The German FA have confirmed that Cologne will host the potential World Cup Qualifier between Germany and Northern Ireland in September.
Should Julian Nagelsmann’s team defeat Italy in the Nations League Quarter-Final later this month, the Germans will be Northern Ireland four-team qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup.
However, if Germany lose in March, it’s Italy that will join Northern Ireland’s group alongside Luxembourg and Slovakia.
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The DFB confirmed: “Should the DFB-Team progress from their UEFA Nations League quarter-final against four-time World Cup winners and two-time European champions Italy next week, then their first qualifying game won’t be until 7th September 2025 against Northern Ireland, which will be played in Cologne.”
The Müngersdorfer Stadion has a capacity of 45,965 for international games. The home of FC Koln hosted five Euro 2024 games including Scotland’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland and England’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia. It also staged five games at the 2006 World Cup.
The Italian FA have yet to confirm where they will play Michael O’Neill’s men on September 7, should they defeat Germany next week.
Whether it’s Germany or Italy, they game will form part of an away double-header for O’Neill’s squad, with Northern Ireland set to play Luxembourg on September 4.