Italy face Northern Ireland in Bergamo on Thursday in a World Cup play-off semi-final, with the winners advancing to meet either Wales or Bosnia for a spot in the 2026 finals. The four-time champions are desperate to avoid missing a third consecutive tournament, while Northern Ireland aim to reach their first World Cup since 1986. Managers and players from both sides expressed determination amid high stakes.
The match at the New Balance Arena kicks off at 7.45pm UK time and will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC NI, with streaming on BBC iPlayer. Italy, who last qualified in 2014 and missed the past two editions, enter under intense pressure. Coach Gennaro Gattuso, who won the World Cup as a player in 2006 and took charge last June after a shaky qualifying campaign, called it the most important game of his career. 'Take us to the World Cup,' he hears in his thoughts at night, urging his team not to underestimate Michael O’Neill’s gritty side despite their superior talent. Gattuso highlighted Northern Ireland’s direct style, warning of long balls into the box and fierce battles for second balls, especially without Premier League players Conor Bradley and Dan Ballard for the visitors. Northern Ireland captain Trai Hume drew parallels to his life-changing 2-1 play-off final win with Sunderland over Sheffield United at Wembley last year, saying the experience of pressure and emotion will help his young but seasoned team stay calm. Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori acknowledged the pressure but framed it as an opportunity, emphasizing focus on set-pieces where Northern Ireland pose a threat. Team news sees Italy monitoring Sandro Tonali’s hip issue and Alessandro Bastoni’s fitness, with Giovanni Di Lorenzo absent; Northern Ireland welcome back George Saville from suspension but miss Dan Ballard, Bradley, and Jamal Lewis. O’Neill told BBC NI that qualifying would etch the team into history, stressing belief: 'We have to believe because if we don’t, no-one else will.' Stats underscore the challenge for the underdogs: Northern Ireland have lost all seven prior visits to Italy by 16-2 aggregate and not beaten them since 1958.
