Tonali leads the way in Italy’s World Cup qualifying campaign | OneFootball

Sandro Tonali emerged as one of the standout performers in Italy’s 5-0 win over Estonia, imposing himself as one of the Azzurri’s leaders in their path to the 2026 World Cup.

If it weren’t for Mateo Retegui’s brace on Gennaro Gattuso’s debut as Italy head coach against Estonia, Newcastle star Tonali would have probably been the man of the match in Bergamo last week.

The ex-Milan star won several duels in the middle of the park and registered over 90% passing accuracy.

Tonali proved to be the best central midfielder in the Peninsula currently, showing even more quality than Inter star Barella, a two-time Serie A winner and a Champions League finalist with the Nerazzurri in 2023 and 2025.

Tonali’s strong return after ban

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United arrives at the ground prior to kick off wearing the new Adidas terrace icons track top and glasses during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James’ Park on September 13, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Tonali spoke to Sky Italia on the eve of another crucial fixture against Israel.

“Every game is different, we want to win tomorrow and must focus only for the three points,” said the Newcastle star.

“I talked a lot to Gattuso, it is something I frankly had always wanted to do, but I’m happy that I get to do it in the Nazionale. I’ll treasure what he said to me, like advice from a father figure. He will ensure we are 11 Gattusos out there on the pitch.”

Tonali returned to action a year ago after a 10-month betting ban, but the time he spent on the sidelines doesn’t seem to have affected his talent.

Tonali quickly regained his starting status for club and country, contributing to Newcastle’s Carabao Cup victory in 2024-25 and playing a key role in bringing the Magpies back to the Champions League.

The Italian midfielder’s quality and grit have already made him one of the cornerstones of Gattuso’s Italy as the 2006 World Cup winner began his path as the Azzurri CT in September after replacing Luciano Spalletti in June.

The ex-Azzurri boss paid a high price for a 3-0 loss away at Norway, which forced La Nazionale to face an uphill battle for qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Newcastle’s developments off the pitch

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – APRIL 02: Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with the home fans during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Brentford FC at St James’ Park on April 02, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Italy did not qualify for the last two editions of the tournament in 2018 and 2022.

Tonali played for Italy against Estonia despite suffering a shoulder injury during the first Premier League game of the season for Newcastle.

The Premier League side have gone through several changes on and off the pitch in recent months, during which they also signed a multi-year partnership with global cryptocurrency exchange BYDFi, marking an important step in the club’s continued international expansion. BYDFi is a leading blockchain exchange that provides digital asset trading services, highlighting a trend in crypto brands sponsoring football clubs and also football fans desire to trade crypto and investigate new Web3 products.

Several Serie A clubs, including Juventus, are following on the same path, securing a similar deal in August.