On October 14, Italy hosts Israel in a World Cup qualifier in Udine, with just 6,000 spectators in the stadium.
Published October 7, 2025
Israel’s World Cup qualifiers in Italy next week are expected to draw more pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside Udine’s soccer stadium than ticketed spectators inside.
Protesters had already approached the gates of Italy’s training center in Florence last week, demanding that matches not be played because of the Gaza war. It’s part of a national strike that has brought millions of activists to the streets.
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“It’s not going to be a calm environment,” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso admitted on Tuesday from inside the targeted Coverciano training centre. “There will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and 5-6,000 people inside.”
As of Monday, only 4,000 tickets had been sold for next Tuesday’s match at the Stadio Friuli.
UEFA is considering suspending Israel because of the war and Udine’s mayor, Alberto Felice De Toni, has called for the match to be postponed, but Italy are desperately trying to avoid missing out on qualification for a third consecutive World Cup and the four-time champions are not willing to risk missing the match.
“We have to play this game because if we don’t we’ll lose 3-0,” Gattuso said of the forfeit game rule. “(Italian Football Federation) president[Gabriele]Gravina explained it very well.”
Last month, when Italy defeated Israel 5-4 in a thrilling nine-goal game in neutral Hungary, there was also on-field tension between the two teams after the final whistle. Hungary is where Israel plays its “home” matches during the war.
Demonstrators in Italy and elsewhere are also protesting that international aid efforts have been blocked by Israeli forces.
“It’s upsetting to see what’s happening to innocent people and children,” Gattuso said. “It breaks your heart.”
Italy and Israel are six points behind group leader Norway, and only the group’s top-place finisher will be able to directly qualify for next year’s North American tournament.
Those who pass second place will advance to the playoffs. Italy lost to Sweden and North Macedonia in the playoffs, missing out on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.
Coach Gattuso said of the 5-0 win over Estonia: “I think you can understand that we wanted to play our home game with the same enthusiasm we saw a month ago in Bergamo, considering we need to give our all to qualify for the World Cup.”
Israel could also face protests during its visit to Norway on Saturday.
The Norwegian Football Federation has pledged to donate profits from ticket sales for the Oslo match to humanitarian work in Gaza by Médecins Sans Frontières (known by its French acronym MSF).
Italy faced Israel in Udine in the Nations League last October. The match ended without incident amid heavy police presence, despite a pro-Palestinian demonstration before the match. Italy won 4-1.
In August, the Italian Association of Football Coaches (AIAC) sent a letter to European and world soccer governing bodies calling for Israel to be suspended from international competitions due to the Gaza war.
