World Cup draw: Northern Ireland to face Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Lithuania in qualifying group
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Northern Ireland have been handed a tough-looking World Cup draw
Northern Ireland will face four-time champions Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Lithuania in their 2022 World Cup qualifying group.
The group will see Northern Ireland renew hostilities with the Swiss who controversially beat them in a play-off for the 2018 tournament.
The Republic of Ireland will take on Portugal, Serbia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan in an easier looking group.
Only group winners will be guaranteed qualification for the Qatar tournament.
Group runners-up will be involved in play-offs which will also include two teams that progress via the Uefa Nations League.
Italy, whose last World Cup triumph came in the 2006 tournament, are 10th in the latest Fifa rankings with the Swiss occupying 16th spot.
Bulgaria's form has slipped considerably since they reached the semi-finals at the 1994 tournament in the USA but while they have slipped to 68th in the rankings, they may still prove tricky opponents for Ian Baraclough's 45th-ranked Northern Irish side.
Group C's fifth seed Lithuania's poor recent form has been their ranking plummet to 129th spot in Fifa's latest list.
The Republic of Ireland look to have landed a more favourable draw than Northern Ireland
Republic group 'exciting' - Kenny
Reigning European champions Portugal will be tough opponents for the Republic but manager Stephen Kenny will believe his team are capable of finishing ahead of Serbia - even though the 30th-rated Serbs are 12 spots ahead of the Irish in the Fifa rankings.
Like the Republic, who were beaten on penalties in their Euro 2020 play-off semi-final by Slovakia, Serbia missed out on a place in next summer's finals after losing a dramatic play-off final on spot-kicks against Scotland.
Luxembourg are 98th in the Fifa rankings with Azerbaijan in 109th spot.
Republic boss Kenny said his team had been handed an "exciting group".
"Portugal are the European champions and the Nations League champions, and Serbia of course have great pedigree," the Dubliner told Sky Sports.
"Luxembourg are a vastly improved team, and Azerbaijan. So it is an exciting group, and the fact that it is a five-team group means we've not got the congested three competitive games in the window in March, so it means back to the more traditional two.
"It's an interesting group for us."