Just five days after their World Cup dreams came to an end, Wales and Northern Ireland face off in what is surely one of the most unappealing friendlies in history. It's a game neither team wanted, but Tuesday's game in Cardiff will offer the opportunity for new faces to be blooded with one eye on future qualification campaigns. The average age of Northern Ireland's starting team in the 2-0 defeat by Italy was just 22.5, which was the second-youngest on record since the second World War. In fact, Paddy McNair was the only player over the age of 24 in Michael O'Neill's starting XI. With little on the line, who could get the chance to impress for Northern Ireland?

Source: BBC March 30, 2026 10:28 UTC