Italy Faces Tough World Cup Qualifying Path After Blunder

Italy's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup face a significant challenge following an embarrassing goal during their Nations League quarterfinal against Germany. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and the Azzurri defense were distracted while protesting to the referee, allowing Jamal Musiala to score an easy goal, giving Germany a 2-0 lead. Despite Italy's comeback to level the match at 3-3, they were eliminated on aggregate, leading Italy coach Luciano Spalletti to acknowledge that the second goal 'killed us.' Moving forward, Italy will compete in a five-team qualifying group that includes Norway and Israel, with the need to win the group to secure direct qualification for the World Cup in North America. Previous failures to qualify add pressure on the team, which has not missed three consecutive World Cups since the 1958 edition. The team's first qualifying match is set for June against Norway, which has already shown strong form in its opening match.