BBC to show NI men's internationals in build-up to 2026 World Cup
Liverpool defender Conor Bradley could miss the March internationals through injury
- Published
BBC Sport NI has signed an exclusive deal to show Northern Ireland's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and friendly matches for the next 15 months.
The deal to broadcast games involving Michael O'Neill's side starts with a home friendly with Switzerland on Friday, 21 March before a trip to Sweden on Tuesday, 25 March.
The games, along with June's visit of Iceland in another friendly, will serve as preparation for Northern Ireland's upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifiers which begin in September.
In total, 14 live Northern Ireland matches, across all the European Qualifiers to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and friendly matches, will be shown live on BBC NI television, the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.
"I'm thrilled that Northern Ireland fans will now be able to enjoy live, free-to-air coverage of all the big international matches," said Director of BBC Northern Ireland Adam Smyth.
"We love our sport in Northern Ireland. Our fans here are some of the most passionate. Northern Ireland football supporters have enjoyed many unforgettable nights of international football and this is brilliant news for fans. We're really looking forward to bringing them this fantastic coverage."
O'Neill's side open their qualification journey for the tournament, which will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico, with a trip to Luxembourg on 4 September and either Germany or Italy on 7 September.
"We have enjoyed a longstanding partnership with BBC NI to promote our domestic game across radio, TV and online," said Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson.
"This is a new chapter which builds on this foundation, and we hope to share more success following the journey of this exciting senior men's team."
The BBC's broadcast agreement also includes Wales and Scotland men's international matches - the first time the broadcaster has secured full live rights for all three of the UK's devolved nations.