Northern Ireland Overview

Italy v Northern Ireland - FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs

O’Neill sparks outrage with NI selection

Northern Ireland and Blackburn Rovers manager Michael O'Neill has provoked a fierce backlash from Championship relegation rivals. Balancing his dual roles, the 56-year-old is accused of a major conflict of interest after heavily utilising key players from clubs battling Blackburn for survival in a 1-1 friendly draw, while resting his own prospect until the 80th minute.

UEFA slammed for 'pointless' Wales vs N. Ireland clash

Former Northern Ireland international Chris Brunt has sensationally hit out at UEFA over the scheduling of what he describes as a "pointless" friendly against Wales. Both nations saw their World Cup dreams extinguished during the play-off semi-finals, yet they are still required to travel to Cardiff for a fixture that has no bearing on tournament qualification.

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
12	Al Naft	38	11	15	12	33	34	-1	48	W W D D L
13	Al-Mosul	38	11	14	13	46	49	-3	47	W D L D D
14	Al-Gharraf	38	11	11	16	40	43	-3	44	L W D D L
15	Naft Maysan	38	11	10	17	48	57	-9	43	W L W W D
16	Al Minaa	38	9	13	16	38	47	-9	40	D D D W D

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Form