Northern Ireland manager O’Neill: “It’ll be a low-scoring match against Italy. We have to believe in ourselves; we’ve got everything to gain.”

Northern Ireland v Luxembourg - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

The words of the manager who will face Italy.

The Italy v Northern Ireland match – the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup play-offs – is fast approaching. Ahead of the match in Bergamo, Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill – who is also manager of Blackburn – has previewed the fixture and given an update on how his side are preparing for the game.

THE MANAGER'S WORDS

"We have to believe in ourselves, because if we don’t believe in ourselves, no one else will either. We’ve faced many challenges and come through them well. We’re a young, developing team, and we have more to gain than to lose. We know it will be very difficult to win, but we’re proud to still be in the running. I don’t expect a high-scoring match; we’ll have to be flawless in defence and make the most of our chances."

NORTHERN IRELAND'S HOPES

O'Neill is in his second spell in charge of Northern Ireland. He had previously managed the national team for nine years between 2011 and 2020, leading them to Euro 2016. He now faces a historic opportunity: first he must beat Italy, then the winner of the match between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Should he succeed, he would take his team to the World Cup – a near-miraculous feat considering that two of the squad’s best players, Conor Bradley and Dan Ballard, will be unavailable.