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Northern Ireland national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Northern Ireland women's national football team.

Northern Ireland
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Green and White Army,
Norn Iron
AssociationIrish Football Association (IFA)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachMichael O'Neill
CaptainConor Bradley
Most capsSteven Davis (140)
Top scorerDavid Healy (36)
Home stadiumWindsor Park
FIFA codeNIR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 71 Increase 2 (24 October 2024)[1]
Highest20 (September 2017)
Lowest129 (September 2012)
First international
 Ireland 0–13 England 
(Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882)
as Northern Ireland[note 1]
 Ireland 1–4 England 
(Belfast, Northern Ireland; 7 October 1950)
 France 3–1 Northern Ireland 
(Colombes, France; 11 November 1952)
Biggest win
 Ireland 7–0 Wales 
(Belfast, Ireland; 1 February 1930)
as Northern Ireland
 Northern Ireland 5–0 Cyprus 
(Belfast, Northern Ireland; 21 April 1971)
 Faroe Islands 0–5 Northern Ireland 
(Landskrona, Sweden; 11 September 1991)
 Northern Ireland 5–0 Bulgaria 
(Belfast, Northern Ireland; 15 October 2024)
Biggest defeat
 Ireland 0–13 England 
(Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882)
as Northern Ireland
 Netherlands 6–0 Northern Ireland 
(Amsterdam, Netherlands; 2 June 2012)
World Cup
Appearances3 (first in 1958)
Best resultQuarter-finals (1958)
European Championship
Appearances1 (first in 2016)
Best resultRound of 16 (2016)
Ulster Banner, the flag of the Northern Ireland national football team

The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in men's international association football. From 1882 to 1950, all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association (IFA). In 1921, the jurisdiction of the IFA was reduced to Northern Ireland following the secession of clubs in the soon-to-be Irish Free State, although its team remained the national team for all of Ireland until 1950, and used the name Ireland until the 1970s.[3][note 2] The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) organises the separate Republic of Ireland national football team.

Although part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland has always had a representative side that plays in major professional tournaments – whether alongside the rest of Ireland pre-1922 or as its own entity – though not in the Olympic Games, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has always recognised United Kingdom representative sides, and currently Northern Irish athletes compete for Great Britain.

Northern Ireland has competed in three FIFA World Cups, reaching the quarter-final stage in the 1958 and 1982 tournaments. Northern Ireland held the accolade of being the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup Finals from their first appearance in 1958 until 2006, when Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 2006 World Cup. At UEFA Euro 2016, the team made its first appearance at the European tournament and reached the round of 16. Northern Ireland last qualified for the World Cup in 1986.

History

[edit]
Main article: Ireland national football team (1882–1950)

On 18 February 1882, 15 months after the founding of the Irish FA, Ireland made their international debut against England, losing 13–0 in a friendly played at Bloomfield in Belfast. This remains the record defeat for the team, and also England's largest winning margin. On 25 February 1882, Ireland played their second international, against Wales at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, and an equaliser from Johnston became Ireland's first ever goal.

In 1884, Ireland competed in the inaugural British Home Championship and lost all three games. Ireland did not win their first game until 19 February 1887, a 4–1 win over Wales in Belfast. Between their debut and this game, they had a run of 14 defeats and 1 draw, the longest run without a win in the 1800s. Despite the end of this run, heavy defeats continued. On 3 March 1888, they lost 11–0 to Wales and three weeks later, on 24 March, lost 10–2 to Scotland. Further heavy defeats came on 15 March 1890 when they lost 9–1 to England, on 18 February 1899 when they lost 13–2 to England and on 2 February 1901 when they lost 11–0 to Scotland.

In 1899, the Irish FA also changed its rules governing the selection of non-resident players. Before then the Ireland team selected its players exclusively from the Irish League, in particular the three Belfast-based clubs Linfield, Cliftonville and Distillery. On 4 March 1899, for the match against Wales, McAteer included four Irish players based in England. The change in policy produced dividends as Ireland won 1–0. Three weeks later, on 25 March, one of these four players, Archie Goodall, aged 34 years and 279 days, became the oldest player to score in international football during the 19th century when he scored Ireland's goal in a 9–1 defeat to Scotland.

In 1920, Ireland was partitioned into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. In 1922, Southern Ireland gained independence as the Irish Free State, later to become a republic under the name of Ireland. Amid these political upheavals, a rival football association, the Football Association of Ireland, emerged in Dublin in 1921 and organised a separate league and international team. In 1923, at a time when the home nations had withdrawn from FIFA, the FAI was recognised by FIFA as the governing body of the Irish Free State on the condition that it changed its name to the Football Association of the Irish Free State. The Irish FA continued to organise its national team on an all-Ireland basis.

Between 1928 and 1946, the IFA were not affiliated to FIFA and the two Ireland teams co-existed, never competing in the same competition. On 8 March 1950, however, in a 0–0 draw with Wales at the Racecourse Ground in a FIFA World Cup qualifier, the IFA fielded a team that included four players who were born in the Irish Free State. All four players had previously played for the FAI in their qualifiers and as a result had played for two different associations in the same FIFA World Cup tournament.

After complaints from the FAI, FIFA intervened and restricted players' eligibility based on the political border. In 1953 FIFA ruled neither team could be referred to as Ireland, decreeing that the FAI team be officially designated as the Republic of Ireland, while the IFA team was to become Northern Ireland.

Past performances

[edit]

British Home Championship

[edit]

Until the 1950s, the major competition for Northern Ireland/Ireland was the British Home Championship. The team won the competition eight times, taking the title outright on three occasions. They were the last winners of the now defunct competition held in 1984, and hence still are the British champions, and the trophy remains the property of the Irish FA.[7]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Danny Blanchflower (left) captained Northern Ireland at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, while George Best (right), winner of the 1968 Ballon d'Or, never reached a major international tournament with the team

Northern Ireland's best World Cup performance was in their first appearance in the finals, the 1958 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals after beating Czechoslovakia 2–1 in the play-off. They were knocked out by France, losing 4–0. In the 1958 competition, Northern Ireland became the least populous country to have qualified for the World Cup, a record that stood until Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 2006 World Cup. Northern Ireland remains, however, the least populous country to have qualified for more than one World Cup finals tournament, to win a World Cup finals match, and to have progressed from the first round of the World Cup finals.

Captain of the national side at the 1958 World Cup was Danny Blanchflower, who also captained Tottenham Hotspur in the English league and was twice footballer of the year in England. His younger brother Jackie was also a key member of the national team, and won two league titles in England with Manchester United, until his career was ended by injuries suffered in the Munich air disaster of February 1958.

Despite the presence of world class forward George Best, another Manchester United player, for the 1960s and 1970s, Northern Ireland failed to qualify for any major tournaments.

Northern Ireland also qualified for the 1982 World Cup. Their opening game was against Yugoslavia at La Romareda stadium in Zaragoza. It was the international debut of 17-year-old Norman Whiteside, who became the youngest player ever in the World Cup finals, a record that still stands. The game finished goalless. Five days later, they drew 1–1 with Honduras, which was a disappointment, and many believed had doomed Northern Ireland's chances of advancing in the competition.[8] They needed a win against hosts Spain in the third and final group game at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia. They faced a partisan atmosphere with a mostly Spanish crowd and a Spanish-speaking referee in Héctor Ortiz who was unwilling to punish dirty play from the Spanish players.[9] A mistake from Spain goalkeeper Luis Arconada, however, gifted Gerry Armstrong the only goal of the game, and despite having Mal Donaghy sent off on 60 minutes, Northern Ireland went on to record a historic 1–0 win and top the first stage group.

A 2–2 draw with Austria at the Vicente Calderón Stadium meant that a win against France would take them into the semi-finals, however, a French team inspired by Michel Platini won 4–1 and eliminated Northern Ireland from the competition.

They also qualified for the 1986 World Cup where they went out in the Group stages.[10] Billy Bingham, a member of the 1958 squad, was manager for both of these tournaments. They have not qualified for any other World Cups since.

Recent history

[edit]
The Our Wee Country mural in east Belfast commemorating Northern Ireland beating England at home in 2005.

Lawrie Sanchez was appointed in January 2004 after a run of 13 games without a goal under the previous manager Sammy McIlroy, which was a European record for any international team until San Marino went over 20 games without scoring between October 2008 and August 2012. That run ended after his first game in charge, a 1–4 loss to Norway in a friendly in February 2004. The run of 16 games without a win ended after his second game, a 1–0 victory in a friendly over Estonia, with a largely experimental side, in March 2004.

On 7 September 2005, Northern Ireland beat England 1–0 in a 2006 World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park. David Healy scored the winner in the 73rd minute. Almost a year later, on 6 September 2006, Northern Ireland defeated Spain 3–2 in a qualifier for UEFA Euro 2008, with Healy scoring a hat-trick. In June 2007, Nigel Worthington was named manager in the place of Lawrie Sanchez, who took over at Fulham. Initially, Worthington took over until the end of the Euro 2008 qualifiers, but was later given a contract until the end of the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Michael O'Neill became manager in February 2012 after Worthington had resigned in October 2011 after a poor Euro 2012 qualification campaign.

The Northern Ireland team qualified for its first ever UEFA European Championship, Euro 2016 in France after 30 years without qualifying for a major tournament, after beating Greece 3–1 at Windsor Park on 8 October 2015.[11] At the tournament, Northern Ireland were beaten 1–0 by Poland on 20 June 2016 followed by a 2–0 win against Ukraine on 16 June 2016 and finally a 1–0 loss against Germany in the group stage. That was enough to qualify for a Round of 16 spot where they lost 1–0 to Wales due to an unfortunate own goal by Gareth McAuley.[12]

Stadium

[edit]
Main article: Windsor Park
Windsor Park before the 2015 redevelopment – a view from the Kop Stand, showing the two-tiered North Stand and the low Railway stand behind the opposite goal

Northern Ireland play their home matches at Windsor Park, Belfast, home of Linfield, which they have use of on a 108-year lease, giving the owners 15% of revenue, including gate receipts and TV rights.[13]

There was a proposal to build a multisports stadium for Northern Ireland at the disused Maze prison outside Lisburn for the use of Rugby, Gaelic games and football.[14] This plan was given an "in principle" go-ahead by the Irish Football Association. However, it was opposed by fans, over 85% of whom in a match day poll conducted by the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs ("AONISC") preferred to stay at a smaller new or redeveloped ground in the city of Belfast.[15] The AONISC organised a protest against the move to the Maze at the game against Estonia in March 2006.

The issue assumed ever greater urgency by 2007, following a series of inspections which questioned the suitability of Windsor Park to host international football.[16] Following a reduction of capacity due to the closure of the Railway Stand, the IFA made it known that they wished to terminate their contract for the use of the stadium.[17] A report on health and safety in October 2007 indicated that the South Stand might have to be closed for internationals, which would further reduce the stadium's capacity to 9,000.[18] In April 2008, Belfast City Council announced that they had commissioned Drivers Jonas to conduct a feasibility study into the building of a Sports Stadium in Belfast which could accommodate international football, which was followed at the beginning of May 2008 by speculation that the Maze Stadium project was going to be radically revised by Peter Robinson, the finance and personnel minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly, so that any construction might be used for purposes other than football, rugby union and Gaelic games. Given the time that is needed to build a new stadium, in the absence of significant work improving Windsor Park, it seemed to be likely that Northern Ireland might be forced to play their home games at a venue outside Northern Ireland for a period.

In March 2009, proposals were announced for the construction of a new 25,000-seat stadium in the Sydenham area of East Belfast as an alternative to the Maze proposal. This would form part of a major development, with links to both George Best Belfast City Airport and the Bangor railway line. The development would also include a hotel, and retail/leisure areas. The stadium itself would be used for both football and rugby union, with Glentoran and Ulster Rugby intended as tenants. Ulster GAA, however, who were a partner in the Maze proposal, stated that in the event of a new stadium being built in East Belfast, which is a major unionist area, their preference would then be to remain at Casement Park in nationalist west Belfast.[19]

Internal view of Windsor park as the redevelopment nears completion.
The new redeveloped Windsor Park. View from the Kop (West Stand) with only the corner between the West & North stands yet to be completed.

The IFA were initially non-committal about any of the proposals for improving their facilities, be it rebuilding Windsor Park, or supporting either the Maze or Sydenham proposals. In September 2009, however, they issued an announcement in favour of the redevelopment of Windsor Park.[20] Although there were no specifics to this, Linfield had previously released a study with two proposals, of which the major one would be a £20 million rebuilding of the stadium, raising the spectator capacity to 20,000.[21] In 2011, the Northern Ireland Executive allocated £138 million for a major programme of stadium redevelopment throughout Northern Ireland, with £28 million allocated to the redevelopment of Windsor Park.[22] In June 2012, further details of the stadium's redevelopment were released. The plan was to redevelop Windsor Park into an 18,000 all-seater stadium with a series of phased works originally intended to begin in the summer of 2013. The redevelopment would include the demolition of the existing East and South Stand structures, to be replaced by new purpose built stands that would partially enclose the stadium; complete renovation of the existing North and West Stands; and construction of both new conferencing facilities and a new headquarters facility for the IFA.[23]

In February 2013, planning permission for the redevelopment was granted. The cost of the project was estimated to be around £29.2 million, of which £25.2 million would come from government funding. It was initially planned for the work to begin in September 2013.[24] Two months later, however, Irish Premiership club Crusaders began legal proceedings to have the process judicially reviewed. As owners of the site, rivals Linfield were in line to receive not only a redeveloped stadium, but also £200,000 per annum from the IFA in land rent instead of the existing agreement which entitled Linfield to 15% of match revenue. Crusaders believed this to be against European Union competition law as well as a form of state aid towards Linfield.[25] In a hearing that took place on 22 May 2013, Crusaders' request was granted. It was ruled that it was a possibility for the redevelopment to be classed as state aid towards Linfield. The aspect of the challenge concerning competition law, however, was dismissed.[26]

Northern Ireland team in 2021

In July 2013, Crusaders agreed to a possible settlement brought forward by the judicial review. The details of the settlement were not made public, but Crusaders said that it had the "potential to benefit the entirety of the football family".[27] In September 2013, sports minister Carál Ní Chuilín said that she was still committed to making sure the redevelopment went ahead as scheduled, after previously stating that she would not sign off on the funding until the IFA resolved "governance issues" surrounding David Martin's return to the role of deputy president.[28] In December 2013, three months after the work was originally scheduled to begin, the redevelopment was finally given the green light. The sports minister signed off on £31 million to complete the project. The redevelopment finally got under way on 6 May 2014 after the 2013–14 domestic season had finished, eight months later than originally planned. The work was completed in 2015.[29]

Team image

[edit]

Colours

[edit]

Northern Ireland football team's traditional colours are green, white and azure blue. Green has long been a traditional symbolic colour for Ireland. The azure blue comes from St. Patrick's blue, which was adopted as the colour of the Anglo-Irish Order of St Patrick. While green is recognised at the de-facto national colour for Ireland, azure blue is still found in symbols of both the state and the island. The kit has been manufactured by Adidas since 2012. Prior to this, the kit was manufactured by Umbro.

Kit suppliers

[edit]
Kit provider Period
England Umbro 		1975–1977
West Germany Adidas 		1977–1990
England Umbro 		1990–1994
Japan Asics 		1994–1998
Belgium Olympic Sportswear 		1998–1999
Belgium Patrick 		1999–2004
England Umbro 		2004–2012
Germany Adidas 		2012–

Supporters

[edit]
The Green and White Army
Main article: Green and White Army

The Green and White Army is the name given to the fans that follow the Northern Ireland national football team.

Since the defeat of England in 2005, there has been an increased demand for tickets exceeding supply.[30] Tongue-in-cheek songs such as "We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland" (sung to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic, an American Civil War song), "It's Just Like Watching Brazil" and "Stand up for the Ulstermen" are popular at home matches.

One of the first footballing celebrities was former Manchester United and Northern Ireland footballer George Best. The 1968 European Footballer of the Year, Best won 37 caps and scored 9 goals for his country.[31]

Leading up to the Euro 2016, YouTuber Sean Kennedy released the song "Will Grigg's on Fire", a parody about Northern Irish national Will Grigg to the tune of "Freed From Desire" by Gala. The song became a popular chant and internet sensation. A studio version was released by London-based production duo Blonde, going on to reach number seven in the iTunes UK Top 100.[32]

Historic controversy over sectarianism

[edit]
Former captain Neil Lennon retired from international football due to sectarian death threats

A small element of Northern Ireland's support was, in the past, regarded as sectarian.[33]

In 2000 the IFA launched the "Football For All" campaign to tackle sectarianism and racism at Northern Ireland games. Michael Boyd, the director of football development at the IFA, recalled how the team struggled to even get a sponsor for their kit because the image of Northern Irish football was so poor.[34] Attendance at matches was low; at a 1999 game against France, then reigning World Cup champions, IFA could not sell out the ground and there were problems with "sectarian singing and racist abuse."[34] Neil Lennon, a Roman Catholic Celtic player who had been subject to sectarian abuse from Northern Ireland fans while playing for Northern Ireland in Windsor Park, was issued a death threat by Loyalists and retired from international football in 2002 as a result.[35] Former Security Minister Jane Kennedy said the threat against Lennon 'disgraced Northern Ireland in the eyes of the world' and widened the divide between the association and Catholic players and supporters.[34] However, the incident represented a turning point in the campaign against sectarianism in the IFA which had seen slow progress in the previous two years.[34]

Steps taken to eradicate the sectarian element within the support have been successful.[36] Lennon has been quick to praise these initiatives.[37] He also praised the "Football For All" Outstanding Achievement Award Winner Stewart MacAfee[38] for the work he has done to create a more inclusive atmosphere at international games.

People like Stewart are the unsung heroes who have been brave enough to challenge sectarianism and who have actively created a more fun, safe and family-orientated atmosphere at international games. Fans like Stewart have made the atmosphere at Northern Ireland football games in recent years the envy of Fans across not only Europe but World football. From a personal point of view I would like to thank them for their efforts.

— Neil Lennon

In 2006, Northern Ireland's supporters were awarded the Brussels International Supporters Award[39] for their charity work, general good humour and behaviour and efforts to stamp out sectarianism. Representatives of the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs received the award from UEFA and EU representatives prior to the Northern Ireland–Spain game at Windsor Park in September 2006.

Northern Ireland Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Carál Ní Chuilín, the first senior Sinn Féin representative to attend an international at Windsor Park, commended "the very real efforts that have been made by the IFA to tackle sectarianism at their matches" after a match in August 2011.[40] Twenty years after Lennon's resignation, Northern Ireland international games regularly sell out and women and children were "noticeable" amongst the spectators.[34]

Media coverage

[edit]

Premier Sports currently have the rights to show all of Northern Ireland's competitive international fixtures up until 2024.[41]

Highlights of qualifiers are shown on BBC Northern Ireland with rights to World Cup Finals and European Championships held jointly by BBC and ITV - both channels shared coverage of Northern Ireland's games at Euro 2016.

Dating from the 1960s, Northern Ireland's games were shown live on BBC Northern Ireland, with highlights on network BBC via Sportsnight until the rights to home games were sold to Sky in 2007.[42] In May 2013, Sky acquired the rights to all Northern Ireland qualifying games for UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[43] From 2008 to 2013, BBC Northern Ireland held the rights to highlights of all of Northern Ireland's home international qualifiers. But in May 2013, ITV secured a deal to show highlights of the European Qualifiers for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, including Northern Ireland games, between 2014 and 2017.

In 2015, BBC Northern Ireland acquired the live rights to show Northern Ireland's friendlies in the run-up to UEFA Euro 2016, but the next two subsequent home friendlies against Croatia and New Zealand were shown on Premier Sports/eirSport until the contract ended before the 2018 World Cup.

Results and fixtures

[edit]
Main article: Northern Ireland national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

[edit]
17 November UEFA Euro 2024 Group H Qualifier Finland  4–0  Northern Ireland Helsinki, Finland
17:00 GMT
Match 685		 Pohjanpalo 42' (pen.)
Håkans 48'
Pukki 73'
Lod 88'		 Report Stadium: Helsinki Olympic Stadium
Attendance: 28,711
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev (Azerbaijan)
20 November UEFA Euro 2024 Group H Qualifier Northern Ireland  2–0  Denmark Belfast, Northern Ireland
19:45 GMT
Match 686		 Price 60'
D. Charles 81'		 Report Stadium: Windsor Park
Attendance: 17,366
Referee: Jérôme Brisard (France)

2024

[edit]
22 March Friendly Romania  1–1  Northern Ireland Bucharest, Romania
19:45 GMT
Match 687		 Man 23' Report Reid 7' Stadium: Arena Națională
Attendance: 30,439
Referee: Kristoffer Karlsson (Sweden)
26 March Friendly Scotland  0–1  Northern Ireland Glasgow, Scotland
19:45 GMT
Match 688		 Report Bradley 32' Stadium: Hampden Park
Referee: Robert Jones (England)
8 June Friendly Spain  5–1  Northern Ireland Palma, Spain
20:30 BST
Match 689		 Pedri 12', 29'
Morata 18'
Fabián 35'
Oyarzabal 60'		 Report Ballard 2' Stadium: Estadi Mallorca Son Moix
Attendance: 18,300
Referee: Bastien Dechepy (France)
11 June Friendly Andorra  0–2  Northern Ireland Murcia, Spain
19:45 BST
Match 690		 Report Bradley 16', 22' Stadium: Estadio Nueva Condomina
Referee: Jason Barcelo (Gibraltar)
5 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Northern Ireland  2–0  Luxembourg Belfast, Northern Ireland
19:45 BST
Match 691		 McNair 11'
Ballard 16'		 report Stadium: Windsor Park
Attendance: 17,213
Referee: Marian Barbu (Romania)
8 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Bulgaria  1–0  Northern Ireland Plovdiv, Bulgaria
17:00 BST
Match 692		 Despodov 40' report Stadium: Stadion Hristo Botev
Attendance: 14,300
Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (Greece)
12 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Belarus  0–0  Northern Ireland Zalaegerszeg (Hungary)[45]
19:45 BST
Match 693		 report Stadium: ZTE Arena
Attendance: 0
Referee: Henrik Nalbandyan (Armenia)
15 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Northern Ireland  5–0  Bulgaria Belfast, Northern Ireland
19:45 BST
Match 694
report Stadium: Windsor Park
Attendance: 17,891
Referee: Jérôme Brisard (France)
15 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Northern Ireland  v  Belarus Belfast, Northern Ireland
19:45 GMT
Match 695		 Report Stadium: Windsor Park
18 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Luxembourg  v  Northern Ireland Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
19:45 GMT
Match 696		 Report Stadium: Stade de Luxembourg

Coaching staff

[edit]

Current coaching staff

[edit]
As of 20 March 2023
Position Name
Manager Northern Ireland Michael O'Neill
Assistant Manager Northern Ireland Jimmy Nicholl
Senior Coach Northern Ireland Aaron Hughes
Senior Coach Republic of Ireland Diarmuid O'Carroll
Goalkeeping Coach England David Rouse
Team Doctor Northern Ireland David White
Head Physiotherapist Northern Ireland Caroline Woods
Physiotherapists Northern Ireland Darren McMaster
Northern Ireland Neil McCullough
Sports Scientist Northern Ireland Ricky McCann
Analyst Northern Ireland Matthew Crawford
Equipment Manager Northern Ireland Raymond Millar
Equipment Assistants Northern Ireland Stevie Ferguson
Northern Ireland Colin McGiffert

Manager history

[edit]
  Current manager highlighted in green

Last updated after match against  Bulgaria on 15 October 2024.

Manager First Game Last Game Pld W D L GF GA GD Win % Draw % Loss %
Northern Ireland Irish FA Selection Committee 18 February 1882 vs. England 12 May 1951 vs. France 177 29 27 121 200 568 -368 16.39% 15.25% 68.36%
Northern Ireland Peter Doherty 6 October 1951 vs. Scotland 9 May 1962 vs. Netherlands 51 9 14 28 67 119 -52 17.65% 27.45% 54.90%
Northern Ireland Bertie Peacock 10 October 1962 vs. Poland 12 April 1967 vs. Wales 28 11 4 13 46 54 -8 39.29% 14.29% 46.42%
Northern Ireland Billy Bingham 21 October 1967 vs. Scotland 22 May 1971 vs. Wales 20 8 3 9 24 22 +2 40.00% 15.00% 45.00%
Northern Ireland Terry Neill 22 September 1971 vs. Soviet Union 30 October 1974 vs. Sweden 20 6 6 8 16 18 -2 30.00% 30.00% 40.00%
Northern Ireland Dave Clements 16 April 1975 vs. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 14 May 1976 vs. Wales 11 3 2 6 7 15 -8 27.27% 18.18% 54.55%
Northern Ireland Danny Blanchflower 13 October 1976 vs. Netherlands 21 November 1979 vs. Republic of Ireland 24 6 5 13 19 38 -19 25.00% 20.83% 54.17%
Northern Ireland Billy Bingham 26 March 1980 vs. Israel 17 November 1993 vs. Republic of Ireland 98 32 31 35 91 107 -16 32.65% 31.64% 35.71%
Northern Ireland Bryan Hamilton 23 March 1994 vs. Romania 11 October 1997 vs. Portugal 31 8 8 15 34 41 -7 25.81% 25.81% 48.38%
England Lawrie McMenemy 25 March 1998 vs. Slovakia 9 October 1999 vs. Finland 14 4 3 7 9 25 -16 28.57% 21.43% 50.00%
Northern Ireland Sammy McIlroy 23 February 2000 vs. Luxembourg 11 October 2003 vs. Greece 29 5 7 17 19 40 -21 17.24% 24.14% 58.62%
Northern Ireland Lawrie Sanchez 18 February 2004 vs. Norway 28 March 2007 vs. Sweden 32 11 10 11 35 42 -7 34.38% 31.24% 34.38%
Northern Ireland Nigel Worthington 22 August 2007 vs. Liechtenstein 11 October 2011 vs. Italy 41 9 10 22 35 55 -20 21.95% 24.39% 53.66%
Northern Ireland Michael O'Neill 29 February 2012 vs. Norway 19 November 2019 vs. Germany 72 26 18 28 75 83 -8 36.11% 25.00% 38.89%
England Ian Baraclough 4 September 2020 vs. Romania 27 September 2022 vs. Greece 28 6 8 14 27 36 -9 21.43% 28.57% 50.00%
Northern Ireland Michael O'Neill 23 March 2023 vs. San Marino 18 7 2 9 21 20 1 38.89% 11.11% 50.00%
Total 694 180 158 356 725 1283 -558 25.94% 22.77% 51.30%

Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only

Players

[edit]
Main article: List of Northern Ireland international footballers

Current squad

[edit]

The following players were called up for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches against  Belarus and  Luxembourg on 15 and 18 November 2024 respectively.[46][47]

Caps and goals updated as of 15 October 2024, after the match against  Bulgaria.[48]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Bailey Peacock-Farrell (1996-10-29) 29 October 1996 (age 28) 48 0 England Birmingham City
1GK Pierce Charles (2005-07-21) 21 July 2005 (age 19) 2 0 England Sheffield Wednesday
1GK Luke Southwood (1997-12-06) 6 December 1997 (age 26) 1 0 England Bolton Wanderers
2DF Jamal Lewis (1998-01-25) 25 January 1998 (age 26) 39 0 Brazil São Paulo
2DF Daniel Ballard (1999-09-22) 22 September 1999 (age 25) 26 4 England Sunderland
2DF Ciaron Brown (1998-01-14) 14 January 1998 (age 26) 22 0 England Oxford United
2DF Conor Bradley (captain) (2003-07-09) 9 July 2003 (age 21) 21 3 England Liverpool
2DF Trai Hume (2002-03-18) 18 March 2002 (age 22) 17 0 England Sunderland
2DF Brodie Spencer (2004-05-06) 6 May 2004 (age 20) 11 0 England Huddersfield Town
2DF Kofi Balmer (2000-09-19) 19 September 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Scotland Motherwell
2DF Ruairi McConville (2005-05-01) 1 May 2005 (age 19) 0 0 England Brighton & Hove Albion
3MF George Saville (1993-06-01) 1 June 1993 (age 31) 54 0 England Millwall
3MF Jordan Thompson (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 27) 38 0 England Stoke City
3MF Ali McCann (1999-12-04) 4 December 1999 (age 24) 26 1 England Preston North End
3MF Shea Charles (2003-11-05) 5 November 2003 (age 21) 21 0 England Sheffield Wednesday
3MF Isaac Price (2003-09-26) 26 September 2003 (age 21) 16 5 Belgium Standard Liège
3MF Paul Smyth (1997-09-10) 10 September 1997 (age 27) 14 2 England Queens Park Rangers
3MF Ross McCausland (2003-05-12) 12 May 2003 (age 21) 5 0 Scotland Rangers
3MF Ethan Galbraith (2001-05-11) 11 May 2001 (age 23) 3 0 England Leyton Orient
3MF Caolan Boyd-Munce (2000-01-26) 26 January 2000 (age 24) 2 0 Scotland St Mirren
3MF Brad Lyons (1997-05-26) 26 May 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Scotland Kilmarnock
3MF Justin Devenny (2003-10-11) 11 October 2003 (age 21) 0 0 England Crystal Palace
4FW Josh Magennis (1990-05-15) 15 May 1990 (age 34) 81 12 England Exeter City
4FW Dion Charles (1995-10-07) 7 October 1995 (age 29) 26 3 England Bolton Wanderers
4FW Callum Marshall (2004-11-28) 28 November 2004 (age 19) 8 0 England West Ham United
4FW Jamie Reid (1994-07-15) 15 July 1994 (age 30) 6 1 England Stevenage
4FW Lee Bonis (1999-08-03) 3 August 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Netherlands ADO Den Haag

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have been called up to the Northern Ireland squad during the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Christy Pym (1995-04-24) 24 April 1995 (age 29) 0 0 England Mansfield Town v.  Bulgaria, 15 October 2024
GK Conor Hazard (1998-03-05) 5 March 1998 (age 26) 8 0 England Plymouth Argyle v.  Bulgaria, 8 September 2024 INJ
GK Josh Clarke (2004-07-28) 28 July 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Scotland Celtic v.  Bulgaria, 8 September 2024
GK Stephen McMullan (2004-12-31) 31 December 2004 (age 19) 0 0 Wales Caernarfon Town v.  Scotland, 26 March 2024
DF Paddy McNair (1995-04-27) 27 April 1995 (age 29) 73 7 England West Bromwich Albion v.  Bulgaria, 15 October 2024
DF Eoin Toal (1999-02-15) 15 February 1999 (age 25) 8 0 England Bolton Wanderers v.  Bulgaria, 15 October 2024
DF Carl Johnston (2002-05-29) 29 May 2002 (age 22) 0 0 England Fleetwood Town v.  Bulgaria, 8 September 2024
DF Aaron Donnelly (2003-06-08) 8 June 2003 (age 21) 1 0 England Colchester United v.  Andorra, 11 June 2024
DF Jonny Evans (1988-01-03) 3 January 1988 (age 36) 107 6 England Manchester United v.  Andorra, 11 June 2024 RET
DF Michael Forbes (2004-04-29) 29 April 2004 (age 20) 1 0 England West Ham United v.  Denmark, 20 November 2023
MF Corry Evans (1990-07-17) 17 July 1990 (age 34) 72 2 England Bradford City v.  Bulgaria, 8 September 2024
MF Conor McMenamin (1995-08-24) 24 August 1995 (age 29) 14 1 Scotland St Mirren v.  Andorra, 11 June 2024
MF Paddy Lane (2001-02-18) 18 February 2001 (age 23) 4 0 England Portsmouth v.  Scotland, 26 March 2024
MF Jordan Jones (1994-10-24) 24 October 1994 (age 30) 19 1 England Colchester United v.  Denmark, 20 November 2023
MF Matty Kennedy (1994-11-01) 1 November 1994 (age 30) 5 0 Scotland Kilmarnock v.  Denmark, 20 November 2023
MF Terry Devlin (2003-11-06) 6 November 2003 (age 21) 0 0 England Portsmouth v.  Denmark, 20 November 2023
FW Shayne Lavery (1998-12-08) 8 December 1998 (age 25) 20 3 England Cambridge United v.  Bulgaria, 8 September 2024
FW Dale Taylor (2003-12-12) 12 December 2003 (age 20) 8 0 England Wigan Athletic v.  Andorra, 11 June 2024
FW Conor Washington (1992-05-18) 18 May 1992 (age 32) 43 6 England Derby County v.  Denmark, 20 November 2023

COVID = Player withdrew due to a positive COVID test or from being in close contact with someone with a positive COVID test.
INJ = Withdrew due to an injury.
PRE = Preliminary squad / standby.
RET = Retired from the national team.
SUS = Serving suspension.
WTD = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Individual records

[edit]
Main article: Northern Ireland national football team records and statistics
As of 15 October 2024 after the match against  Bulgaria.
  Players still active are highlighted in green

Most appearances

[edit]
Midfielder Steven Davis is Northern Ireland's most capped player with 140 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Steven Davis 140 13 2005–2022
2 Pat Jennings 119 0 1964–1986
3 Aaron Hughes 112 1 1998–2018
4 Jonny Evans 107 6 2006–2024
5 David Healy 95 36 2000–2013
6 Mal Donaghy 91 0 1980–1994
7 Kyle Lafferty 89 20 2006–2022
8 Sammy McIlroy 88 5 1972–1986
Maik Taylor 88 0 1999–2011
10 Keith Gillespie 86 2 1995–2008

Top goalscorers

[edit]
David Healy is Northern Ireland men team's all-time top goalscorer with 36 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 David Healy (list) 36 95 0.38 2000–2013
2 Kyle Lafferty 20 89 0.22 2006–2022
3 Billy Gillespie 13 25 0.52 1913–1932
Colin Clarke 13 38 0.34 1986–1993
Steven Davis 13 140 0.09 2005–2022
6 Joe Bambrick 12 11 1.09 1928–1940
Jimmy Quinn 12 46 0.26 1984–1995
Iain Dowie 12 59 0.2 1990–1999
Gerry Armstrong 12 63 0.19 1977–1986
Josh Magennis 12 81 0.14 2010–present

Most clean sheets

[edit]
Rank Player Clean Sheets Caps Ratio Career
1 Pat Jennings 45 119 0.38 1964–1986
2 Maik Taylor 34 88 0.39 1999–2011
3 Roy Carroll 18 45 0.4 1997–2017
4 Bailey Peacock-Farrell 17 48 0.35 2018–present
5 Michael McGovern 16 33 0.48 2010–2020
6 Tommy Wright 11 31 0.35 1989–1999
7 Alan Mannus 7 9 0.78 2004–2016
8 Elisha Scott 6 31 0.19 1920–1936
Jim Platt 6 23 0.26 1976–1986
Alan Fettis 6 25 0.24 1991–1998
  • A goalkeeper is awarded a clean sheet if he does not concede a goal during his time on the pitch.

Captains

[edit]
Rank Player Caps as Captain Total Caps Captaincy Span
1 Steven Davis 82 140 2006–2022
2 Aaron Hughes 47 112 2002–2015
3 Danny Blanchflower 42 56 1954–1962
4 Terry Neill 38 59 1963–1973
5 Martin O'Neill 33 64 1980–1984
6 Alan McDonald 26 52 1990–1995
7 Steve Lomas 22 45 1997–2003
8 Allan Hunter 19 53 1974–1979
Sammy McIlroy 19 88 1980–1986
10 John McClelland 17 53 1984–1990
  • Captaincy appearances are only awarded to players who were assigned the captaincy at the start of a game.

Competitive record

[edit]

For the all-time record of the national team against opposing nations, see the team's all-time record page.

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: Northern Ireland at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup finals record Qualification record Manager(s)
Year Round Pos. Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member None
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950 Did not qualify 3 0 1 2 4 17 Irish FA Committee
Switzerland 1954 3 1 0 2 4 7 Peter Doherty
Sweden 1958 Quarter-finals 8th 5 2 1 2 6 10 Squad 4 2 1 1 6 3
Chile 1962 Did not qualify 4 1 0 3 7 8
England 1966 6 3 2 1 9 5 Bertie Peacock
Mexico 1970 4 2 1 1 7 3 Billy Bingham
West Germany 1974 6 1 3 2 5 6 Terry Neill
Argentina 1978 6 2 1 3 7 6 Danny Blanchflower
Spain 1982 Second group stage 9th 5 1 3 1 5 7 Squad 8 3 3 2 6 3 Billy Bingham
Mexico 1986 Group stage 21st 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad 8 4 2 2 8 5
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 8 2 1 5 6 12
United States 1994 12 5 3 4 14 13
France 1998 10 1 4 5 6 10 Bryan Hamilton
South Korea Japan 2002 10 3 2 5 11 12 Sammy McIlroy
Germany 2006 10 2 3 5 10 18 Lawrie Sanchez
South Africa 2010 10 4 3 3 13 9 Nigel Worthington
Brazil 2014 10 1 4 5 9 17 Michael O'Neill
Russia 2018 12 6 2 4 17 7
Qatar 2022 8 2 3 3 6 7 Ian Baraclough
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Quarter-finals 3/22 13 3 5 5 13 23 — 142 45 39 58 155 168 —
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

UEFA European Championship

[edit]
Main article: Northern Ireland at the UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Championship record Qualification record Manager(s)
Year Round Pos. Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Did not enter Did not enter None
Spain 1964 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 5 2 Bertie Peacock
Italy 1968 6 1 1 4 2 8 Bertie Peacock, Billy Bingham[note 3]
Belgium 1972 6 2 2 2 10 6 Billy Bingham, Terry Neill[note 4]
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976 6 3 0 3 8 5 Terry Neill, Dave Clements[note 5]
Italy 1980 8 4 1 3 8 14 Danny Blanchflower
France 1984 8 5 1 2 8 5 Billy Bingham
West Germany 1988 6 1 1 4 2 10
Sweden 1992 8 2 3 3 11 11
England 1996 10 5 2 3 20 15 Bryan Hamilton
Belgium Netherlands 2000 8 1 2 5 4 19 Lawrie McMenemy
Portugal 2004 8 0 3 5 0 8 Sammy McIlroy
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 6 2 4 17 14 Lawrie Sanchez, Nigel Worthington[note 6]
Poland Ukraine 2012 10 2 3 5 9 13 Nigel Worthington
France 2016 Round of 16 16th 4 1 0 3 2 3 Squad 10 6 3 1 16 8 Michael O'Neill
Europe 2020 Did not qualify 10 4 2 4 11 16 Michael O'Neill, Ian Baraclough[note 7]
Germany 2024 10 3 0 7 9 13 Michael O'Neill
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total Round of 16 1/17 4 1 0 3 2 3 — 130 47 27 56 140 167 —
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

UEFA Nations League

[edit]
UEFA Nations League record Manager(s)
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK
2018–19 B 3 4 0 0 4 2 7 Same position 24th Michael O'Neill
2020–21 B 1 6 0 2 4 4 11 Fall 32nd Ian Baraclough
2022–23 C 2 6 1 2 3 7 10 Same position 44th Ian Baraclough
2024–25 C 3 4 2 1 1 7 1 Michael O'Neill
Total 20 3 5 12 20 29 — 24th —

Summary of results

[edit]
All competitive matches[49]
Pld W D L GF GA GD
562 145 123 294 604 1068 −464
All matches including friendlies[50][51]‡
Pld W D L GF GA GD
694 180 158 356 725 1283 −558

Results updated after match against  Bulgaria on 15 October 2024.

FIFA Rankings

[edit]

Last updated on 16 February 2022. [52]

FIFA World Rankings

[edit]

  Worst Ranking    Best Ranking    Worst Mover    Best Mover  

Rank Year Games
Played 		Won Drawn Lost Best Worst
Rank Move Rank Move
54 2021 12 4 3 5 45 Increase 4 (September) 58 Decrease 11 (October)
45 2020 8 0 3 5 36 Steady 0 (February) 45 Decrease 4 (November)
36 2019 10 6 1 3 28 Increase 5 (June) 36 Decrease 4 (October)
35 2018 9 2 2 5 24 Increase 2 (March) 35 Decrease 6 (October)
24 2017 9 5 1 3 20 Increase 9 (April) 35 Decrease 3 (October)
32 2016 13 5 3 5 25 Increase 4 (November) 36 Decrease 6 (October)
30 2015 9 4 4 1 29 Increase 8 (March) 51 Decrease 4 (April)
48 2014 7 3 1 3 43 Increase 28 (October) 95 Decrease 6 (August)
89 2013 8 1 2 5 86 Increase 23 (September) 119 Decrease 22 (April)
96 2012 7 0 4 3 86 Increase 17 (November) 129 Decrease 28 (September)
88 2011 10 1 1 8 38 Increase 5 (February) 89 Decrease 25 (April)
43 2010 10 1 3 4 39 Increase 14 (September) 59 Decrease 11 (March)
40 2009 9 3 3 3 27 Increase 15 (April) 52 Decrease 9 (November)
52 2008 8 2 2 4 32 Increase 2 (June) 52 Decrease 10 (December)
32 2007 9 4 2 3 27 Increase 14 (April) 49 Decrease 9 (September)
48 2006 8 4 1 3 45 Increase 21 (July) 103 Decrease 3 (November)
103 2005 10 2 2 6 101 Increase 15 (September) 116 Decrease 4 (August)
107 2004 11 3 6 2 107 Increase 9 (April) 124 Decrease 2 (July)
122 2003 8 0 2 6 106 Increase 1 (June) 122 Decrease 7 (October)
103 2002 6 0 3 3 89 Increase 1 (April) 103 Decrease 8 (September)
88 2001 8 2 1 5 88 Increase 10 (September) 107 Decrease 4 (June)
93 2000 7 3 1 3 84 Increase 5 (October) 98 Decrease 5 (May)
84 1999 8 1 2 5 67 Increase 19 (January) 84 Decrease 7 (October)
86 1998 6 3 1 2 86 Increase 7 (October) 99 Decrease 6 (February)
93 1997 9 1 3 5 63 Increase 5 (April) 93 Decrease 10 (December)
64 1996 7 1 3 3 48 Increase 11 (December) 75 Decrease 9 (October)
45 1995 8 3 2 3 45 Increase 10 (September) 55 Decrease 5 (February)
45 1994 7 3 0 4 33 Increase 7 (April) 45 Decrease 8 (June)
39 1993 8 4 1 3 39 Increase 3 (August) 42 Decrease 2 (October)

FIFA ranking history

[edit]

The following is a chart of the yearly averages of Northern Ireland's FIFA ranking.

Honours

[edit]

Regional

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The team did not use the team name Northern Ireland until 1952 in a one-off friendly against France, also the Ulster banner the flag currently used by the Northern Ireland team did not become the official flag of Northern Ireland until 1953. However, the team's first appearance after the end of Ireland (IFA), was against England in October 1950 in the 1950–51 British Home Championship.
  2. ^ The last match played as Ireland was in 1978 against Scotland.[4] However, apart from this match, all British Championship matches had been played as "Northern Ireland" since the 1973–74 tournament.[5] In the 1972–73 tournament, the first two matches were played as "Ireland" and the third as "Northern Ireland". In the 1971–72 tournament, the first was played as "Ireland" and the second and third as "Northern Ireland". 1970–71 was the last tournament in which all matches were played under the name "Ireland".[6]
  3. ^ Bertie Peacock managed for the first three qualifying matches. Billy Bingham managed the remainder of the qualification campaign.
  4. ^ Billy Bingham managed for the first three qualifying matches. Terry Neill managed the remainder of the qualification campaign.
  5. ^ Terry Neill managed for the first two qualifying matches. Dave Clements managed the remainder of the qualification campaign.
  6. ^ Lawrie Sanchez managed for the first six qualifying matches. Nigel Worthington managed the remainder of the qualification campaign.
  7. ^ Michael O'Neill managed the team for the eight qualifying group stage matches. Ian Baraclough managed the team in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  3. ^ Matthew Taylor (2008). The Association Game: A History of British Football. Harlow:Pearson Education Ltd.
  4. ^ "NIFG: Northern Ireland Programmes 1975–1978". Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  5. ^ "NIFG: Northern Ireland Programmes 1972–1975". Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  6. ^ "NIFG: Northern Ireland Programmes 1968–1972". Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  7. ^ "When Northern Ireland won the last ever British Home Championship". Guardian. 15 June 2022. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  8. ^ Whiteside, Norman (2007). Determined. Headline Publishing Group. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7553-1598-7.
  9. ^ Whiteside, Norman (2007). Determined. Headline Publishing Group. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-7553-1598-7.
  10. ^ "How Northern Ireland qualified for their last World Cup in 1986". Guardian. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Northern Ireland 3 Greece 1". BBC Sport. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015. At the tournament, the Northern Ireland fans made the famous chant 'Will Grigg's on fire' famous
  12. ^ Jackson, Lyle (16 June 2016). "Ukraine 0, Northern Ireland 2". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  13. ^ "IFA wants out of Windsor contract". BBC News. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
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  16. ^ Report slams Windsor Park safety Archived 15 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine BBC News
  17. ^ IFA wants out of Windsor contract Archived 15 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine BBC News
  18. ^ South Stand future under threat Archived 26 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine BBC News
  19. ^ Plans for £128m Belfast stadium unveiled Archived 22 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine – The Independent, 25/03/09
  20. ^ IFA 'backs Windsor as NI stadium' Archived 15 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine – BBC News, 07/09/09
  21. ^ Linfield FC has £20m stadium plan Archived 15 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine – BBC News, 12/06/09
  22. ^ "Stadiums fit for our heroes on way at last Belfast Telegraph". Belfast Telegraph. 11 March 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  23. ^ "WINDSOR PARK REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT". Irish Football Association. 25 June 2012. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  24. ^ "GREEN LIGHT FOR STADIUM REDEVELOPMENT". Irish Football Association. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  25. ^ "Windsor Park funding faces legal challenge from Crusaders". BBC Sport. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  26. ^ "Crusaders win right to oppose government funding for Windsor". BBC Sport. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 13 June 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  27. ^ "Crusaders support settlement on Windsor Park upgrade". BBC Sport. 16 July 2013. Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  28. ^ "Sports Minister Caral Ni Chuilin 'committed' to Windsor upgrade". BBC Sport. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  29. ^ "WORK BEGINS AT WINDSOR PARK". Irish Football Association. 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  30. ^ "BBC news story on NI ticket sales". BBC News. 5 April 2006. Archived from the original on 24 December 2006. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  31. ^ "Football: George Best: Football's first icon". The Guardian. London. 27 November 2005. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  32. ^ "Will Grigg's on fire: Parody song reaches number seven in ITunes UK Top 100". BBC. 2 June 2016. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  33. ^ Brian McNally (5 March 2010). "Why Northern Ireland continue to pay the price for abuse dished out to Neil Lennon". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 16 May 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  34. ^ a b c d e Gilmour, Paul. "Neil Lennon threat 'a turning point' for Northern Ireland campaign". Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  35. ^ Tim Rich (23 August 2002). "Death threat forces Lennon to place family feelings first". The Independent. London. Retrieved 21 February 2011.[dead link]
  36. ^ "BBC News Star helps in graffiti removal". 30 October 2003. Archived from the original on 3 July 2004. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  37. ^ "Lennon hails anti-sectarian drive". BBC News. 25 October 2006. Archived from the original on 8 November 2006. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  38. ^ "Praise for IFA's Football for All Awards Night". Irish Football Association. 25 February 2007. Archived from the original on 7 March 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2007.
  39. ^ "Northern Ireland Fans Are Officially The Best In Europe". Irishfa.com. 24 August 2006. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  40. ^ "Caral Ni Chuilin attends NI game at Windsor Park". BBC News. 11 August 2011. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  41. ^ "Premier Sports agrees deal to broadcast Northern Ireland games from 2022-2024". Irish FA. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  42. ^ "Sky TV deal to net IFA over £10m". BBC Sport. 27 April 2007. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  43. ^ Beacom, Steven (15 May 2013). "Northern Ireland fans can reach for the Sky again with new TV deal". Belfast Telegraph. INM. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  44. ^ "Belarus teams to play on neutral ground in UEFA competitions". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  45. ^ Due to the Belarusian involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belarus are required to play their home matches at neutral venues and behind closed doors until further notice.[44]
  46. ^ "McConville receives first senior call-up". 5 November 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  47. ^ "Devenny gets first senior call-up following Palace debut". 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  48. ^ "Most Northern Ireland Caps - EU-Football.info". eu-football.info. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  49. ^ "Historical Results – Fixtures And Results – International – The Irish Football Association". Irishfa.com. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  50. ^ Irish Football Association (2009). Official Souvenir Programme: Northern Ireland vs Serbia. Belfast:Irish Football Association
  51. ^ Jackson, Lyle (14 November 2009). "BBC:Northern Ireland 0–1 Serbia". BBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  52. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Associations - Northern Ireland - Men's". Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
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