In a pivotal match in the sixth round of Group I qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, Italy, after falling behind due to an own goal, ultimately defeated Israel 5-4 away from home thanks to goals from Keane, Politano, Raspadori, and Tonali. Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso called it the most insane match he had ever experienced as a manager and praised the players' fighting spirit.

In the 16th minute, Locatelli accidentally blocked the ball into his own goal while defending, giving Israel a 1-0 lead. In the 40th minute, Retegui assisted Kean to score, tying the score for Italy at 1-1.

In the 52nd minute of the second half, Dor Peretz connected on a cross from a teammate and fired home a shot, giving Israel a 2-1 lead over Italy. Just two minutes later, Retgui assisted Kean again, tying the score at 2-2. In the 58th minute, Politalo followed Retgui's pass and slotted home, making it 3-2.

In the 81st minute, Fratesi's through ball was met by Raspadori, who seized the opportunity with a low shot to score, making the score 4-2. In the 87th minute, Bastoni's own goal while clearing the ball allowed Israel to make the score 3-4. In the 89th minute, Dor Peretz scored again against Italy, helping Israel tie the score at 4-4.

In the second half stoppage time, Tonali received a pass from Cambiasso and scored with a long shot. In the end, Italy defeated Israel 5-4 away.

Italy coach Gattuso said in an interview, "This is the craziest game I have ever experienced as a coach, but the problem lies with me, not the players. If we want to play in a certain way, we must get better in this regard. We kept attacking like crazy, which is what Israel was waiting for, and they took advantage of the counterattack every time."

"They started the game with man-to-man defense, which surprised us a bit, but we were able to create threats on offense. However, we were not sharp enough in this game, and it is inevitable to play the second game in a few days, but we still need to improve."

Gattuso said: "The players deserve praise because they responded every time they faced a blow, but it is undeniable that we lost the ball too easily. This is not a criticism of the players, but an area where my coaching staff and I must improve immediately. This team cannot lack stability."

"The most commendable thing about the team in the game was their fighting spirit. Even though the performance was not perfect, the team still showed fighting spirit and a desire to respond. If we had more experience and made some adjustments, we could have better defended our 4-2 lead."

In addition, Gattuso added, "The experience of these few days has been wonderful and I want to thank the players for their efforts. But if we want to achieve success, we must continue to improve, and we have known this for a long time."