Rome, Jun 10 (V7N) — Italy, Belgium, and Croatia all celebrated victories in their respective matches in the European qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup, showcasing strong performances as they push toward securing spots in the 2026 tournament.

Italy bounced back from their earlier defeat by beating Moldova 2-0 at home in their second Group I match. The breakthrough came in the 40th minute when Giacomo Raspadori found the back of the net. The Azzurri doubled their lead early in the second half, with Andrea Cambiasso scoring in the 50th minute. Italy maintained control for the remainder of the match, sealing a comfortable victory.

Elsewhere, Belgium edged Wales 4-3 in a thrilling encounter in Brussels in their Group J fixture. The hosts made an explosive start, with Romelu Lukaku opening the scoring in the 15th minute. Youri Tielemans added another four minutes later, and Jeremy Doku made it 3-0 in the 27th minute.

However, Wales mounted an impressive comeback. They reduced the deficit with a penalty just before halftime. Sorba Thomas struck in the 51st minute, and Renan Johnson completed the comeback with a goal in the 69th minute to level the score at 3-3.

As the match seemed destined for a draw, Kevin De Bruyne stepped up in the 88th minute to secure the dramatic win for Belgium.

Meanwhile, Croatia delivered a commanding performance, thrashing the Czech Republic 5-0 to continue their strong form in the qualifiers.

These results have added further excitement to the European qualifying campaign, with each of these sides looking to strengthen their path to the 2026 World Cup.

END/MSS/AJ