Italy v Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland deserve Italy's respect - Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon (left) pictured at the announcement of Gennaro Gattuso as Italy manager World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon says play-off semi-final opponents Northern Ireland have been the "only focus" for Italy, and not the wider prize of a spot at the finals this summer. Italy have not qualified for a World Cup since 2014 after play-off defeats by Sweden and North Macedonia, and they missed out on automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament after finishing second behind group winners Norway. Gennaro Gattuso's side could become the first World Cup winners to miss out on three tournaments in a row, but if they can progress against Northern Ireland and then beat either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina, they will be rewarded with a spot in Group B with co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Qatar. Buffon, who is Italy's technical delegate, said it was "an important moment" and the full focus had to be on Thursday's semi-final in Bergamo. "We shouldn't have any doubt, our focus is only on Northern Ireland and the semi-final," Buffon told BBC Sport. "Then, if we're happy, we'll think about the final against Wales or Bosnia. "But for the last four months, our only focus has been on Northern Ir