Fiorentina forward Moise Kean scored twice as Italy recorded a 5-4 win over Israel to reignite their qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Afrosport reports.
The Azzurri were also on target five times as they defeated Estonia 5-0 in head coach Gennaro Gattuso’s first competitive game in charge, with Kean also finding the back of the net.
The 25-year-old of Ivorian heritage however scored the first goal against the Israelis in the 40th minute after Manuel Locatelli put the ball into his own net in the 16th minute.
Dor Peretz put Israel 2-1 up in the 52nd minute but Kean levelled for the second time in the 54th minute for his fifth goal in the just his third appearance in the history of the qualifiers before Mateo Politano gave Italy a 3-2 lead four minutes later.
5 – Moise Kean has scored five goals in three UEFA World Cup qualifying appearances, only Luigi Riva (six) has netted more in his first three such matches for Italy. Reaction.#IsraelItaly pic.twitter.com/GL1m07MtuV
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) September 8, 2025
Giacomo Raspadori put Gattuso’s side further ahead in the 81st minute only for Alessandro Bastoni to reduce the deficit for Israel with an own goal in 87th minute.
Peretz made it 4-4 in the 89th minute to complete his brace but the Italians had the last say at Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen thanks to the winner from Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali in added time.
Italy are now level on nine points with Israel in Group I of the qualifiers and are three points behind leaders Norway who play Moldova on Tuesday.
What a night of #WCQ action 👏 pic.twitter.com/6StWbmcQHp
— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) September 8, 2025
Other Monday results in the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup saw Kosovo stun Sweden 2-0 in Group B while Switzerland thumped Slovenia 3-0.
In Group C, Scotland defeated Belarus 2-0 in Zalaegerszeg while Denmark got the better of Greece 3-0 in Piraeus.
In Group L, Croatia went joint top after a 4-0 win over Montenegro in Zagreb while Faroe Islands were 1-0 victors over Gibraltar.
