Erling Haaland failed to score as Norway were held to a 0-0 draw on their long trip to Kazakhstan in Group B3, while Benjamin Sesko scored a penalty in Slovenia’s 1-1 draw with Austria in the same section. Kazakhstan, who are ranked 109th in the FIFA World Rankings, were able to deny Haaland the Norwegian striker who has bagged seven goals in his first three Premier League games for Manchester City. Italy recovered from conceding inside 13 seconds to fight back and beat France 3-1 in their UEFA Nations League clash in Paris on Friday, while Belgium beat Israel and Wales drew with Turkey.

Bradley Barcola had opened the scoring at the Parc des Princes with the fastest ever goal by a France player, but the home side failed to build on that stunning start and Italy ran out deserved winners with Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori all on target.

The result is a boost for Luciano Spalletti’s Italy team after their poor showing at Euro 2024, when their defence of the title was ended limply by Switzerland in the last 16.

“Italians love football and they have been very sad recently,” Spalletti said.

“I am happy tonight because we are relieved to see a better performance.

“Now we can continue on this road because we saw how much potential we have.”

France, for whom captain Kylian Mbappe struggled to make an impact, picked up where they left off at the Euros, when they never found their best form despite reaching the semi-finals.

“It hurts for all of us,” admitted their coach, Didier Deschamps.

He gave a full international debut to London-born Bayern Munich right-winger Michael Olise, but he was upstaged by Barcola.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger robbed Italy’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo to run through and score, in the process beating the previous quickest French goal, scored after 38 seconds by Bernard Lacombe, also against Italy at the 1978 World Cup.

Italy saw Frattesi hit the bar soon after, but they drew level on the half-hour via a stunning goal, as Dimarco laid the ball off for Sandro Tonali and then met the latter’s first-time return with a sweet volley that flew into the far corner.

Frattesi turned in a Mateo Retegui cross to put Italy ahead early in the second half, and substitute Raspadori got their third goal on 74 minutes.

The winning start in this edition of the Nations League leaves Italy level at the top of Group A2 with Belgium, who beat Israel 3-1 on Friday.

Kevin De Bruyne scored twice for Belgium, including a penalty, either side of a Youri Tielemans goal and a Timothy Castagne own goal in a game played in Hungary after Belgian authorities decided the fixture was too high-risk to host.

Italy face Israel next on Monday, with that match taking place in Budapest due to the security situation in the Middle East. France play Belgium in Lyon.

Elsewhere on Friday, new Wales coach Craig Bellamy saw his side draw 0-0 with Turkey in Cardiff in Group 4 of the second-tier League B.

Turkey left with a point despite having Baris Yilmaz sent off in the second half.

“I am not a master at this after one game, trust me. But I enjoyed it. It was a great country to play against in your first game and I am really happy,” Bellamy told the BBC.

Wales next go to Montenegro, who lost 2-0 in Iceland on Friday.

Romania, with veteran Mircea Lucescu back in charge, won 3-0 in Kosovo in Group C2.

Spain, Norway and Ireland announced that they will recognise a Palestinian state on May 28 and they urged other European states to follow their lead.

The three countries said they hoped their decision would accelerate efforts towards securing a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which is now in its eighth month.

Below are some of the key elements related to that decision.

WHAT DID IRELAND, NORWAY SPAIN ANNOUNCE?

The three countries recognised a Palestinian state with its borders to be demarcated as they were prior to 1967, with Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and Palestine.

However, they also recognised that those borders may change in any eventual talks to reach a final settlement.

Ireland said it would upgrade its representative office in the West Bank to a full embassy and the Palestinian mission in Ireland will also be offered full embassy status.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris also stressed that recognising a Palestinian state does not diminish Ireland’s belief in Israel’s right to exist in peace and security – a position that he said was unequivocal.

WHO ELSE HAS RECOGNISED PALESTINE?

About 144 of the 193 member-states of the United Nations recognise Palestine as a state, including most of the global south, Russia, China and India. But only a handful of the 27 European Union members do so, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus.

Other states have said they are considering following suit, including Britain, Australia, Malta and Slovenia.

WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT?

The decision to recognise Palestinian statehood by three major European nations is mostly symbolic, but it makes Israel appear more isolated on the international stage.

Alon Liel, a former director general of Israel’s foreign ministry, said it may also have an impact on public opinion within Israel as these nations were viewed by many as diplomatic role models.

It could also prove significant if, as the three countries hope, other nations follow in recognising Palestinian statehood.

HOW DID ISRAEL, PALESTINIANS REACT?

Israel reacted angrily and immediately withdrew its ambassadors from the three countries and summoned their representatives in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said such recognition effectively rewards Hamas, which governs Gaza, for its violence.

The war in Gaza was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants burst across Israel’s southern border and carried out the bloodiest attack in the country’s 75-year history.

Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the concept of a “two-state” solution and said such recognition would neither bring peace nor change its resolve to eradicate Hamas.

The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, and Hamas welcomed the recognition by Spain, Norway and Ireland.

WHAT DID THE UNITED STATES SAY?

The United States supports a two-state solution, but says that this is something that can only be achieved through direct dialogue between the two parties and not through the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state by other nations.

Last month, the United States effectively vetoed an attempt at United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state by denying Palestinians full membership in a vote in the Security Council.

WHAT IS THE POSITION OF OTHER EUROPEAN NATIONS?

Spain, Norway and Ireland spent months lobbying EU members to join them in their announcement, but the issue still divides some of the bloc’s biggest countries.

France said Palestinian statehood is not a “taboo” for Paris, but that now is not the right time. Germany stressed its long-term goal is for a two-state solution, but, like the U.S., said that that could only come through dialogue.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)