Italy defeated Estonia 3-1 in their crucial seventh round match of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers, thanks to goals from Kean, Retegui, and Pio Esposito. Italy midfielder Tonali expressed his team's confidence in the victory and expressed his happiness for his teammate Pio Esposito's goal.

Four minutes into the match, Dimarco's diagonal pass assisted Kean's goal, giving Italy a dream start of 1-0. In the 38th minute, Retji received a pass from Orsolini and shot in, helping Italy maintain its lead over Estonia at 2-0.

In the 74th minute of the second half, Spinazzola's cross found Pio Esposito in the penalty area, who fired home a low shot to extend Italy's lead to 3-0. In the 76th minute, Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma's shot slipped out of his grasp, allowing Sapinen to volley home, helping Estonia pull level at 1-3.

In the end, Italy defeated Estonia 3-1 away from home. After achieving four consecutive victories, Italy currently ranks second in the Group I standings with 12 points.

Tonali, who plays for Newcastle in the Premier League, said: "This victory is very helpful for our confidence. We are slowly regaining that confidence. The team has good control of the game. This is one of the few games where we can really feel comfortable. Even in the last 10 minutes when the opponent pressed forward, we were able to stabilize the situation."

Speaking of Pio Esposito, who scored for the Italian national team for the first time, Tonali said, "He deserves this achievement. If a player comes to the national team and gives his all and scores a goal, he deserves such recognition. He is indeed very talented and has the right mentality. Some players are just starting out, but they know what they should do and don't need to rely on others to lead them all the time."

"Everyone gets along really well, and we have a great understanding both on and off the court. When one person can't cover a certain position, another one will fill in. Everyone is willing to run and work hard for each other, so everything becomes easier."

In addition, Tonali also said, "We have indeed improved in many aspects, that's for sure. Although we are not perfect in any aspect, we are constantly improving and will continue to move forward."

"We can certainly look back and see where we were a few months ago, but it's more important to believe in ourselves, show more courage and remember that we still have a lot of room for improvement."