Euro giants and familiar foes - NI's way to World Cup

The race to reach the next World Cup has begun.

For Michael O'Neill's side, the next tournament will mark 40 years since Northern Ireland last qualified for international football's flagship event.

Currently ranked 71st in the Fifa rankings, Northern Ireland's qualification journey will not begin until September because they have been drawn in a group of four teams.

With the tournament hosted in Canada, the United States of America and Mexico, BBC Sport NI takes a look at who stands in the way of them reaching the 2026 World Cup.

Germany/Italy

Four-time World Cup winners Italy and Germany will meet in a Nations League play-off in March

Now it would not be an international football qualifying draw without a few complications.

O'Neil's side will face one of Germany or Italy in their quest to reach the finals. Those two nations face off in a Nations League quarter-final in March, and the winner of that match will find themselves in Group A.

Italy have not qualified for the past two World Cup finals while Germany have failed to make it out of the group stages of the past two editions after winning the tournament in 2014.

Either way, it's a plum tie for Northern Ireland with matches against a four-time winner of the competition.

Slovakia

Slovakia finished second to Sweden in their recent Nations League campaign

FIFA world ranking: 41

Manager: Francesco Calzona

Last World Cup finals appearance: 2010 (Round of 16)

The last time these side met there were a few broken hearts around Belfast because Slovakia ended hopes of a Northern Irish appearance at the delayed 2020 Euros.

A 2-1 extra-time defeat in a play-off final at Windsor Park in November 2020 saw Ian Baraclough's side miss out on what would have been back-to-back Euros appearances.

While Slovakia have not appeared at a World Cup finals since 2010, they have reached the past three European Championships.

In five meetings with Northern Ireland, they have only lost one of them. It was their first match, a friendly in 1998, with Steve Lomas sealing a 1-0 at Windsor Park.

Slovakia have won all the competitive meetings between the sides in World Cup qualifying before the 2010 finals and that recent Euro 2020 play-off final.

Their most recent Nations League campaign saw them finish second in Group C1 behind Sweden and they will face Slovenia in a promotion/relegation play-off in March for the chance to move into Group B.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg faced Northern Ireland in September and November 2024

FIFA world ranking: 92

Manager: Luc Holtz

Last World Cup finals appearance: Have never qualified

Northern Ireland have some very recent history with Luxembourg after a win and draw with them in the latest edition of the Nations League.

Having never reached a major tournament, Luc Holtz's side have only won eight World Cup qualifiers in their history.

They have claimed some famous wins in previous qualifying campaigns, including a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in 2021.

In their most recent attempts to reach a first major tournament, they finished third in their Euro 2024 qualifying group recording five wins over Bosnia, Liechtenstein and Iceland.