Northern Ireland will kick off their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with an away double header in September next year against Luxembourg and either Germany or Italy.
Michael O’Neill’s side drew 2-2 in Luxembourg in November as they won their Nations League group and will return there on September 4 in 2025 aiming to secure a victory to start their World Cup campaign in style.
Next on September 7, Northern Ireland will be in Germany or Italy.
The Green and White Army will have to wait until March to find out which of the football superpowers will be the opposition, with the winners of their Nations League clash hosting Northern Ireland.
Incidentally, that match in Italy or Germany will take place exactly 20 years on from Northern Ireland’s famous 1-0 victory over England in Belfast in a World Cup qualifier.
In October 2025, O’Neill’s young guns will have two home games. First they will play Slovakia on October 10 and then three days later have a mouth-watering encounter versus Germany or Italy to savour.
Northern Ireland will finish what they hope is a successful campaign with two more Group A games in November.
They go to Slovakia on November 14 and follow that up with a fixture at Windsor Park against Luxembourg on the 17th.
All the match dates were published on the UEFA website on Friday night hours after the draw took place in Zurich.
The winners of Northern Ireland’s group automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup in America, Canada and Mexico with the runners-up going into the Play-Offs.
Northern Ireland’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers
04.09.2025 – Luxembourg Northern Ireland
07.09.2025 – Germany or Italy v Northern Ireland
10.10.2025 – Northern Ireland v Slovakia
13.10.2025 – Northern Ireland v Germany or Italy
14.11.2025 – Slovakia v Northern Ireland
17.11.2025 – Northern Ireland v Luxembourg