Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Discover World Cup Qualifying Opponents

On Friday morning, both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland learned the identities of their opponents for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Northern Ireland’s 2026 World Cup qualifying group will include either Germany or Italy, alongside confirmed opponents Slovakia and Luxembourg for Michael O’Neill’s team. The victor of the Nations League play-off match between Germany and Italy, scheduled for March, will be designated as the top seed in Group A. For the Republic of Ireland, Group F will feature the winner of the Nations League play-off between Portugal and Denmark, in addition to Hungary and Armenia. As both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have been placed in four-team groups, their respective qualifying campaigns are set to commence next September. Automatic qualification for the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico will be granted solely to group winners. The 12 teams finishing as runners-up will advance to play-offs, where four additional qualifying spots will be contested. Furthermore, four nations that qualify through the Uefa Nations League will also participate in these play-off rounds. In their recent Uefa Nations group, Northern Ireland previously played Luxembourg. O’Neill’s squad secured a 2-0 victory at Windsor Park in September, followed by a 2-2 draw away last month. Slovakia previously thwarted Northern Ireland’s aspirations for Euro 2020 qualification, achieving a 2-1 extra-time play-off win in Belfast in November 2020. During the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Northern Ireland, then under the management of Ian Baraclough, suffered a 2-0 defeat to Italy in Parma in March 2021, subsequently drawing 0-0 with the Azzurri at Windsor Park eight months later. Germany also competed against Northern Ireland in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, securing a 2-0 win in Belfast and later a dominant 6-1 victory in Frankfurt. Following a challenging Euro 2024 qualifying group that included formidable opponents France and the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland appears to have received a more favorable draw. While Portugal (ranked sixth) and Denmark (ranked 21st) are significantly higher than the 60th-ranked Irish team in the Fifa rankings, Heimir Hallgrimsson will likely conclude that the draw could have been considerably less favorable. Hungary, having qualified for Euro 2024, is currently ranked 30th, and Hallgrimsson will be focused on preventing a recurrence of the Irish team’s surprising 1-0 Nations League loss to Armenia in June 2022. The schedule for Northern Ireland’s qualifying matches is as follows: Thursday 4 September 2025 – Luxembourg v Northern Ireland; Sunday 7 September – Germany or Italy v Northern Ireland; Friday 10 October – Northern Ireland v Slovakia; Monday 13 October – Northern Ireland v Germany or Italy; Friday 14 November – Slovakia v Northern Ireland; Monday 17 November – Northern Ireland v Luxembourg. The Republic of Ireland’s qualifying fixtures are scheduled as follows: Saturday 6 September – Republic of Ireland v Hungary; Tuesday 9 September – Armenia v Republic of Ireland; Saturday 11 October – Portugal/Denmark v Republic of Ireland; Tuesday 14 October – Republic of Ireland v Armenia; Thursday 13 November – Republic of Ireland v Portugal/Denmark; Sunday 16 November – Hungary v Republic of Ireland.