In the Italian city of Udine, the football teams of Italy and Israel faced each other in a qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Italy defeated Israel 3–0, effectively ending Israel’s hopes of advancing to the tournament. Despite their best efforts, the Israeli players failed to score a single goal throughout the match.

During the qualifying stage, Israel had played its previous match against Norway on Sunday, suffering a 5–0 defeat. To secure a place in the World Cup, Israel needed to win its next two matches at all costs. However, the loss to Italy shattered Israel’s dream of participating in the global event.

It is noteworthy that the Spanish government had already indicated that if Israel qualified for the World Cup, Spain might withdraw from the tournament. There were also concerns that several other European nations could make similar decisions if Israel managed to qualify.

According to Reuters, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Italy before the qualifying match between the two teams, expressing solidarity with Palestine. The Italian government deployed a heavy police presence to maintain order, although the demonstrators dispersed peacefully before the match began.

Organizers repeatedly explained to the agitated protesters that Israel had agreed to a ceasefire and Hamas had released Israeli hostages. However, the demonstrators maintained their stance, saying that a ceasefire may have been reached, but peace has not yet arrived.

Meanwhile, other qualifying matches are underway, with Saudi Arabia successfully securing qualification for the FIFA World Cup for the seventh time. Although the match against Iraq ended in a 0–0 draw, Saudi Arabia had already been in a strong position within its three-team group after defeating Indonesia, thereby confirming its spot in the 2026 World Cup.