Northern Ireland top Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League with eight points from four matches, sitting on the cusp of promotion to League A ahead of fixtures against Ukraine and Hungary.
Nations League Promotion Stakes
Michael O’Neill’s side enter the concluding window of the campaign as the only nation of 54 competing in the Nations League yet to concede a goal in the tournament, according to the Belfast News Letter. An opening 1-0 victory away to Georgia in late September was secured by Shea Charles in stoppage time (The Irish News). That was Northern Ireland’s first ever win in League B.
The squad followed that result with a 0-0 draw against Hungary at Windsor Park. They achieved a 3-0 win over Ukraine in Trnava, Slovakia. They earned a 0-0 draw with Georgia back in Belfast, where Isaac Price had a late penalty saved.
Top spot guarantees promotion to League A. Second place earns a play-off against one of the lowest-ranked sides from the top level. Northern Ireland failed to win any of their first 14 Nations League matches between September 2018 and September 2022. They suffered relegation to League C for the 2022/23 edition (BBC).
“The players have a massive carrot,” O’Neill said.
“There’s a massive carrot for them and it would be a huge achievement if they could achieve that,” O’Neill said.
“At the start, everyone was a little bit unsure of what the Nations League was and what purpose it would serve,” O’Neill said.
“I think it’s a good competition, it gives you the ability to introduce new players,” O’Neill said.
Young Players Join a Squad with High Club Minutes
The average age of the squad is 23.5. Exactly 17 of the 25 players selected are aged 23 or under. Dermot Mee, 23, and Eoin Kenny, 20, replaced Bailey Peacock-Farrell, 30, and Dion Charles, 31, in O’Neill’s latest selection. Daniel Ballard, Conor Bradley, and Ceadach O’Neill missed the international window due to injuries (IFA).
Excluding Dermot Mee, Eoin Kenny and Braiden Graham, the remainder of the panel for this double-header have averaged over 1,000 minutes of club action during the 2026-27 campaign (BBC). Nine players made either a permanent or loan switch during the summer.
O’Neill said that unlike previous windows where he relied on players getting few minutes, the group is now full of regulars across England’s top three divisions. Tom Atcheson has been carrying a knock. Paddy McNair, Kieran Morrison and Callum Marshall have started fewer than four games since the side’s most recent international against Georgia last month.
Jamie Donley is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. He plays in a deeper role at the club than the false nine position he occupies for Northern Ireland and has scored three times with two assists.
“He comes and links the play and plays a little bit deeper,” O’Neill said.
“We’re in with a chance of winning now. Of course we want to try and win the group and get to the next level,” O’Neill said.
Upcoming Fixtures in November
Northern Ireland host Ukraine at the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park on Saturday 14 November. O’Neill described both opponents as tough sides. He said Hungary were in League A in the previous Nations League and that Ukraine has a lot of good players and is an extremely proud nation.
Earlier coverage: Northern Ireland Prepares for Nations League Games, Says Coleraine Now