squad, with Francesco Camarda injured, but gave Honest Ahanor his first call days after his 18^th birthday made him eligible.

It took just a few minutes for the Nazionale to break the deadlock, as Davide Bartesaghi got down the flank and put in a cross for Fiorentina midfielder Cher Ndour’s header.

Luca Lipani was unlucky not to add a second on 13 minutes when his angled drive smacked against the inside of the far post on the Luigi Cherubini assist.

Jeff Ekhator’s back-heel flick was crucially deflected from six yards, but Lipani struck the woodwork for a second time with a header off the crossbar.

Italy did double their advantage straight after the restart, as it was third time lucky for Lipani with a shot from outside the area that squirmed into the far bottom corner off the inside of the right boot.

Play had barely resumed when the Nazionale added a third with Ekhator, who turned in at the near post from a Dagasso assist down the right. It might’ve been marginally offside, but with no VAR at this stage, the goal counted.

Luca Koleosho went on a mazy run before his shot was charged down, while Ndour’s effort was palmed away on the line.

Seydou Fini seemed to be tripped inside the penalty area, but in the absence of VAR, the referee waved play on.

However, another foul on Fini by Hamza was spotted by the officials and a penalty awarded late on, converted by Fini himself.

Italy 4-0 North Macedonia

Ndour 3 (I), Lipani 49 (I), Ekhator 50 (I), Fini pen 86 (I)

Italy U21: Palmisani; Favasuli (Kayode 46), Comuzzo, Chiarodia, Bartesaghi; Ndour, Lipani (Venturino 58), Dagasso; Cherubini (Fini 58), Ekhator (Raimondo 82), Koleosho (Cacciamani 74)

North Macedonia U21: Ljupke; Arizankoski, Meliqi, Djekov, Hamza; Angelov (Latifi 69), Maslarov (Sofijanoski 58); Danev (Stojanov 84), Durakov (Gjorgievski 58), Trajkov, Gashtarov

Gennaro Gattuso’s assistant Luigi Riccio insists Italy and their fans must not ‘get hysterical’ if they struggle to break Northern Ireland down early.

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It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The winner will be decided tonight after 90 minutes, extra time, or even a penalty shoot-out.

Whoever goes through can then face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final on Tuesday March 31.

Italy carry pressure of World Cup qualification

“For the moment, this is the best team that we feel is available to start, and we also have faith in those who can come off the bench and change the game,” assistant manager Riccio told RAI Sport.

Northern Ireland beat Slovakia in qualifying, also losing narrowly 1-0 to Germany and Slovakia in that group.

“They have strengths, as they caused difficulties for almost all opponents. We must do well in the final third and force them to make problematic choices.

“It’s also important that we are alert with preventative marking, to stop their transitions and long balls. We feel ready and positive.”

The big fear is that the result will remain at 0-0 and drag on until the tension becomes unbearable on the Azzurri and in the crowd.

“It would be ideal to break the deadlock early, but we must be prepared even if we don’t do that, so we don’t get hysterical,” concluded Gattuso’s assistant.

There will be a minute’s silence before kick-off for former Italy, Bologna, Napoli and Atalanta striker Beppe Savoldi.

Gennaro Gattuso warns Italy must ‘not talk about fear, but think positive’ in the World Cup play-off against Northern Ireland, but at the same time ‘respect’ their opponents.

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It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The winner will be decided tonight after 90 minutes, extra time, or even a penalty shoot-out.

Whoever goes through can then face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final on Tuesday March 31.

Gattuso calls for Italy positive thinking

Gattuso personally picked the Bergamo venue because he wanted the fans to be more supportive compared to bigger venues like San Siro or the Stadio Olimpico.

“We know it will start with a wonderful atmosphere, but then it’s up to us to show that we’re keeping that up and in the game,” the coach told RAI Sport.

It is beyond doubt that Italy are stronger on paper than Northern Ireland, but that can be a double-edged sword.

“When it comes to set plays, it all starts from scratch, they are very strong in these situations, and we must respect them,” noted Gattuso.

“In open play, we’ve got more, but we must not under-estimate them. What we need is patience. It is not a scandal, they believe in themselves and it is no fluke that Germany and Slovakia struggled to 1-0 wins over them in qualifying.

“Northern Ireland are tough, even if they aren’t that showy a team.”

Francesco Pio Esposito is on the bench, as Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui are chosen to lead the attack.

“We’re in good shape there, but what matters is having strikers who can also help develop the moves against a physically strong defence. We need to reach the final third in the right way to find those spaces.”

Considering Italy missed the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 by losing the play-offs to opponents who were weaker on paper, how can they turn fear into courage?

“The best thing is not to talk about fear,” replied Gattuso. “We must think positive, as many of these players were here four years ago, they know what they went through. Everyone must give 150 per cent.

“I can assure you, throughout this week, we never said the word fear. I am convinced that tonight people will be passionate and put themselves in front of the television cheering us on wildly.

“It is still up to us, we gave the fans so much disappointment and they are hungry for some joy.”

There will be a minute’s silence before kick-off for former Italy, Bologna, Napoli and Atalanta striker Beppe Savoldi.

Alessandro Bastoni and Matteo Politano start with Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui as Italy host Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semi-final.

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It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The winner will be decided tonight after 90 minutes, extra time, or even a penalty shoot-out.

Whoever goes through can then face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final on Tuesday March 31.

There will be a minute’s silence before kick-off for former Italy, Bologna, Napoli and Atalanta striker Beppe Savoldi.

The Nazionale have missed the last two editions of the World Cup, losing the play-offs to Sweden for 2018 and North Macedonia in 2022.

There were some injury doubts going in, and Gianluca Scamacca has been left in the stands along with Andrea Cambiaso, Nicolò Cambiaghi, Diego Coppola and Elia Caprile.

Both Inter defender Bastoni and Napoli winger Politano got the all-clear and are in the starting XI, preferred to Marco Palestra, with Riccardo Calafiori, Sandro Tonali and Gianluca Mancini also shaking off knocks.

Kean and Retegui are confirmed as the attacking partnership, with Francesco Pio Esposito ready to come off the bench.

Players who were forced to withdraw due to injuries or not called up at all include Federico Chiesa, Mattia Zaccagni, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Matteo Gabbia, Guglielmo Vicario and Nicolò Rovella.

Northern Ireland had some major issues too, as Liverpool defender Conor Bradley is out with a knee injury and they lost Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard too.

Midfielder Ali McCann has also been left out after the Preston midfielder failed a fitness test.

This means only three of the players in the 28-man squad belong to a top division club.

Coach Michael O’Neill is simultaneously in charge of the Northern Ireland national team and of English Championship side Blackburn Rovers, a role he took on February 13.

They qualified for the play-offs thanks largely to their Nations League promotion to League B, finishing third in their World Cup qualifying group behind Germany and Slovakia.

They beat Slovakia 2-0, along with victories over Luxembourg, losing only 1-0 to both Germany and Slovakia last year.

Their most valuable players are Sunderland right-back Trai Hume, Crystal Palace midfielder Justin Devenny and Southampton’s Shea Charles.

Northern Ireland participated in three editions of the World Cup in 1958, 1982 and 1986.

Italy vs. Northern Ireland line-ups

Italy: Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui

Italy bench: Carnesecchi, Meret, Palestra, Spinazzola, Buongiorno, Gatti, Scalvini, Pisilli, Cristante, Frattesi, Raspadori, Esposito

Northern Ireland: P Charles; Hume, McNair, McConville; Devlin, S Charles, Galbraith, Devenny, Spencer; Price; Donley

Northern Ireland bench: Peacock-Farrell, Hazard, Toal, Atcheson, Saville, Marshall, Kelly, Smyth, Lyons, Reid, Magennis, Brown

Ref: Makkelie (NED)

26-03-2026 19:45

1/2 Final

Italy

Northern Ireland

2 - 0

Player statistic

2nd half

Sandro Tonali		56'
Alessandro Bastoni		58'
Moise Kean (Assist: Sandro Tonali)		80'

Match statistic

63

Possession %

37

19

Total shots

8

8

Shots on target

1

6

Shots off target

4

5

Blocked shots

3

12

Corners

3

2

Offsides

0

11

Fouls

8

Italy

Northern Ireland

Starting lineups

1

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Goalkeeper

21

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

63'

3

Federico Dimarco

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

13

Riccardo Calafiori

Defender

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

18

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

8

Sandro Tonali

Midfielder

83'

9

Mateo Retegui

Attacker

64'

7

Matteo Politano

Attacker

83'

11

Moise Kean

Attacker

88'

23

Pierce Charles

Goalkeeper

20

Brodie Spencer

Defender

79'

17

Paddy McNair

Defender

13

Ruairi McConville

Defender

5

Trai Hume

Defender

7

Ethan Galbraith

Midfielder

14

Isaac Price

Midfielder

15

Justin Devenny

Midfielder

19

Shea Charles

Midfielder

2

Terry Devlin

Midfielder

68'

10

Jamie Donley

Attacker

79'

Substitutes

16

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

4

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

22

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

6

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

20

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

17

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

12

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Federico Gatti

Defender

63'

15

Pio Esposito

Attacker

64'

14

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

83'

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

83'

10

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

88'

12

Conor Hazard

Goalkeeper

1

Bailey Peacock-Farrell

Goalkeeper

6

George Saville

Midfielder

22

Ciaron Brown

Defender

3

Eoin Toal

Defender

8

Callum Marshall

Attacker

16

Brad Lyons

Midfielder

9

Patrick Kelly

Midfielder

4

Tom Atcheson

Defender

11

Paul Smyth

Attacker

68'

21

Josh Magennis

Attacker

79'

18

Jamie Reid

Attacker

79'

{rsn-live-v2}

Juventus winger Francisco Conceicao was asked about reports he is on the Liverpool list to replace Mohamed Salah. ‘I play for a big club where I am happy.’

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The Portugal international is currently in Cancun ahead of a friendly match against Mexico, as his nation gear up for the 2026 World Cup this summer.

Conceicao targeted by Liverpool as Salah heir

His characteristics make him a potential candidate to fill the shoes of Salah, who announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the current campaign.

He was asked about these rumours during an official press conference and insisted he was in absolutely no rush to make the move to the Premier League.

“I know people talk about it being a great club, but I play for a big club where I’m happy,” replied Conceicao.

“Right now I’m only focused on these two games we have with the national team, and then I’ll concentrate on the final stretch of the championship to help my club as much as possible.”

A great deal of his future could well defend on whether Juventus manage to qualify for the Champions League, as they are currently battling Como and Roma for fourth place in the Serie A table.

“I’m at a big club where the pressure to win is immense. I just have to keep working and contributing with goals and assists,” he added.

Conceicao has four goals and three assists in 34 competitive appearances for Juve so far this season.

He had already been on loan from FC Porto last term and made it permanent for a fee of €30.4m, signing a five-year contract.

Now he hopes to be a part of the Portugal squad going to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico.

“It’s a dream and a goal, and I will do everything to be there. My goal is to help with goals and assists, that’s what I try to do.

“I must continue to show every day that I have the ability to help the National Team and be helped by them to continue to evolve.”

Reports in the UK claim that Manchester United are growing increasingly keen on the idea of signing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle this summer, and that the Red Devils will prioritise the purchase of the Italy international over the likes of Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton.

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Manchester United expected to bid for Tonali in the summer

According to reports from MailOnline’s chief Football reporter Craig Hope, Manchester United are expected to make a ‘formal approach’ for Tonali once the 2025-26 season comes to an end. 

The former Milan midfielder sits atop a midfield shortlist that also includes Nottingham Forest’s Anderson, linked with a move to Manchester City, and fellow England international Wharton of Crystal Palace. 

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is also said to have ‘added his support’ to an approach for Tonali this summer. 

Prizing Tonali away from Newcastle will be an expensive affair, though. He remains under contract at St. James’s Park for another three years, and has an option to extend for an additional 12 months. 

Reports in Italy suggest that Newcastle could seek a fee in the region of €90m for Tonali this summer, which will likely price the interested Serie A sides out of the equation, including Juventus. 

Manchester United could be in a prime position to snatch Tonali away from Newcastle, though, given the financial resources available to them and the fact that they are closing in on a guaranteed spot in next season’s Champions League. 

Newcastle, meanwhile, look set to miss out on European football altogether next season as they currently find themselves in 12th place in the Premier League table with seven league games of the season left to go.

Supporters have been sharing their thoughts and opinions ahead of Italy’s World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday evening, but not everybody will be cheering on the Azzurri, as some Italians appear to be rooting for tonight’s opponents, Northern Ireland: ‘Go on, send Gravina home’. 

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Italy are hosting Northern Ireland at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo for the World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday evening. The winner of tonight’s tie will go on to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home in the play-off final on Tuesday night. 

Despite having four World Cup trophies in the cabinet, bettered only by Brazil, the Azzurri have not qualified for the final tournament since 2014 and have not featured in the knock-out stages since beating France in the 2006 final. 

If Italy fail to win both of their matches this international break, they will miss out on the World Cup for the third tournament cycle in a row.  

Italy supporters’ opinions ahead of Northern Ireland play-off

Plenty of Azzurri supporters have sent their best wishes to the national team ahead of Thursday night’s play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland, but give frustrations with the national team and the FIGC over the last decade, and with some club loyalties coming into play, not all Italians appear to be behind Gennaro Gattuso and his players. 

“Come on Northern Ireland, we’re with you! Send Gravina home,” one disgruntled supporter wrote on X, frustrated with the team’s performance under the current FIGC President. 

“Northern Ireland have never had as many fans as this,” another joked.

“We’ll only support Italy when Gravina resigns, so come on Northern Ireland,” another added.

Another wrote: “Today more than ever, Forza Northern Ireland. So that these idiots who hold the top positions in Italian football can definitively go and f*** themselves. Go on the Belfast Boys.” 

One supporter wrote: “The national team with Bastoni and Gravina is not my national team. Forza Northern Ireland.” 

Not all Italy supporters share the same opinions, though: “Us Italians with brains are all behind you. The sell-outs on the other hand will keep jeering as always. Seeing them put down makes us enjoy it three times more,” one supporter wrote on X. 

Another added: “Never seen a country hate its national team so much as Italy. No wonder the main issue is mental. Who wouldn’t be in this situation with ‘fans’ like these. Forza Italia sempre.” 

Other fans are more confident, while some feel that Italy will have no issues getting past Northern Ireland, but may run into trouble away from home should they qualify for the final. Others are feeling a whole mix of emotions rolled into one. 

“Feel ok today. If we can’t beat N Ireland at home then we just don’t deserve to go. Period. Nothing to worry about,” one fan wrote.

“Knots in my stomach. I’m optimistic we get to Tuesday at the very least,” another fan added. Similarly, another fan claimed: “Today, in some way, we will win. But I’m scared for Tuesday.”

“We can’t afford to stay out of the World Cup for the third time. Italy needs to reclaim its place,” another supporter wrote on X.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has joined up with his Italy teammates at their training camp ahead of the crucial World Cup play-off campaign that kicks off on Thursday night, and is expected to stay with the squad for the remainder of the international break, despite having surgery at the beginning of this week. 

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Vicario meets up with Italy squad despite surgery on Monday

Vicario was not included in Gennaro Gattuso’s list of 28 players for the World Cup play-offs taking place over the next week, beginning with Thursday evening’s semi-final at home against Northern Ireland. Should Italy overcome the Green and White Army, they will go on to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home on Tuesday night (March 31) for a spot at the final tournament.

Tottenham later confirmed that the reason behind Vicario’s absence from the Italy squad was due to a hernia issue, and that the former Empoli stopper would have surgery during the international break to minimise the impact of his absence at club level. 

Vicario has been Italy’s second-choice for most of the last few years, and was not expected to start ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma for the crucial play-off matches anyway. 

Vicario had his operation on Monday and updated his supporters with a message on his Instagram story that read: “See you soon”. 

Less than three days after his operation, Vicario is back in Italy and has joined up with his Italy national team colleagues in a show of support and togetherness. 

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Vicario took a private flight over to Italy on Wednesday evening and will stay with the Italy squad for the remainder of the international break, which for Italy, will come to an end after Tuesday night’s match, which will either be a play-off final or a friendly depending on the outcome of Thursday night’s match against Northern Ireland.

At that point, Vicario will return to London to continue his recovery process. Tottenham have stated that they hope to have the goalkeeper back and available ‘within a month’.

There is a growing possibility that both Roma and Premier League side Everton end up qualifying for the same European competition at the end of the 2025-26 season, which could result in one of them being excluded due to the fact that both sides are under the same ownership. 

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Roma and Everton at ‘risk’ of qualifying for the same competition

Dan Friedkin is the majority shareholder of both Roma and Everton, holding 95.97% of the Giallorossi shares and 94.1% of shares in the Premier League club. 

As things stand, both sides are competing for a spot in UEFA competitions for 2026-27 in their respective domestic leagues. Roma are currently sixth in Serie A, which would be enough for a Europa League finish, but are still hoping for a Champions League spot, and currently sit just three points behind Como in fourth. 

Everton, meanwhile, are eighth in the Premier League, level on points with Brentford in seventh. Like Roma, they are also three points away from a Champions League spot, given that the Premier League is expected to receive five UCL places again in 2026-27. 

However, under UEFA regulations, no individual or legal entity is permitted to have a decisive influence over more than one club competing in its competitions.

That means that if both Roma and Everton were to qualify for the same European competition next season, whether that be the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League, one team would either be demoted to a lower-ranking competition, or potentially excluded altogether. 

Just last season, Premier League side Crystal Palace had qualified for the Europa League as a result of their FA Cup win, but were then demoted to the Conference League given that they were under the same ownership as Ligue 1 side Lyon, who had already qualified for the Europa League. 

If Roma and Everton were to qualify for the same competition, UEFA would be expected to give preference to the side that finished highest in its respective national league. If there is no difference, the place should be awarded to the club whose federation ranks highest on the UEFA access list.

Italy will play Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semi-final on March 26, while the potential final will be played away against Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31.

The March international break marks a crucial moment for the Azzurri as Gennaro Gattuso’s boys will be tasked with qualifying for the World Cup after missing the previous two editions in 2018 and 2022.

The semi-final will be played at home in Bergamo against Northern Ireland on March 26, while the potential final is an away fixture against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Both semi-finals will be played on March 26 at 20:45 CET. Football Italia will provide live updates via a live blog, but you can also follow live action through the livescore app.

Oddly, if Italy fail to beat Northern Ireland, they’ll still play a second game during the March break, also on March 31, but against the loser of the Wales-Bosnia and Herzegovina game.

It goes without saying that the game against Northern Ireland is beyond crucial for the Azzurri.

After missing out on qualification in 2018 and 2022, Italy cannot afford another fiasco, especially as one of the most successful countries in the competition, with four World Cup victories, just one behind Brazil.

Inevitably, pressure is mounting on the Azzurri, who will start preparations for the semi-final on March 23 at their training centre in Coverciano.

Gattuso was hired less than a year ago to replace Luciano Spalletti and has won five of six, losing the most recent one to Norway 4-1 at San Siro.

Italy legend Gigi Buffon, one of the 2006 Italy World Cup winners alongside Gattuso, had a role in the coach’s appointment as the Azzurri’s delegation chief.

Buffon, however, has already announced that he’ll step down from his role if the Azzurri fail to qualify for the World Cup.

“I’m always the first to take responsibility for everything. I’ll step aside if a scapegoat needs to be found,” said the legendary goalkeeper in a recent interview.

“I’ll pack up and go home. Is that the problem? What kind of reasoning is that? It drives me crazy. There’s never any effort to understand whether a professional actually has values or is capable. Instead, it’s like flipping a coin; if things go well, everyone is great, if they go badly, everyone is useless. I find this way of thinking and making choices embarrassing, but apparently it’s fine.

“We need to be constructive and optimistic and not always act like harsh critics,” he continued.

“In my opinion, it shows very little love, not just for the national team, but for the nation itself. In Italy, football isn’t just about sport; it’s about something more. It has much greater value. Now that we’re facing more difficulties, people should support us, yet instead they attack us. That bothers me.”

Italy began preparations for the World Cup play-off on Monday, March 23.

Coach Gattuso held a press conference to explain his squad selection and even why the semi-final against Northern Ireland will be played in Bergamo, rather than in a bigger stadium, such as San Siro.

“I chose the stadium. I want to thank the President and Buffon for letting me decide. I believe that when you go to a 60,000-seat stadium like San Siro, there are Inter and Milan fans, and they might start booing after a few wrong passes. Playing in a smaller stadium will likely give us a better atmosphere,” Gattuso said.

“They did so in my first game as Italy’s coach, despite finishing the first half with a 0-0 draw. We hope to create a real cauldron-like atmosphere and that we haven’t messed things up.

“Thursday’s game is the only target. All the rest is the past, and I think we have a great chance.

“All players who are here are aware of what we play for and how important this game is,” continued the Azzurri boss.

“We do what we have to in order to get to the game with great tranquillity; there’s no need to suffocate them. These are players who have won a lot, played Champions League Finals, and won the Euros with the Azzurri shirt. I strongly believe in our players. It takes great confidence because these players are accustomed to playing these games, so we must have the right mentality and serenity.

“We must get to this game with great desire, be clear-headed and smell the danger. We respect the opponents, they run so much, they have a big heart and are scary from set pieces.”

Federico Chiesa was initially included in the team but ultimately pulled out due to not being fully fit, so Gattuso called up Bologna’s Nicolò Cambiaghi instead.

Inter star Alessandro Bastoni missed the last two games at a club level, but should be eligible to play in the World Cup play-off semi-final for the Azzurri as he continued to recover from a fibula injury at the Azzurri training centre, Coverciano.

Como director, Carlalberto Ludi says there is a ‘high probability’ that Nico Paz will spend another year at the club and is also confident about Cesc Fabregas’ stay ‘until something extraordinary happens.’

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Argentine talent Nico Paz has been among the best Serie A players this season, prompting several media outlets to claim that Real Madrid would re-sign him at the end of the season.

During an interview with Radio Radio Lo Sport, however, Como’s sporting director Ludi said he was confident Paz would spend another season at the Stadio Sinigaglia.

“There is a high probability that Nico Paz will stay with us for another year,” Ludi said via Calciomercato.com.

As previously stated by Como President Mirwan Suwarso, a decision on Nico Paz’s future is entirely up to Real Madrid, as the Merengues have an option to re-sign the Argentine until 2027 and can match any offer Como receive in the same period.

“It’s always the same story. We cannot control the will of others,” Ludi continued.

“We are happy with him [Nico Paz], and he is very happy with us. Any European competition would play in our favour. The chances of him staying are still high today, even if the World Cup has to be considered too.”

Como sit fourth in the Serie A table with a three-point lead over Juventus and Roma, so even the Azzurri’s coach, Cesc Fabregas, has been subject to speculation.

“We have already talked several times. Right now, we are in a sweet spot. There is total alignment between what he wants to do and Como,” Ludi concluded.

“We want to continue growing, and we make resources available to him without limits. Until something extraordinary happens on the market concerning him, we will move forward together. We can talk about what we offer him, not what others might offer. At this moment, we have no fear that he might leave us.”

Former Juventus star Alessio Tacchinardi says that the current Bianconeri side need a clearer process and hierarchy when it comes to penalty kicks, and believes that Luciano Spalletti is the right man to take Juventus forwards along as he gets the signings he requires: ‘He can’t be expected to perform miracles without them’. 

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Tacchinardi on Juventus’s season, Locatelli’s captaincy and Spalletti’s future

Tacchinardi discussed all things Juventus in a recent interview with Sport Mediaset. 

It has been a season of ups and downs for the Old Lady, who currently find themselves in fifth place with eight games to go, locked into a battle with Como and Roma for a spot in Serie A’s Champions League positions. 

Tacchinardi feels that there are still a few clear issues for Juventus to resolve, though: “We lack ambition, positivity. The team never manages to play with its chest out, with charisma or personality, that’s what’s lacking today.” 

Tacchinardi was asked what he makes of Manuel Locatelli as a Juventus captain. 

He said: “I was excited against Galatasaray. I liked what I saw from him and I thought Juve had found a real captain. However, he lacks that bit of malice to drag the team over the line. It’s wrong to criticise his penalty kick (against Sassuolo), though. He scored the decisive one to get them to the Champions League last season. It’s all the others that don’t go down well. 

“In my time, Del Piero took them, period. Trezeguet, Nedved, Ibrahimovic and all these other star players arrived, but when there was a penalty, nobody disturbed Del Piero. 

“A penalty taker needs that calmness. Today at Juve, one takes the ball, another speaks to him, one asks the other what they think and Locatelli is left watching on. It’s got to be destabilising, it’s a big mistake from the Bianconeri.” 

Tacchinardi was asked if head coach Spalletti is the one responsible for the messy pre-penalty routine. 

“Yes, but I’m not inside the dressing room,” he replied. “If Spalletti says that Locatelli takes the penalty, the others have to be stopped.”

Tacchinardi was also asked if he feels that Spalletti is the right man to bring Juventus forwards. 

Spalletti is currently on a short-term contract until the end of the 2025-26 season and an extension beyond the summer has not yet been officially announced. Recent reports indicate that the parties are closing in on an agreement, but only until the end of the 2026-27 season with a potential option to extend. 

“I had dinner with him. There was me, him, Ferrara and Del Piero. When I left, I hoped he would go on to become the head coach of Juventus,” said Tacchinardi. 

“He has everything to get them back to a high level, but he needs players with personality, depth and charisma. He can’t be expected to perform miracles without them.” 

Tacchinardi was also asked if he thinks Juventus will qualify for next season’s Champions League. The Bianconeri are fifth with eight games of the season left to go, three points behind Como in fourth. 

“I have a lot of doubts, they can’t afford any missteps, they’ve already had too many,” Tacchinardi says. “They need the Champions League, especially if they want to have a big window.” 

Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly interested in Manchester United-owned striker Marcus Rashford as Barcelona are unsure about signing the Englishman permanently.

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Milan follow Rashford amid Barcelona’s ‘backtrack’

Caughtoffside reports that Milan and PSG are monitoring Rashford’s situation at Barcelona, as the Catalans are unsure whether to make the striker’s move permanent in the summer.

The La Liga giants have a €30m clause to sign Rashford permanently from Manchester United, and only a few months ago, they seemed willing to activate it.

A source with direct knowledge of the matter has now said that Barcelona are “backtracking” on Rashford, although it remains unclear whether the Catalans are unwilling to retain him or are simply trying to negotiate a lower fee for a permanent transfer.

According to the source, Barcelona’s finances are “an issue” for the Catalans, although Rashford is expected to push to stay at the club beyond the summer.

Milan and PSG will continue to monitor the situation in the coming months, as both sides have previously shown interest in the striker.

Rashford, 28, has scored ten goals and provided 13 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions this season.

Sky Sport Italia reports that Romelu Lukaku could receive a hefty fine for remaining in Belgium without the club’s approval, but the striker will likely face consequences on the pitch as well.

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Lukaku has infuriated Napoli after deciding to remain in Belgium following his withdrawal from the national team without the club’s approval.

The 32-year-old will reportedly spend the next few days in Antwerp to train at the same clinic where Kevin De Bruyne recovered from a high-degree muscle injury in previous months.

According to Sky, Lukaku faces consequences both on and off the pitch after breaking one of the club’s internal rules.

The ex-Inter, Roma and Chelsea striker will likely receive a hefty fine given that he was expected to return to the Napoli training centre today.

Talks between the club and the player’s camp are reportedly ongoing, but according to Sky, Lukaku seems unwilling to return to Naples before next week.

Coach Antonio Conte has also taken time off during the break, but in agreement with the club, so training sessions at Castelvolturno are currently led by his assistant Cristian Stellini.

Lukaku’s decision has upset the club and Conte equally, and the Belgian is expected to face an uphill climb to secure consistent playing time in the second part of the campaign.

Due to a severe muscle injury suffered in August, Lukaku has only recently made his 2025-26 debut, playing barely 60 minutes across seven competitions and scoring one goal.

Sky notes that Lukaku’s decision will likely lead to even less playing time, which might put his spot in the Belgium squad for the World Cup in danger.

Italy legend Christian Vieri agrees with Gennaro Gattuso that Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui form the ideal strike partnership for tonight’s World Cup play-off semifinal against Northern Ireland.

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Vieri ‘optimistic’ about Italy

The Azzurri host Northern Ireland in Bergamo in the World Cup play-off semifinal tonight.

Italy have not qualified for the World Cup since 2014, and will face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away if they progress to the Final. Will they secure a qualification this time?

“Nobody knows, but I’m optimistic,” Vieri told Corriere della Sera via Calciomercato.com.

“We are Italy, and we must make it. Finally, we play this play-off, and we must do it with energy and positivity.

“Northern Ireland is motivated; they haven’t played at a World Cup for 40 years, and it’s a team that runs a lot,” continued the ex-striker.

“But we play in Bergamo and the whole stadium will be blue. We must be charged and have a great desire, and honestly, the players have it. Another World Cup without Italy would not be okay.”

Gattuso is expected to start Retegui and Kean in attack tonight.

“They have scored a lot, and they deserve trust,” Vieri agreed.

“I’d see Pio Esposito better coming on during the game. He’s our future, but let’s not put pressure on him. There are very few players this good at 20,” the ex-Azzurri star agreed.

“He moved naturally from Spezia to playing at San Siro, where the whole world watches you. In Italy, there’s too much pressure. If Yamal has a bad game in Spain, nobody says anything. Here, all hell breaks loose.”

Reports in France claim that Juventus winger Francisco Conceicao is among the potential options for Liverpool to replace Mohamed Salah, who has announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of the 2025-26 season. 

RMC: Juventus’s Conceicao is a potential Salah replacement at Liverpool

Liverpool confirmed on Tuesday that they have an agreement in place with Salah, allowing him to leave the club after nine seasons, two Premier League titles, three Champions League finals and FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup winners’ medals to his name. 

Speculation over a potential replacement for the Egyptian superstar has already begun, and reports in France claim that Juventus’s Conceicao is one of the names on the Liverpool shortlist. 

There are several other high-profile stars of interest to the reigning Premier League champions, including the likes of Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Yan Diomande, but RMC Sport claims that Conceicao is also a potential target. 

Conceicao is currently under contract with Juventus until the summer of 2030. He originally joined the Bianconeri on loan for a fee of €7m plus bonuses for the 2024-25 season. Though this deal technically did not include a buy option, Juventus were still able to make the deal permanent for a fee of €30.4m in the summer of 2025.

Since then, the Portugal international has provided three goals and three assists from 22 Serie A appearances this campaign.

Multiple sources in Italy claim that ‘irritated’ Napoli could take disciplinary measures against Romelu Lukaku, who has decided to train in Belgium until next week without the club’s consent.

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Lukaku infuriates Napoli

Belgium international Lukaku has not returned to Naples, where he was expected to resume training this morning.

Several sources, including Sky, Il Mattino and Repubblica, claim that Lukaku was due to return to the club’s training centre after informing Belgium national team coach Rudi Garcia that he was not fit to face Mexico and the USMNT in international friendlies during the break and needed more time to get back in shape.

According to Sky, Lukaku is unwilling to return to Naples before next week.

He was expected to return this morning to continue training under Antonio Conte’s assistant, Cristian Stellini, as Conte himself has taken some time off and will return to Naples in the coming days.

Lukaku, on the other hand, has decided to remain in Antwerp to work on his full recovery at the same clinic where his compatriot and teammate, Kevin De Bruyne, was treated in recent months.

Lukaku, 32, suffered a high-degree muscle injury during the pre-season in August and has only played 64 minutes across seven appearances this term, scoring one goal.

According to Repubblica, Napoli could take disciplinary measures against their striker, who chose to remain in Belgium without the club’s consent.

The injured Gianluca Scamacca has not been included in Italy’s squad list to face Northern Ireland, but Gennaro Gattuso has also dropped Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso and three more.

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Italy CT Gattuso has named his squad list for tonight’s World Cup play-off semifinal against Northern Ireland.

As reported by TMW, Scamacca’s omission has been confirmed as the Atalanta striker had been training separately at Coverciano over the last few days.

Four more players had to be cut from the squad list, and Gattuso has decided to drop Cambiaso, the goalkeeper Elia Caprile, the defender Diego Coppola, and the winger Nicolò Cambiaghi.

The latter joined the team on Monday to replace Federico Chiesa.

With Politano expected to start as a right midfielder and Cambiaso dropped, Atalanta-owned Marco Palestra, currently on loan at Cagliari, has been picked as a backup for the right flank.

The 21-year-old has earned his first senior international call-up and is now eligible to feature for the Azzurri for the first time.

Official Italy squad list for Northern Ireland clash

Goalkeepers: Donnarumma (Manchester City), Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Meret (Napoli). 

Defenders: Palestra (Cagliari), Dimarco (Inter), Spinazzola (Napoli), Buongiorno (Napoli), Calafiori (Arsenal), Gatti (Juventus), Scalvini (Atalanta), Bastoni (Inter), Mancini (Roma). 

Midfielders: Locatelli (Juventus), Tonali (Newcastle United), Pisilli (Roma), Cristante (Roma), Frattesi (Inter), Barella (Inter). 

Strikers: Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Raspadori (Atalanta), Kean (Fiorentina), Esposito (Inter), Politano (Napoli)

Former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli is ‘optimistic’ about tonight’s game against Northern Ireland, particularly because of Gennaro Gattuso’s ‘new’ approach, but warns that opponents deserve respect: ‘If you think it’s easy, then it will all become more difficult.’

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Italy host Northern Ireland in Bergamo in a massive World Cup play-off semifinal tonight.

“I’m optimistic for a simple reason: Gattuso has chosen a new path that will give great results, I’m sure about it,” Prandelli, a former Italy coach and 2012 Euro Finalist, told Gazzetta.

“He’s had a direct relationship with the players. They didn’t even give him a stage, two days to spend with the team. So what did he do? He toured Italy and Europe, meeting all his players.

“At lunch, for dinner, like being among friends, not necessarily talking about football. It’s easy for him because he’s a nice person who pays attention to these nuances.”

Prandelli can already see the positive effects of Gattuso’s approach: “The players feel they are part of a family, a united group, where some things matter more than tactics,” he said.

“Because of any incident, like a goal conceded after one minute, or hitting the post, any project is blown up, but the group remains.

“Historically, when we win, it is because the team spirit has been created. The Azzurri no longer felt abandoned; while around them, that was the feeling. Rino could not work with them until Monday, so he decided to proceed differently.”

Italy are the clear favourites in tonight’s clash, but this doesn’t mean the opponent should be overlooked.

“We are superior, but the same was true in the past, and we were left disappointed,” Prandelli concluded.

“Now everyone expects success, but football doesn’t work this way. Our opponents deserve the utmost respect. If you think it’s easy, then it will all become more difficult.”

Mateo Retegui will step up if Italy are awarded a penalty against Northern Ireland, but who else would take responsibility if the match goes to a shootout after 120 minutes?

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Italy host Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semifinal tonight and will be hoping to qualify for the final without having to play 120 minutes or more.

Gennaro Gattuso has already confirmed that Retegui will take the penalty if Italy are awarded one tonight. The CT also said that each player took three penalties each on the eve of the game.

Retegui has already converted a penalty kick against Israel, but missed one against Estonia.

As reported by Gazzetta, the likes of Moise Kean, Matteo Politano, Sandro Tonali, and Manuel Locatelli are the most likely to step up if the game goes to a shootout, but the Azzurri will surely want to avoid this outcome.

Over the last two years at Fiorentina, Kean has scored three penalty kick goals and missed one.

Politano has taken four penalty kicks for Napoli, all in Coppa Italia shootouts, without missing.

Tonali has not taken penalty kicks for Newcastle, but scored two from two at Milan.

Locatelli missed the most recent penalty kick taken with Juventus, but had scored the previous two this season.

Gianluca Mancini missed a penalty kick in the Europa League Final shootout in 2023, while his Roma teammate Bryan Cristante didn’t fail.

Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolò Barella missed their most recent penalty kicks, both in the shootout of a Supercoppa Italiana semifinal against Bologna this past December.

Raspadori missed one penalty kick for Napoli, but scored one for Italy in a 3-3 draw against Germany in 2023.

La Gazzetta dello Sport examines the figures behind Italy’s possible qualification for the World Cup, arguing that the Azzurri literally can’t afford another play-off elimination.

Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy host Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semifinal in Bergamo tonight.

The Azzurri have not qualified for the World Cup since 2014, facing qualification play-off exits both in 2017 and 2022.

Italy hope for financial boost from 2026 World Cup

The potential sporting consequences of another elimination are well known, but Gazzetta argues that even the country’s finances would be affected if the Azzurri fail to secure a World Cup spot.

The pink paper quotes a report by the University of Surrey, based on OECF data starting in 1961, which estimates an average 0.25% increase in GDP over the two periods following a victory in a major tournament.

Furthermore, Coldiretti, the largest association of agricultural producers in Italy and Europe, “has even suggested growth between 07% and 1% in our country during recent successes (the 2026 World Cup and the 2020 Euros),” wrote Gazzetta’s financial expert Marco Iaria.

Additionally, according to StageUp, Italy’s presence at the 2026 World Cup would generate around €90m in advertising and sponsorship revenue, plus a €10m FIFA participation fee for the Italian FA.

From TVs and restaurants to the betting sector, multiple industries would benefit from Italy’s qualification for the World Cup.

“A national team competing on the biggest global stage, with an audience of 6 billion people, would represent a breath of fresh air for a zero-growth country like Italy,” concluded Gazzetta.

“A country that is also approaching the end of the boost provided by the National Recovery Resilience Plan in Italy, the European recovery plan from which it has received €194.4 billion in recent years.”

The air across Italy feels heavy this March, and it’s a tension every Azzurri fan knows all too well. With a 2026 World Cup spot finally within reach, this isn’t just about qualifying; it’s about exorcising the ghosts of past heartbreaks and proving this team actually has a new identity.

When Northern Ireland arrives at Bergamo’s Gewiss Stadium on March 26, the usual talk of “home-field magic” won’t be enough to carry them. In today’s game, a roaring crowd is a great bonus, but a disciplined, rock-solid tactical setup is the only thing that actually wins matches. If the foundation on the pitch isn’t there, the atmosphere in the stands won’t save them.

The Gattuso Grinta: Tactical Discipline as a Shield

Since taking over in late 2025, Gennaro Gattuso has done exactly what many expected: he’s made Italy incredibly difficult to play against. This isn’t the aimless possession we’ve seen in years past. Instead, the focus has shifted toward “block density.” It’s a term coaches use to describe a compact defensive unit in which the gap between the backline and the midfield is kept to under 30 meters. This claustrophobic setup is designed to kill the game for the opposition, forcing them into harmless wide areas and limiting penetration into the centre.

In a single-leg playoff, one mistake is usually the end of the road. This high-stakes reality is why we see such a heavy emphasis on “rest-defence.” Even when Italy is on the front foot, the holding midfielders and full-backs are now drilled to stay goal-side, anticipating the turnover before it even happens. For Gattuso, tactical discipline isn’t just a strategy; it’s the only safety net that matters when the pressure reaches a boiling point.

The Digital Fan: Tracking the Chess Match

The way we consume these matches has also undergone a massive shift. We aren’t just looking at the scoreboard anymore; we’re looking at live xG (expected goals) and heat maps on our phones during the game. This “second-screen” experience has made the average supporter much more aware of the tactical chess match happening on the pitch.

This reliance on real-time data means fans often turn to a regulated sportsbook to monitor how live probabilities shift the moment a manager makes a tactical substitution or a key man like Alessandro Bastoni receives a yellow card. These shifting figures, paired with Football Italia’s minute-by-minute updates, allow fans to view the match through the lens of a professional scout. It is no longer a matter of “gut feeling,” but a process of watching the data confirm the tactical discipline, or the lack thereof, throughout the full 90 minutes.

The Home Advantage Myth?

Choosing Bergamo as the venue for this semi-final is a calculated move. While official league data shows that playing at home still provides a marginal statistical edge, the “fortress” effect has certainly waned. These days, the so-called “hostile atmosphere” at away games isn’t as intimidating as it once was. The real edge is boring but real: sleeping in your own bed, skipping a long flight, and practising on familiar grass.

Still, a home crowd can bite back. If Northern Ireland frustrates the Azzurri early, the cheers can quickly turn tense and heavy. That’s why the squad trains to be “stadium-agnostic.” Lombardy, Cardiff, Zenica—no matter the place, the plan stays the same.

Turning Points and The “Second Phase”

Qualification campaigns aren’t usually decided by 90 minutes of beautiful football; they’re decided in the “second phase,” those chaotic seconds right after a set-piece or a lost ball. UEFA’s latest technical observations make one thing clear: early 2026 qualification wasn’t about flair; it was about mastering the transition. Take Italy—Federico Chiesa is finally fit, giving them that vital “X-factor” up top. But let’s be honest: his spark is useless if the defensive bedrock behind him isn’t absolute.

Check the FIFA standings, and the pattern is staring you in the face. The most successful squads right now are the ones that refuse to lose their shape, even when they’re chasing a result. It’s a surgical, almost cold-blooded approach to the modern game, one that prioritises a gritty 1-0 grind over the chaos of a 3-2 shootout.​

Alessandro Bastoni is expected to feature in Italy’s XI in the World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland, with Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean starting in attack.

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• Read more – Official Italy squad list – five players dropped

It kicks off at 20:45 CET (19:45 GMT) at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo.

It’s a massive night for the Azzurri, who have not played in the World Cup since 2014.

Inter star Bastoni has missed the last two games at a club level with a bruised fibula, but Italian media report that the defender has recovered and will start in a three-man backline alongside Gianluca Mancini and Riccardo Calafiori.

Several Italian sources, including Gazzetta and Corriere dello Sport, report that Matteo Politano is favourite over Marco Palestra in the right wing-back position, while Sandro Tonali, Nicolò Barella and Manuel Locatelli will start in central midfield.

Kean and Retegui will start in attack, with Francesco Pio Esposito initially on the bench.

The winner will face Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away in the Final on Tuesday, March 31.

Italy vs. Northern Ireland – where to watch on TV

The match will be broadcast live on the BBC in the UK and Ireland. It is also available in a livestream on FUBO/Vix in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates via a liveblog

Italy vs. Northern Ireland – probable line-ups

Italy (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui.

Northern Ireland (3-4-2-1): Pierce Charles; Hume, McNair, McConville; Spencer, McCann, Shea Charles, Devenny; Galbraith, Price; Donley. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Play-off: Italy’s World Cup at stake

Make them dream

In Bergamo (20:45), to beat Northern Ireland. Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday. A generation has never seen the Azzurri in the World Cup.

Gattuso: ‘We must return where we deserve after 12 years.’

Kean and Retegui: strike partnership. Penalty-kick takers decided too.

Inter: Transfer shake, Barcelona want Bastoni

Corriere dello Sport

Italy play-off

Do it for us

There’s Northern Ireland at 20:45 in Bergamo: entire generations have never seen the Azzurri at the World Cup. We’ve been missing since 2014.

Gattuso: ‘I have the country on my shoulders.’

After two incredible failures, the third one would not be acceptable. The CT’s charge: ‘It’s the most important game of my career.’ Kean to partner with Retegui. Three-man defence: Bastoni, Mancini and Calafiori. If we go to the Final, we’ll face Wales or Bosnia on Tuesday, 31.

Tuttosport

Bergamo, 20:45: Play-off semifinal with Northern Ireland. We can’t fail. The World Cup is waiting for us.

You are Italy

Everyone with the Azzurri urged to show their superiority against the Britons. Gattuso: ‘I feel the country on my shoulders. People have been stopping me in the streets for seven months, saying, ‘Take us to the World Cup. It was shocking not to qualify for the last two. They know how to do a few things, but very well.’ Retegui: ‘It’s the most important week of the year; it’s special for me. The stadium will drag us.’ Baston recovers, Politano favourite over Palestra: if we win, we’ll play for America against Wales or Bosnia.

Alisson, Rudiger, Pellegrini: Lucio calls the pretorians

Spalletti pushes to have the defender and the defender coached at Roma. The coach appreciates the midfielder. The new curse will begin from departures too: an entire team is up for sale.

Revolution on the wings: Barbieri is on Toro’s list too.

Rafael Leao used social media to deny a report he had clashed with Milan coach Max Allegri in training due to his work ethic.

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The Portugal international threw a tantrum after he was substituted during the defeat to Lazio, then was left out of the squad entirely for the next match against Torino.

It was officially due to an injury, and there was a report in the Gazzetta dello Sport that the pair clashed during a training session the day before the game.

Leao reacts to Milan report

The suggestion is that Allegri complained during a training session that Leao needed to help out his teammates more and be incisive in attack.

His response was: ‘I can’t do it.’

At this point, Allegri decided to leave Leao out of the squad entirely for the 3-2 victory at Torino.

However, Leao responded on Instagram to this story with a symbol that made his intentions clear, as it was a red cross.

The fitness issue was considered sufficient enough for him to be left out of the Portugal squad for international duty.

There are increasing reports Inter are ready to sell Marcus Thuram for a huge profit, with Aston Villa and Newcastle United not put off by the €85m release clause.

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This is not the first time that it has been suggested Thuram’s adventure at San Siro is winding down at the end of the current campaign.

Thuram has lost his sizzle at Inter

The Corriere dello Sport confirm that Inter have lost patience with the France international, who has scored 12 goals with five assists in 36 competitive games so far this term.

However, he has not found the net in the last eight and his performances in the absence of injured Lautaro Martinez prompted frustration.

His release clause is worth €85m and is only valid during the month of July.

A Premier League club is the most likely alternative rather than the Saudi Pro League, as he turns 29 in August.

Any sale would be pure profit, as Thuram was snapped up by Inter as a free agent from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2023.

He has two goals in 31 senior caps for France and his current form means he risks being left out of the squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Alessandro Bastoni was tested out in the starting XI for Italy in tonight’s session, so is expected to start in the World Cup play-off against Northern Ireland.

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It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo on Thursday at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

Whoever emerges as the winner from that fixture will then face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final on March 31.

Bastoni barrelling towards full fitness

Inter defender Bastoni had been the biggest doubt to feature, after missing the last couple of Inter games with a bruised ankle.

He took part in some of the training session today and Sky Sport Italia report he was tested in the starting XI during this evening’s run-out in Bergamo.

Unless the pain flares up again overnight, then Bastoni is widely expected to start in the 3-5-2 formation.

If he doesn’t play, then Napoli’s Alessandro Buongiorno and Juventus defender Federico Gatti are the options to step in.

This leaves only one big decision for Gennaro Gattuso to make, and that is more tactical than based purely on fitness levels.

That is on the right wing between 21-year-old Cagliari talent Marco Palestra and Napoli winger Matteo Politano.

Italy probable: Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Palestra, Tonali, Locatelli, Barella, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill warns they have ‘everything to gain’ in the World Cup play-off. ‘The longer it stays at 0-0, the more pressure’ is in Italy.

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The semi-final kicks off in Bergamo on Thursday at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

Whoever goes through will play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final for a spot at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.

Northern Ireland got here thanks to two victories over Luxembourg and one against Slovakia, losing twice to Germany and once to Slovakia.

They also earned promotion to the Nations League B, which was decisive for setting up this play-off.

O’Neill has faith in Northern Ireland

“We have everything to gain in this match, there’s no doubt about that,” started O’Neill in his press conference.

“These players have already experienced important games and stadiums, away to Germany and Slovakia. Tomorrow will be a very important test for us, but we are ready.

“We’ve got to play the game and not think too much about what is at stake. There are such big expectations on Italy, being a great football nation, and we mustn’t be intimidated by that. We have many young players and this’ll be part of the growth process.”

There are also doubts over Preston midfielder Ali McCann, but O’Neill assured he trained and they are “optimistic” he’ll be able to start tomorrow.

Northern Ireland play in a 3-5-2 formation, which is also what Gennaro Gattuso is expected to use in this clash.

“Gattuso had six matches as Italy coach and we can learn from those games that we analysed. We know they have options in attack and in the three-man defence, there are certain players we expect to be there, but it all depends on our performance, how we deal with the dangers that present themselves.”

Gattuso said today that he has been losing sleep over the World Cup campaign and feels the weight of responsibility.

“Of course, being the Italy manager is very different to being the manager of Northern Ireland,” confessed O’Neill.

“I really admire him for accepting the job at that moment. In six games, he won five and only lost to Norway. That was their last game, so this might be a factor for them, but I have great respect for Gattuso.”

The Italy coach also noted that Northern Ireland are a ‘very vertical team’ who love to pump long balls into the box.

“I don’t think he’s underestimating us. Italy have long balls too, from the centre-back to the wingers. The most important thing is that we have a game plan and we want to put it into practice.

“We have to be realistic. We can’t come here and think we’re going to dominate the game, that would be naïve to suggest that. We have a game plan and it worked in the past too,” continued O’Neill.

“We did really well to get to this point. I’m very proud of the players, we had some difficulty in the group, but the players know what is at stake. It’s a one-off match, we are here. Young players tend to go into these situations without fear, and they’ll have many opportunities in future, but mustn’t waste this chance either.”

The pressure is undoubtedly all on Italy’s heads and that is something Northern Ireland fully intend to make the most of.

“We have great respect for Italy, we need to try to make life difficult for them, and the psychological aspect might become a factor,” continued O’Neill.

“We know the strength of their midfield, with Sandro Tonali, Manuel Locatelli and Nicolò Barella. Then there’s Pio Esposito.

“But this Italy doesn’t have an Alessandro Del Piero, a Francesco Totti, the strength of this Italy side is not in their individuals. Having said that, we respect them, they have high level players.”

When it comes to the pressure, it is bound to intensify the longer the game stays at 0-0.

“It is important for us to stay in the game, make sure it’s not too open. The longer it stays at 0-0, the more the pressure increases on the favourites. We know that we can be dangerous for them too, with planned attacks or maybe set plays,” concluded O’Neill.

“We’re not expecting to come here and see a game with lots of goals, we hope for a very tight match. We also got a few quotes from the Italian newspaper and showed them to the lads. How Italy deal with the pressure is going to be a decisive factor.”

There have been some injury problems, as Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard and Liverpool’s Conor Bradley were both forced to withdraw.

Here's the latest from @NorthernIreland boss Michael O'Neill after the squad arrived in Bergamo this evening #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/HRlRkYcmEG

— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) March 25, 2026

Lazio and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking at current Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk as an option for next season.

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The Turkish tactician has a current contract with Galatasaray that only runs to June 30, so he is becoming an increasingly appetising prospect for bigger leagues.

Okan Buruk enticing for Lazio

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Okan Buruk is being targeted by Lazio to replace Maurizio Sarri, who has made little secret of his tension with President Claudio Lotito.

The same source notes that Tottenham are also interested in him for next season, because Igor Tudor won’t be confirmed on the bench.

Okan Buruk speaks Italian, as he spent three years with Inter from 2001 to 2004.

The 52-year-old started his management career in 2013 with Elazigspor, moving on through Gaziantepspor, Sivasspor, Goztepe, Akhisar Belediye, Rizespor and Basaksehir, before coming to Galatasaray in 2022.

It was with this club that he won four Turkish Super Lig titles, one Turkish Cup and one Supercup.

There are two major doubts for the Italy starting XI against Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semi-final, which will be a 3-5-2 formation.

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It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo on Thursday at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

Whoever wins will then go on to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final for a place at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.

Italy plan starting XI against Northern Ireland

Coach Gennaro Gattuso confirmed today that Gianluca Mancini, Riccardo Calafiori and Matteo Politano are fully fit, so the worries over their potential fitness levels after arriving from club duty carrying knocks would seem to be surpassed.

Alessandro Bastoni took part in some of the training session today, but remains a major doubt, so with the potential final coming up on March 31, it’s possible he won’t be rushed.

If the Inter defender can’t make it, then Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti or Napoli’s Alessandro Buongiorno are ready to step in.

The only other doubt is a tactical one, choosing between impressive Cagliari talent Marco Palestra and Napoli veteran Politano on the right wing.

Despite his fine recent form for Inter, Francesco Pio Esposito will be on the bench initially, as Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui start upfront.

Italy probable: Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Palestra, Tonali, Locatelli, Barella, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui

Ruben Loftus-Cheek returned to Milan training with the rest of the squad today and could make his comeback against Napoli after a facial fracture.

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The midfielder had been out of action since suffering a serious injury during an accidental collision with Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi on February 22.

He was stretchered off with a neck brace and needed surgery to reduce a fracture of the alveolar bone in his jaw.

Several teeth were also knocked out during the horrific crash.

Loftus-Cheek back in action for Milan

The expectation after this operation was that Loftus-Cheek would be out of action for circa eight weeks.

That proved to be more or less accurate, as he resumed training with his teammates today, an event celebrated by the official Milan social media channels.

Great to have you back, Rubes! pic.twitter.com/6ocV4lWR6V

— AC Milan (@acmilan) March 25, 2026

It is therefore likely that the former Chelsea player will be available for a call-up in time for the Scudetto showdown against third-placed Napoli after the break for international duty.

This has been a tough campaign for Loftus-Cheek, who has scored three goals with one assist in 27 competitive games for Milan this season.

Meanwhile, Matteo Gabbia and Rafael Leao both continued treatment to recover from their injuries.

Leon Goretzka will be a free agent this summer, so Napoli are the latest contenders for his signature, joining Milan, Inter and Arsenal.

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The 31-year-old is only under contract with Bayern Munich until June 30, and does not seem to have any intention of signing an extension.

This is making the Germany international into one of the most appetising figures on the transfer market, and several Serie A sides have already shown an interest.

Goretzka drawing Serie A interest

Milan and Inter are ready to duel, but the Corriere dello Sport now confirms that Napoli are keeping a close eye on the situation too.

It would be the second consecutive summer picking up a veteran for free, after they snapped up Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City.

Other clubs intrigued by Goretzka include Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal.

Napoli’s midfield is in flux, as Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa and Scott McTominay are both discussing new contracts, while De Bruyne just returned from a long injury lay-off.

Stanislav Lobotka’s current deal runs to June 2027, but there is a release clause worth a reported €25m.

Italy remain the clear favourites against Northern Ireland ahead of Thursday’s crucial World Cup play-off semi-final in Bergamo, and the current market value of the respective national sides shows exactly why Gennaro Gattuso and his team have no excuses against the Green and White Army. 

Italy will host Northern Ireland at Atalanta’s New Balance Arena at 19.45 GMT on Thursday evening, and the winner of that tie will go on to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home on Tuesday, March 31, in the play-off final. This will be a one-legged decider for a spot at the final tournament. 

Should Italy fail to win both of these two matches, they will miss out on World Cup qualification for the third tournament cycle in a row. The Azzurri have not qualified since 2014 and have not won a knock-out match at the World Cup since beating France in the final to claim the trophy in 2006. 

• Read more: What Italy should expect from Northern Ireland in World Cup play-off semi-final
• Read more: O’Neill: Italy have ‘everything to lose’ against Northern Ireland

Italy vs. Northern Ireland: Squad value comparison

According to the latest information from transfermarkt.co.uk, the current Italy squad has a market value of €746.5m, compared to Northern Ireland’s €100.15m. 

The Italy squad boasts Sandro Tonali as its current most valuable player at €80m, while for Northern Ireland, that player is Trai Hume at €22m, closely followed by Sunderland teammate Dan Ballard at €20m. Liverpool’s Conor Bradley is valued higher at €30m, but is currently nursing a serious knee injury and will not feature against Italy. 

Hume and Ballard are the only two players in the Northern Ireland squad that are currently valued above the €20m mark, while Italy have 18 players worth €20m or higher. 

The Azzurri players worth in excess of €20m are: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Carnesecchi, Alessandro Bastoni, Alessandro Buongiorno, Giorgio Scalvini, Federico Dimarco, Riccardo Calafiori, Andrea Cambiaso, Marco Palestra, Tonali, Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Barella, Niccolo Pisilli, Giacomo Raspadori, Pio Esposito, Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui and Gianluca Scamacca. 

The ‘least’ valuable Italy player is 33-year-old Napoli wing-back Leonardo Spinazzola, who is out of contract at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and is currently valued at €3.5m. That would be enough for him to rank as the fifth-most valuable player in the Northern Ireland squad.

According to Tuttosport, there is a 10x difference in the value of the expected starting line-ups of the two national sides. 

Gattuso’s starting XI is likely to feature Donnarumma, Bastoni, Calafiori, Dimarco, Tonali and Barella and is worth around €473m while Northern Ireland’s expected starting line-up is worth a reported €44.7m.