With a playoff spot on the line, Italy will host Group I rivals Israel for their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night.
Four-time world champions Italy did not qualify for the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup. They need at least a point against Israel to avoid another massive upset.
Italy Host Israel in Do-or-Die World Cup Qualifier
Placed alongside Norway, Israel, Estonia, and Moldova in Group C, Italy were the favourites to top the rankings and automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Unfortunately for the heavyweights, Erling Haaland’s Norway did not follow the script.
The Norwegians have won all six of their World Cup qualifiers so far to climb to the top of the Group C rankings. Italy, meanwhile, are in second place with 12 points after playing five matches.
Italy opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a demoralising 3-0 defeat to Norway in June. They have since beaten Moldova 2-0, done the double over Estonia (5-0, 3-1), and clinched a thrilling 5-4 victory over Israel.
The world watching Israel vs Italy pic.twitter.com/FcIdqKfcL1
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) September 8, 2025
While Italy can do with a point on Tuesday, Israel need a win to keep their World Cup aspirations alive.
Ran Ben Shimon’s side have nine points to their name after winning three matches and losing three. Israel have beaten Estonia twice (2-1, 3-1) and claimed a big win over Moldova (4-0), but have lost to Norway and Italy.
Norway beat them 4-2 away in June before hammering them 5-0 at home on Friday. Haaland scored a superb hat-trick to take his international tally to 46 goals in only 51 matches.
✅ 5-0 win vs. Estonia
✅ 5-4 win vs. IsraelFor the first time in their history, Italy have scored five in consecutive games 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/LaA901sD8f
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 8, 2025
Italy, meanwhile, got the 5-4 win thanks to Santro Tonali’s decisive strike in stoppage time. Israel players were furious after the final whistle and had a falling out with Gennaro Gattuso’s men. Their end-of-game clash adds more spice to the already-mouthwatering fixture.
Reigning European champions Spain are also in action on Tuesday night, facing Group A opponents Bulgaria.
Spain vs Bulgaria betting tips suggest La Roja could get off the mark inside the first 10 minutes.
Italy vs Israel Betting Tips
- Italy to Win – 1/5
- Both Teams to Score: Yes – 1/1
- Corners Over 8.5 – 4/6
Italy to Win
Gennaro Gattuso is still working out the kinks, but his Italy head into Tuesday’s contest as the favourites to secure maximum points. They have a better squad, have the home advantage, and boast an unbeaten record against Israel.
Throughout history, Italy and Israel have met eight times, with the Azzurri winning seven and drawing just one. Italy have beaten Israel in their last five meetings, scoring 15 goals and conceding seven.
Both Teams to Score: Yes
Italy have scored in four of their five games while Israel have scored in five of their six World Cup qualifiers. Norway managed to keep a clean sheet against both teams.
In their last three meetings, neither Italy nor Israel managed to keep a clean sheet. The Azzurri won all three, but conceded a total of six goals in the process.
Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has only kept two clean sheets in his last eight matches for Italy. Against Estonia, Donnarumma fumbled a simple cross, allowing Rauno Sappinen to sneak in and score. Considering his recent international form, we do not expect him to keep a clean sheet against Israel.
Total Corners Over 8.5
On average, Italy have taken 6.6 corners per game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Their highest of 12 came in the 5-0 win over Estonia, while the lowest of two came in the 3-0 defeat to Norway.
Israel, on the other hand, average just over five corners per game in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
We anticipate a tight match between Israel and Italy, where both teams will attempt to score from outside the box, leading to more corner kicks.
Italy vs Israel Betting Tips: Back Our 16/5 Bet Builder
You can individually back Italy to beat Israel at 1/5, both teams to score at 1/1, and the game to produce over 8.5 corners at 4/6. Or you could combine them and back our 16/5 Bet Builder.
Payout Calculation
If you place a £10 bet at 16/5, you could walk away with £42 total, a handsome £32 profit.
Italy vs Israel Betting Odds: Match Result and Goalscorers
| Match Result | Odds |
| Italy | 1/5 |
| Draw | 7/1 |
| Israel | 14/1 |
| Player to Score at Any Time | Odds |
| Moise Kean | 5/6 |
| Mateo Retegui | 17/20 |
| Roberto Piccoli | 49/50 |
| Francesco Pio Esposito | 6/5 |
| Giacomo Raspadori | 11/8 |
| Riccardo Orsolini | 31/20 |
| Nicolo Cambiaghi | 47/20 |
| Davide Frattesi | 5/2 |
| Hans Nicolussi Caviglia | 7/2 |
| Bryan Cristante | 18/5 |
Italy vs Israel Match Details
⚽Teams: Italy vs Israel
🗓️Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
🏆 Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier – Matchday 6
🟥Ref: Clement Turpin
⌚KO: 7:45 PM BST
📺Where to Watch: Amazon Prime PPV
🏟️Stadium: Bluenergy Stadium
