Israel vs. Italy: Official line-ups for 2026 World Cup qualifier

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – MARCH 22: Manuel Locatelli of Italy looks on during a Italy training session on March 22, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Italy make two changes for the World Cup qualifier against Israel, moving to a more balanced 4-3-3 with Manuel Locatelli in midfield, but keeping Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean upfront.

It kicks off at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary, at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

This fixture is being played on neutral turf due to the on-going security situation in Israel, with barely 2,000 people in the stadium.

Along with enhanced security, Israel will also wear black armbands following this morning’s terror attack on a bus stop in Jerusalem.

Israel vs Italy – where to watch on TV

The match is available to watch on Amazon Prime in the UK, Fox Sports 2 and fuboTV in the USA and TLN TV in Canada.

Gennaro Gattuso made the ideal debut with a 5-0 victory over Estonia on Friday, fielding a very attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation.

There are two changes, firstly to the system, which is a more balanced 4-3-3 using Matteo Politano with Kean and Retegui upfront.

Locatelli steps into the midfield, replacing the not fully fit winger Mattia Zaccagni.

Another adjustment is in defence, where Gianluca Mancini is preferred to Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori.

Israel are second in Group I on 9 points from 4 games, winning six of their last seven matches, suffering defeat only to leaders Norway in a 4-2 thriller.

During that spell, they held France 0-0 and beat Belgium 1-0 in the Nations League, so are not to be under-estimated.

They’re fresh from a 4-0 victory away to Moldova on Friday, with Dor Peretz, Manor Solomon, Tai Baribo and Oscar Gloukh on target.

Israel vs. Italy official line-ups

Israel: Daniel Peretz; Dasa, Nachmias, Lemkin, Revivo; Dor Peretz, E Peretz; Khalaili, Gloukh, Solomon; Biton

Israel bench: O Glazer, Nir On, Shlomo, Gandelman, Shua, Baribo, Mizrahi, Kanichowsky, Jehezkel, Turgeman, Blorian, Azoulay

Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Barella, Locatelli, Tonali; Politano, Retegui, Kean

Italy bench: Meret, Vicario, Bellanova, Gatti, Rovella, Raspadori, Calafiori, Pio Esposito, Frattesi, Orsolini, Cambiaso, Maldini

Ref: Vincic (SVN)