Capello Eyes Haaland’s Shadow: Italy’s World Cup Playoff Quest Goes On

Capello on Italy's World Cup Playoff Path

Veteran coach Fabio Capello hopes the European World Cup playoff draw will pair Italy with North Macedonia in the semi-final, while Erling Haaland's prolific goalscoring surge has Italy comparing him to the legendary Gigi Riva.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the draw that will decide Italy's semi-final opponent on the road to the 2026 finals, Capello shared his views on Italy's campaign.

Italy’s qualifying campaign was tough: a mid-campaign managerial change from Luciano Spalletti to Gennaro Gattuso, and defeats to Norway who topped the group.

Haaland’s Norway struck seven goals in the two meetings against Italy, while Italy managed only one on the scoreboard.

Capello noted that Gattuso took charge after the early group phase and delivered some wins, giving the team a much-needed lift.

He added that Italy had not shown great football or a strong personality at times; the defeat to Norway left a mark, but Gattuso did what was necessary and the team must now respond again.

Haaland finished as the top scorer in the European qualifiers, and Norway boasted the best attack in the section.

Capello said the team does not claim to win the World Cup yet, but they possess quality in both squad and individual talent.

He compared Haaland to Italy’s own legend, Gigi Riva, saying the Norwegian striker resembles a reference point who thrives in the box and can lift confidence. In the most recent match, Norway played with a different mindset once pressure was off.

Italy led the return leg against Norway, but the visitors struck back with four goals in the second half.

Capello remarked: “The first half in San Siro showed we can offer more; the second half revealed the players’ mindset.”

Now Italy awaits its playoff opponent, with possibilities including North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, or Ireland/Northern Ireland in the semi-final.

Capello added that thanks to the FIFA ranking, Italy were positioned in the top tier for the draw, potentially giving them the best chance to host a one-off semi-final in March 2026.

In the semi-final, Italy would face a team from the fourth tier, a level reserved for the Nations League non-qualifiers.

If Italy advances from the semi-final on 26 March, they would meet a Level 2 or Level 3 opponent on 31 March.

World Cup Playoff Levels

The first level includes Italy, Turkey, Ukraine, Denmark.

The second includes Wales, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic.

The third includes Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo.

The fourth includes Sweden, Romania, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland.

A Persistent Curse

Ireland, Sweden, and North Macedonia are among the few teams to have prevented Italy from reaching the World Cup in playoff campaigns; historically, the Azurri have failed to qualify four times via playoffs.

North Macedonia knocked Italy out of the 2022 playoff semi-final, denying them a Qatar berth, while Sweden did so in a prior final-era context. Curiously, Ireland itself blocked Italy’s 1958 World Cup dream in Sweden, and the only other absence came in 1930 due to federation decisions amid travel and economic challenges.