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
20	Leyton Orient	46	14	10	22	59	71	-12	52	D L L D L
21	Exeter City	46	12	13	21	52	61	-9	49	L D D D W
22	Port Vale	46	10	12	24	36	61	-25	42	L W L L D
23	Rotherham United	46	10	11	25	41	71	-30	41	L D L W L
24	Northampton Town	46	9	8	29	39	74	-35	35	L L L L L

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PTS

Form