Gianluigi Donnarumma Says Italy Must ‘Start Strong’ Against Estonia On Friday

With the Italy vs Estonia fixture on the horizon, Gigi Donnarumma has explained how the Azzurri must ‘start strong‘ in their crucial WCQ. 

Donnarumma recently completed a €30million move to Manchester City from PSG. The nazionale captain spent four years with the Parisians before moving to the English Premier League on deadline day.

As exciting as his new club venture is, Donnarumma reinforced how vital it is for Gennaro Gattuso’s side to pick up maximum points in Bergamo on Friday.

The new boss at work 💙#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/ed0IDbzNLg

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 2, 2025

Italy Vs Estonia World Cup Qualifier

Our Italy vs Estonia preview anticipates a comfortable win for the Azzurri. However, Gigi Donnarumma insists it is vital that Gennaro Gattuso’s get among Friday’s opponents from the first whistle.

“We need to start strong right away, show who we are, and have humility, prove our worth. We’re working on that, and the coach is preparing it in the best way.

“I already knew him, and I’m happy he’s here. I know what he can bring to the national team. It will certainly be complicated because European matches are never easy.

“All matches are tough and present their own challenges, but we need to step onto the pitch strong and confident that we can play a great game.

“I thank all the Italians who support us, I know it’s sold out in Bergamo, we’ll try to put on a great performance.”

Who Will Italy Play In World Cup Qualifying?

The Italy fixtures for World Cup qualifying will pit the Azzurri against Estonia, Israel, Moldova and Norway. As it stands, Gennaro Gattuso’s side has picked up three points from their opening two games.

That solitary victory came against Moldova on June 9. Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso scored in the 2-0 victory at Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia.

In the Group I opener on June 6, the Norwegians cruised to a 3-0 victory in Oslo. Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland were all on target at the Ullevaal Stadion.

Hence why Gigi Donnarumma has insisted the Italians start fast and pick up maximum points this month. The new Manchester City goalkeeper will be in action again on September 8 for the Israel game.

If the Azzurri captain can help his side to back-to-back victories, they’ll be able to close the gap on Norway at the top of the table going into October’s fixtures.

As always, the group winners will qualify automatically for the 2026 FIFA Club World Cup whereas the runners-up will enter into a playoff to determine their place.