The British team will face Italy in the World Cup playoff semifinal to be held in March. Not to mention the ill-fated precedent of 1958…
Northern Ireland is Italy’s opponent in the 2026 World Cup playoff semifinal. Coach O’Neill’s team finished third in Group A behind Germany and Slovakia, but ahead of Luxembourg. The Northern Irish side won both matches against Huet’s men and the away leg against Calzona’s team. They scored seven goals and conceded six during the qualifying campaign. They qualified for the playoffs thanks to their finish in the last Nations League. The winner of this match will face either Wales or Bosnia in the final.
Starting lineup— Starting lineup (3-5-2): Peacock-Farrell; McConville, Brown, McNair; Bradley, Lyons, McDonnell, Galbraith, Lewis; Donley, Price.
Bradley’s talent— Almost all of the players at O’Neill’s disposal play in England, but only five are in the Premier League. Liverpool’s Conor Bradley is one of the most promising prospects: a right winger born in 2003, he has even worn the captain’s armband in the last three matches. He is not a goal scorer; so far, he has made 30 appearances and scored 4 goals for the national team. He is also often used in midfield. The other player to watch is Jamie Donley, an attacking midfielder born in 2005, owned by Tottenham. He is on loan at Stoke City in England’s second division, but he is only 20 years old and has plenty of room to grow. Northern Ireland lacks a true striker; even Price is an attacking midfielder playing out of position as a forward.
The coach— Michael O’Neill is one of the key figures behind the Northern Irish national team’s evident improvements. He had already led the team from 2011 to 2020, then coached Stoke City until 2022, before returning to the helm of his country’s national team. As a player, he also made 31 appearances for Northern Ireland.
The historical precedent— Northern Ireland has not participated in a World Cup since 1986. However, there is a historic precedent between the two national teams. In 1958, coach Alfredo Foni’s Azzurri traveled to Belfast to face the hosts in a World Cup qualifier for Sweden. It was January 15, and Italy needed just one win out of three possible results. The match was played in hellish conditions, on a field that resembled a swamp, and with Northern Ireland missing their starting goalkeeper, who was stranded in Manchester due to fog. The Azzurri failed to capitalize, conceding two goals in the first half-hour (McIlroy in the 13th minute and Cush in the 28th). They then tried to get back into the game in the 56th minute through Da Costa, but lost Ghiggia with 20 minutes remaining due to a reactionary foul. The match ended 2-1 and would be remembered as “the Belfast debacle.” Before the two consecutive playoff failures in the last two World Cups, the only time in the last century that Italy failed to qualify for the tournament was in 1958, following that heavy defeat against Northern Ireland.
