Northern Ireland national football team facts for kids
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Nickname(s) | Green and White Army (GAWA) Norn Iron |
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Association | Irish Football Association (IFA) | ||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Michael O'Neill | ||
Captain | Conor Bradley | ||
Most caps | Steven Davis (140) | ||
Top scorer | David Healy (36) | ||
Home stadium | Windsor Park | ||
FIFA code | NIR | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 36 ![]() |
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Highest | 20 (September 2017) | ||
Lowest | 129 (September 2012) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current | 52 ![]() |
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Highest | 5 or 14 (1882 or May 1986) | ||
Lowest | 114 (11 October 2013) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) as Northern Ireland ![]() ![]() (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 7 October 1950) ![]() ![]() (Colombes, France; 11 November 1952) |
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Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Belfast, Ireland; 1 February 1930) as Northern Ireland ![]() ![]() (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 21 April 1971) ![]() ![]() (Landskrona, Sweden; 11 September 1991) ![]() ![]() (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 15 October 2024) |
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Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) as Northern Ireland ![]() ![]() (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 2 June 2012) |
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World Cup | |||
Appearances | 3 (first in 1958) | ||
Best result | Quarter-finals (1958) | ||
European Championship | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2016) | ||
Best result | Round of 16 (2016) |

The Northern Ireland national football team plays for Northern Ireland in men's international association football (soccer) matches. For a long time, from 1882 to 1950, one team called "Ireland" represented the whole island. This team was organized by the Irish Football Association (IFA).
In 1921, after Ireland was divided, the IFA's control became limited to Northern Ireland. However, their team still played as the national team for all of Ireland until 1950. They even used the name Ireland until the 1970s. Meanwhile, a different group, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), started its own team for the Republic of Ireland.
Even though Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, it has its own football team that plays in big international tournaments. However, Northern Irish athletes play for Great Britain in the Olympic Games.
Northern Ireland has played in three FIFA World Cups. They reached the quarter-finals in 1958 and 1982. For many years, Northern Ireland was the smallest country to ever qualify for a World Cup! They held this record from 1958 until 2006. In UEFA Euro 2016, the team played in the European Championship for the first time and made it to the Round of 16. Their last World Cup appearance was in 1986.
Contents
Team History
The first international game for the Ireland team was on February 18, 1882. They played against England in Belfast and lost 13–0. This is still the team's biggest ever defeat. A few days later, on February 25, 1882, Ireland scored its first goal in a game against Wales.
In 1884, Ireland joined the first British Home Championship, but they lost all their games. Their first win didn't come until February 19, 1887, when they beat Wales 4–1 in Belfast. Before this win, they had a long streak of 14 losses and 1 draw.
Over time, the Irish FA changed its rules. In 1899, they started picking Irish players who played for clubs in England, not just those from the Irish League. This helped the team, and they won a game against Wales 1–0.
In 1920, Ireland was divided into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. In 1922, Southern Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State. Because of these big political changes, a new football group, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), started in Dublin in 1921. They created their own league and national team.
For a while, both the IFA and FAI teams played as "Ireland." But in 1953, FIFA (the world football governing body) decided that players could only play for one team based on where they were born. FIFA also ruled that the FAI team would be called the Republic of Ireland, and the IFA team would be called Northern Ireland.
Great Moments in Football
British Home Championship
Before the 1950s, the main competition for Northern Ireland (or Ireland, as it was known) was the British Home Championship. The team won this competition eight times. They were the last team to win it in 1984 before it ended, so they are still the British champions! The trophy is still owned by the Irish FA.
FIFA World Cup

Northern Ireland's best World Cup performance was in their first appearance in 1958. They reached the quarter-finals after beating Czechoslovakia 2–1. They were then knocked out by France, losing 4–0.
In 1958, Northern Ireland became the country with the smallest population to ever qualify for the World Cup. This record stood until 2006. Northern Ireland still holds the record for the smallest country to qualify for more than one World Cup, win a World Cup match, and get past the first round.
The captain of the team in the 1958 World Cup was Danny Blanchflower. His younger brother, Jackie Blanchflower, was also a key player.
Northern Ireland also qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. In their first game, 17-year-old Norman Whiteside became the youngest player ever to play in a World Cup final, a record he still holds! The game ended in a draw. They then drew with Honduras. Many thought their chances were over.
However, they needed to beat hosts Spain in their last group game. In a tough match, Gerry Armstrong scored the only goal. Even though Mal Donaghy was sent off, Northern Ireland won 1–0 and topped their group!
They then drew 2–2 with Austria. A win against France would have taken them to the semi-finals, but France, led by Michel Platini, won 4–1 and knocked Northern Ireland out.
They also qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup but were knocked out in the group stages. Billy Bingham, who played in the 1958 squad, was the manager for both the 1982 and 1986 tournaments. Northern Ireland has not qualified for any other World Cups since then.
Recent Games
In January 2004, Lawrie Sanchez became the manager. Before him, the team had gone 13 games without scoring a goal! This was a European record. Lawrie Sanchez's first game ended the scoring drought, and his second game ended the 16-game winless streak.
On September 7, 2005, Northern Ireland famously beat England 1–0 in a World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park. David Healy scored the winning goal. Almost a year later, on September 6, 2006, Northern Ireland beat Spain 3–2 in a qualifier for UEFA Euro 2008, with Healy scoring all three goals!
Michael O'Neill became manager in February 2012. The team then qualified for its first ever UEFA European Championship, Euro 2016, in France. This was their first major tournament in 30 years! At the tournament, they won one game against Ukraine and lost to Poland and Germany. This was enough to reach the Round of 16, where they lost 1–0 to Wales due to an unfortunate own goal.
Home Stadium
Northern Ireland plays its home matches at Windsor Park in Belfast. This stadium is also the home of Linfield. The Northern Ireland team uses the stadium on a long-term lease.
There were talks about building a new stadium for football, rugby, and Gaelic games outside Belfast. However, many fans wanted the team to stay in Belfast. After some checks showed that Windsor Park needed improvements, the Irish FA decided to redevelop it.
In 2011, the Northern Ireland government set aside money for stadium improvements, with £28 million for Windsor Park. The plan was to turn Windsor Park into an 18,000-seat stadium. The old East and South Stands were demolished and replaced with new ones. The North and West Stands were also renovated. The work started in May 2014 and was finished in 2015.
Team Look
Colours
The Northern Ireland football team's traditional colours are green, white, and azure blue. Green is a very old symbolic colour for Ireland. The azure blue comes from St. Patrick's blue, which is also a traditional Irish colour. The team's kit has been made by Adidas since 2012. Before that, Umbro made the kits.
Supporters
The fans who follow the Northern Ireland national football team are known as the Green and White Army.
After the team beat England in 2005, more and more people wanted tickets to games! Fans love to sing funny songs at home matches, like "We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland."
One of the most famous Northern Ireland footballers was George Best. He played for Manchester United and won the European Footballer of the Year award in 1968. He played 37 times for his country and scored 9 goals.
Before UEFA Euro 2016, a YouTuber named Sean Kennedy released a song called "Will Grigg's on Fire." It was a parody song about Northern Irish player Will Grigg and became a huge hit and a popular chant.
Media Coverage
Premier Sports currently shows all of Northern Ireland's important international matches until 2024. Highlights of qualifying games are shown on BBC Northern Ireland. Major tournaments like the World Cup and European Championships are shown on both BBC and ITV.
Latest Matches
Here are the results of the team's matches in the last 12 months, and any future games that are planned.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
Friendly 22 March | Romania ![]() |
1–1 | ![]() |
Bucharest, Romania | ||
19:45 GMT Match 687 |
Man ![]() |
Report | Reid ![]() |
Stadium: Arena Națională Attendance: 30,439 Referee: Kristoffer Karlsson (Sweden) |
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Friendly 26 March | Scotland ![]() |
0–1 | ![]() |
Glasgow, Scotland | ||
19:45 GMT Match 688 |
Report | Bradley ![]() |
Stadium: Hampden Park Referee: Robert Jones (England) |
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Friendly 8 June | Spain ![]() |
5–1 | ![]() |
Palma, Spain | ||
20:30 BST Match 689 |
Pedri ![]() Morata ![]() Fabián ![]() Oyarzabal ![]() |
Report | Ballard ![]() |
Stadium: Estadi Mallorca Son Moix Attendance: 18,300 Referee: Bastien Dechepy (France) |
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Friendly 11 June | Andorra ![]() |
0–2 | ![]() |
Murcia, Spain | ||
19:45 BST Match 690 |
Report | Bradley ![]() |
Stadium: Estadio Nueva Condomina Referee: Jason Barcelo (Gibraltar) |
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2024–25 UEFA Nations League C 5 September | Northern Ireland ![]() |
2–0 | ![]() |
Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
19:45 BST Match 691 |
McNair ![]() Ballard ![]() |
report | Stadium: Windsor Park Attendance: 17,213 Referee: Marian Barbu (Romania) |
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2024–25 UEFA Nations League C 8 September | Bulgaria ![]() |
1–0 | ![]() |
Plovdiv, Bulgaria | ||
17:00 BST Match 692 |
Despodov ![]() |
report | Stadium: Stadion Hristo Botev Attendance: 14,300 Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (Greece) |
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2024–25 UEFA Nations League C 12 October | Belarus ![]() |
0–0 | ![]() |
Zalaegerszeg (Hungary) | ||
19:45 BST Match 693 |
report | Stadium: ZTE Arena Attendance: 0 Referee: Henrik Nalbandyan (Armenia) |
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2024–25 UEFA Nations League C 15 October | Northern Ireland ![]() |
5–0 | ![]() |
Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
19:45 BST Match 694 |
report | Stadium: Windsor Park Attendance: 17,891 Referee: Jérôme Brisard (France) |
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2024–25 UEFA Nations League C 15 November | Northern Ireland ![]() |
2–0 | ![]() |
Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
19:45 GMT Match 695 |
Ballard ![]() D. Charles ![]() |
report | Stadium: Windsor Park Attendance: 18,044 Referee: Luis Godinho (Portugal) |
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2024–25 UEFA Nations League C 18 November | Luxembourg ![]() |
2–2 | ![]() |
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | ||
19:45 GMT Match 696 |
Korać ![]() Rodrigues ![]() |
report | Price ![]() Bradley ![]() |
Stadium: Stade de Luxembourg Attendance: 6,870 Referee: Elchin Masiyev (Azerbaijan) |
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Team Leaders
Current Coaching Staff
The current manager of the Northern Ireland team is Michael O'Neill.
Current Squad
The players listed below were chosen for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches in November 2024.
Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of November 18, 2024.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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GK | Bailey Peacock-Farrell | 29 October 1996 | 48 | 0 | ![]() |
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GK | Pierce Charles | 21 July 2005 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
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GK | Luke Southwood | 6 December 1997 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Jamal Lewis | 25 January 1998 | 39 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Daniel Ballard | 22 September 1999 | 28 | 5 | ![]() |
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DF | Ciaron Brown | 14 January 1998 | 23 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Conor Bradley (captain) | 9 July 2003 | 23 | 4 | ![]() |
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DF | Trai Hume | 18 March 2002 | 19 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Brodie Spencer | 6 May 2004 | 13 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Ruairi McConville | 1 May 2005 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Kofi Balmer | 19 September 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | George Saville | 1 June 1993 | 56 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Jordan Thompson | 3 January 1997 | 38 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Ali McCann | 4 December 1999 | 28 | 1 | ![]() |
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MF | Shea Charles | 5 November 2003 | 23 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Isaac Price | 26 September 2003 | 18 | 6 | ![]() |
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MF | Paul Smyth | 10 September 1997 | 16 | 2 | ![]() |
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MF | Ross McCausland | 12 May 2003 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Ethan Galbraith | 11 May 2001 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Brad Lyons | 26 May 1997 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Caolan Boyd-Munce | 26 January 2000 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Justin Devenny | 11 October 2003 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Josh Magennis | 15 May 1990 | 82 | 12 | ![]() |
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FW | Dion Charles | 7 October 1995 | 28 | 4 | ![]() |
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FW | Callum Marshall | 28 November 2004 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Jamie Reid | 15 July 1994 | 8 | 1 | ![]() |
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FW | Lee Bonis | 3 August 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
Most Appearances
Here are the players who have played the most games for Northern Ireland:
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Steven Davis | 140 | 13 | 2005–2022 |
2 | Pat Jennings | 119 | 0 | 1964–1986 |
3 | Aaron Hughes | 112 | 1 | 1998–2018 |
4 | Jonny Evans | 107 | 6 | 2006–2024 |
5 | David Healy | 95 | 36 | 2000–2013 |
6 | Mal Donaghy | 91 | 0 | 1980–1994 |
7 | Kyle Lafferty | 89 | 20 | 2006–2022 |
8 | Sammy McIlroy | 88 | 5 | 1972–1986 |
Maik Taylor | 88 | 0 | 1999–2011 | |
10 | Keith Gillespie | 86 | 2 | 1995–2008 |
Top Goalscorers
These players have scored the most goals for Northern Ireland:
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | David Healy (list) | 36 | 95 | 0.38 | 2000–2013 |
2 | Kyle Lafferty | 20 | 89 | 0.22 | 2006–2022 |
3 | Billy Gillespie | 13 | 25 | 0.52 | 1913–1932 |
Colin Clarke | 13 | 38 | 0.34 | 1986–1993 | |
Steven Davis | 13 | 140 | 0.09 | 2005–2022 | |
6 | Joe Bambrick | 12 | 11 | 1.09 | 1928–1940 |
Jimmy Quinn | 12 | 46 | 0.26 | 1984–1995 | |
Iain Dowie | 12 | 59 | 0.2 | 1990–1999 | |
Gerry Armstrong | 12 | 63 | 0.19 | 1977–1986 | |
Josh Magennis | 12 | 82 | 0.13 | 2010–present |
Team Records
Here's a summary of Northern Ireland's football results:
- All competitive matches
Games Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference |
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564 | 146 | 124 | 294 | 608 | 1070 | −462 |
- All matches including friendly games‡
Games Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference |
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696 | 181 | 159 | 356 | 729 | 1285 | −556 |
Results updated after match against Luxembourg on 18 November 2024.
FIFA Rankings Over Time
This chart shows how Northern Ireland's FIFA World Rankings have changed over the years.
Awards and Honours
Regional Competitions
- British Home Championship
- Champions (8 times)
- Won outright (3 times): 1914 (as
Ireland), 1980, 1984
- Shared the title (5 times): 1903 (as
Ireland), 1956, 1958, 1959, 1964
- Won outright (3 times): 1914 (as
- Champions (8 times)
Images for kids
See Also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Irlanda del Norte para niños
- Northern Ireland national under-21 football team
- Northern Ireland national under-19 football team
- Northern Ireland national under-17 football team