Italy's forward #07 Matteo Politano and ‘Israel's’ forward #10 Manor Solomon. (September 8, 2025) (Debrecen, Hungary)
Italy wins thrilling 5-4 match against ‘Israel’ in World Cup qualifier
The Italian national team secured an exciting 5-4 victory over ‘Israel’ in a high-scoring match today, Monday, during the sixth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The second half of the match saw a flurry of goals. ‘Israel’s’ midfielder Peretz scored the second goal for his team in the 52nd minute.
Italy’s forward Moise Kean quickly responded, scoring his team’s second goal just two minutes later.
Four minutes after that, right winger Matteo Politano gave Italy a 3-2 lead with a goal in the 58th minute. Italy's Alessandro Bastoni then scored an own goal, tying the score at 3-3.
In the 81st minute, forward Giacomo Raspadori scored the fourth goal for Italy, just two minutes after entering the field. However, Dor Peretz scored Israel’s fourth goal in the 89th minute, before Italy's midfielder Sandro Tonali secured the victory with a beautiful shot from outside the box in the 91st minute.
The game had a build-up of controversy, with many calling on Italy to withdraw from the match as a gesture towards Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing aggression.
A large-scale grassroots campaign was launched in Italy urging a “red card against Israel,” citing what organizers describe as “colonial arrogance and genocide-driven violence against the Palestinian people.”
Earlier on Monday, protesters gathered outside the national headquarters of the Italian Football Federation, calling for the match to be canceled. Demonstrators delivered a clear message to the sports authority, urging decisive action by “showing Israel the red card.”
