Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland: Sandro Tonali and Moises Kean score goals as Italy progress to World Cup play-off

Mar 25, 2026 · 330 words · By Live Reporting Lauren McCann; Jana McCabe

Fact-Check Results

“without key players such as Bradley, Ballard and McCann, an upset in Italy was a step too far”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify or refute the claim about key players affecting Italy's upset potential

“Paddy McNair was the only player over the age of 24 in their starting line-up”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm Paddy McNair's age status in the starting line-up

“Galbraith failed to pick out the run of Price”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to evaluate Galbraith's actions regarding Price's run

“It was only when the game opened up did the Italians pose a real threat”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to assess when Italians posed a real threat

“Terry Devlin's misjudged backpass allowed Retegui through on goal”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify Terry Devlin's backpass impact on Retegui

“Tonali's opener was a crucial and gave Italy all the momentum”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm Tonali's goal's impact on momentum

“Price's clearance fell perfectly for the midfielder”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to evaluate Price's clearance leading to Tonali's goal

“Donnarumma's weak pass almost gifted Donley an opportunity”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify Donnarumma's pass affecting Donley

“Kean's spectacular effort flashed wide of the post”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to assess Kean's effort trajectory

“Jamie Reid could not convert from close range in injury time”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm Jamie Reid's injury time opportunity