Pitched against Germany, Slovakia and Luxembourg in qualifying, Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland side were always unlikely to take Group A's sole automatic place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Their last-gasp defeat, therefore, mattered only for seeding, although that loomed larger when Northern Ireland were later paired with Italy in an away semi-final. Thanks to the form of Swansea's Ethan Galbraith, O'Neill now seems settled on 10 of his preferred XI, should all be fit to face Italy in Bergamo. The one question mark remains over the number nine, a problem position for the side since Kyle Lafferty's goals fired them to Euro 2016. Ultimately, a first World Cup in four decades remains the overarching goal but O'Neill has previously said he believes this group has a major tournament in them, whether now or in the future.

Source: BBC December 30, 2025 10:43 UTC