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A good start is half the battle. Italy are not halfway there yet, but the national futsal team have taken an important first step towards the 2028 World Cup.
In their opening match of the Main Round of World Cup qualifying in Rende, the Azzurri beat Georgia 3-2 after 40 minutes in which Salvo Samperi’s side saw their superiority challenged by a resilient Georgian defence. The victory takes Italy level with Kosovo on three points. The Balkan side beat Georgia 3-2 six days ago, and it is Kosovo who await Italy in November. Musumeci and his teammates will first travel to Pristina on Friday 6 November before hosting their opponents in Barletta on Tuesday 10 November.
SAMPERI. After the final whistle, head coach Salvo Samperi reflected on the performance: “This is the start of a new journey. I told the players we had a great game. Of course, we weren’t perfect when we were 3-1 up and could have managed things better. But we won, and we showed great commitment as well as technical and tactical superiority.”The crowd also played an important role during the key moments of the match, particularly when Italy came under pressure. “Yes, they made themselves heard. We received a fantastic welcome, and the atmosphere tonight was incredible. Our campaign has started well. We’ll face Kosovo twice in November, and those games will go a long way towards deciding who progresses to the next round. For now, we’ve made a good start.”
THE MATCH. Samperi made changes to his starting five, selecting Musumeci as pivot, Silvestri in central defence and Motta and Fortini on the wings. Italy started brightly, dictating the tempo and creating several chances. The most dangerous moment came in the second minute, when Motta forced Aslani into an excellent save with a sliding block. Podda, introduced from the bench, also threatened with two dangerous left-footed efforts. Georgia’s defensive wall held firm, despite Italy enjoying almost all the possession in the attacking half. In the twelfth minute, Italy had their clearest opportunity yet. Musumeci went one-on-one with Aslani but lost his chance to shoot. Italy’s pressure eventually paid off. Motta beat Chumburidze down the wing before finding Pulvirenti in the penalty area, where the Catania player turned the ball past Aslani to make it 1-0. It was his fourth goal for the Azzurri in his 19th appearance. With three minutes remaining before half-time, Georgia equalised with their first real effort on goal. Italy were caught out of position as goalkeeper Aslani came off his line, allowing the visitors to create an overload. Giorgaia finished to make it 1-1. It was a harsh scoreline given the balance of play, but Italy found a way to regain the lead. With 50 seconds left before the break, Motta once again beat his marker on the wing and sent a dangerous ball into the area, which Tkeshelashvili turned into his own net.
SECOND HALF. Just two minutes after the restart, Italy extended their lead. Motta, the standout performer, made space for himself 15 metres from goal and unleashed a superb left-footed strike that beat Aslani to make it 3-1. Georgia threatened twice, but Bellobuono, who had otherwise had little to do, produced an excellent save in the fifth minute to turn Kekelia’s right-footed effort away from the top corner. The match reached the halfway point of the second period quickly. Arillo tried his luck with a toe-poke, but Aslani held his ground at the near post and made a fine sliding save to deny the Napoli player. Georgia, however, refused to give up and pulled a goal back in the eleventh minute. Kekelia found a gap at the near post to make it 3-2. The visitors pushed goalkeeper Aslani forward, putting Italy’s defence under pressure as the Azzurri struggled to adjust to his attacking runs. Yet Italy continued to create the more dangerous chances. In the 15th minute, Arillo produced an excellent pass for Silvestri, whose right-footed effort struck the outside of the post. The closing stages saw the intensity rise dramatically, both physically and emotionally. Italy fought for every ball and had two chances to put the game beyond doubt, but Aslani made outstanding saves on both occasions to deny De Oliveira. The final two minutes were played under intense pressure as Georgia attacked with a flying goalkeeper. Italy held firm, however, and the Palasport in Rende was finally able to celebrate.
ITALY 3-2 GEORGIA (half-time: 2-1)
Italy: Bellobuono, Silvestri, Fortini, Musumeci, Motta. Subs: Dalcin, Podda, Pulvirenti, Molaro, Arillo, De Oliveira, Delmestre, Ferraro, Donin. Head coach: Samperi.
Georgia: Aslani, Chimakadze, Giorgaia, Kekelia, Kurtanidze. Subs: Tkemaladze, Kharshiladze, Gabrichidze, Tkeshelashvili, Jvarashvili, Kharatishvili, Chumburidze, Sebiskveradze, Svanidze. Head coach: Asatiani.
Goals: 12' first half Pulvirenti (Italy), 17' Giorgaia (Georgia), 19' Tkeshelashvili own goal (Italy); 2' second half Motta (Italy), 11' Kekelia (Georgia).
Referees: Yiango Yiangou (Cyprus), Nicolas Nicolau (Cyprus), Antonios Adamamopoulos (Greece). Timekeeper: Giovanni Loprete (Italy).
Bookings: Kekelia (Georgia), Tkeshelashvili (Georgia), Donin (Italy), Sebiskveradze (Georgia), Giorgaia (Georgia). Attendance: 1,260.
FIFA FUTSAL WORLD CUP 2028
Group 10 Main Round fixtures
Wednesday 14 October: Georgia 2-3 Kosovo
Tuesday 20 October: Italy 3-2 Georgia
Standings after Matchday two
Italy 3 points, Kosovo 3 points, Georgia 0 points
Friday 6 November: Kosovo vs. Italy
Tuesday 10 November: Italy vs. Kosovo
Wednesday 24 February: Kosovo vs. Georgia
Tuesday 2 March: Georgia vs. Italy
Key dates
Main Round play-off draw: 5 March 2027
Main Round play-offs: 12-21 April 2027
Elite Round group-stage draw: 20 May 2027
Elite Round group stage: 6-15 September 2027, 11-20 October 2027, 13-22 December 2027
Elite Round play-off: 20 January 2028
Elite Round play-offs: 10-19 April 2028
