Michael O’Neill says he will tell his players that they must believe reaching the 2026 World Cup Finals is achievable after Northern Ireland were drawn against Germany or Italy, Slovakia and Luxembourg in the qualifiers.
The Northern Ireland boss admitted he would have preferred to have avoided the might of the Germans and Italians but is ‘happy overall’ with the draw and pleased his young squad will be facing a four-team group in 2025 rather than one with five nations, believing that playing qualifying games in September, October and November will suit his side.
O’Neill added that he will seek home and away friendlies in preparation for the qualifiers and suggested he would consider a trip to North America in June to cement the team spirit built up amongst his players during a successful 2024.
Having ended the international year on a high last month by topping League C Group 3 in the Nations League and earning promotion in that competition, Northern Ireland will look to play two games apiece in March and June before kicking off the World Cup campaign in September.
The winners of Germany and Italy’s Nations League quarter-final in March will be joining Northern Ireland in Group A. Either way a superpower that has won four World Cups will be coming to Windsor Park along with Slovakia and Luxembourg.
All four have been recent visitors. In September of this year, O’Neill’s side defeated Luxembourg 2-0 at home in the Nations League and drew 2-2 away a couple of months later.
Prior to that Slovakia won 2-1 at Windsor in 2020 in a Play-Off Final for Euro 2020 when Ian Baraclough was in charge.
That was a game Northern Ireland should have won and the same could be said about the scoreless draw against Italy in Belfast during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and even when Germany won 2-0 here in a Euro 2020 group game. O’Neill’s side were sensational that night in the first-half but failed to take their chances, costing them a famous victory.
After winning their Nations League group, Northern Ireland may have a backdoor route into the World Cup Play-Offs but should they win Group A next year they will automatically qualify for the 2026 Finals which are taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico with the tournament expanded to 48 teams.
Finishing runners-up in Group A would take Northern Ireland into the Play-Offs and with the likes of Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, Shea Charles, Daniel Ballard and Isaac Price improving all the time at international level that is a distinct possibility.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph about the draw, which he attended in Zurich, O’Neill said: “We are a Pot Three team so you always have to look at what comes out of the Pots above you.
“Germany and Italy are teams you would like to avoid and there are maybe other Pot One teams that you would think we would prefer but overall we are pleased with the group.
“I feel optimistic it is a group we can be really competitive in and the four-team group suits us.
“We don’t have to deal with competitive games in June which are always difficult for us because a lot of our players play in the EFL (English Football League) which finishes very early in May. That will be a bonus not having to think about those qualification games in June.
“Also I feel we often play our best football in September, October and November. As a nation in my time that’s when we have done well and in Euro 2016 qualifying we built a platform in those months so overall I’m happy with the draw.
“Another thing is it’s good logistically. We are not having to go to Kazakhstan or Azerbaijan which is always difficult.”
On Germany or Italy, O’Neill added: “The Germans are a young team. They have lost some players from 2024 with some of their more senior players leaving but they have hugely talented players playing at top clubs in Europe.
“Italy may be a little less known to us. When Ian (Baraclough) was manager we drew with them in Belfast and lost 2-0 to them out there so it will be interesting to see who wins their game with Germany.
“I would probably prefer Italy to be honest because of my experience with dealing with Germany. Even when we played really well against them they always had enough to hurt you in key moments.
“I look back at the 2-0 loss in Belfast and we should have been ahead which would have given us a chance. Ultimately they scored just after half-time and again late on so if I had to choose one I would probably go with Italy over Germany.
“I watched Slovakia in Euro 2024 and they have some very good players such as Napoli’s (Stanislav) Lobotka.
“They maybe don’t have players dotted around the top clubs like they had a few years ago when Marek Hamsik was playing for them but they’ll look at the group and fancy themselves to finish above us and secure at least a Play-Off so we must have that level of belief as well.”
In the Nations League, Northern Ireland took four points off Luxembourg. They will look for six this time.
“I think so though for me Luxembourg are a much-improved team. Their Nations League results against Bulgaria and Belarus were a bit harsh on them. They were dominant in those games without getting the results their play deserved,” said O’Neill.
“We handled them well and should have won in Luxembourg. Even they though will think they could finish above Slovakia and Northern Ireland so it will be competitive.”
The young guns, who won three home games out of three in 2024 and produced some impressive away performances, will relish the challenge and O’Neill wants the Green and White Army to embrace it too.
“Hopefully the last 12 months has given the players belief and the supporters belief and we have to continue to feed that belief with our level of performance,” said the former Stoke City boss.
“In a four-team group it is really important to get off to a good start because you don’t have much room for error over six games. It’s not like we are playing over eight or 10 games like we have in the past.
“We have to make sure we are coming out of the traps ready to play and there’s no way we’ll not be.
“Your home form is everything because it gives you a foothold in the group. The supporters have been great in our games in Belfast in 2024 and that’s the type of atmosphere we will need in the World Cup games.
“In the recent past we have been competitive in a group with Germany and Holland for Euro 2020 and the players should remember that. We finished second to Germany in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and we won our Euro 2016 group and while it is a different squad now they have to believe that this is achievable for us and that’s the message we will hammer home to them.”
On what happens between now and September, O’Neill stated: “We will have to organise games in March and June which will be key for preparation. Can we get a Pot One team for example?
“If you look at us in the summer that’s why you take games against a nation like Spain. It was a tough match and a 5-1 defeat but the players have to get experience of games at that level to know what to expect particularly our lads who play in the Championship and in League One.
“They aren’t playing against those types of players every week. It’s a bit different for the likes of Conor Bradley at Liverpool because he has come up against that level of player in the Premier League and Champions League but he is the only player that we have that has exposure in the Champions League so getting an opportunity to play a team like Spain is one we have to take if it comes along.
“I’d like a mix of home and away games in preparation and we might see if there is an option to go outside Europe in June. I think that would be good from the point of view of developing the squad further and developing the camaraderie and team spirit which is already extremely high.
“I think the young players in particular would love the opportunity to go and play in North America or something like that. We would certainly give that serious consideration.”