Northern Ireland complete their World Cup qualifying campaign tonight with a home fixture against Luxembourg at Windsor Park in Belfast.
This final Group A match serves as a dead-rubber for Michael O'Neill's side, following their dramatic elimination from automatic qualification contention last week. A stoppage-time winner from Slovakia's Tomas Bobcek sealed a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat, mathematically ending Northern Ireland's hopes of a top-two finish.
What's at Stake for Northern Ireland?
Despite this setback, Northern Ireland have already secured a place in the play-offs thanks to their performance in the UEFA Nations League. This provides a crucial second chance to reach the 2026 World Cup and end a drought stretching back to 1986.
Their opponents, Luxembourg, have endured a difficult qualifying campaign, failing to secure a single point and scoring just once across their five matches. Northern Ireland secured a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in September.
Match Details and How to Watch
The match kicks off at 7.45pm GMT on Monday, 17 November at Windsor Park. For viewers in the UK, the game is available on free-to-air television.
Coverage begins at 7.30pm GMT on BBC Three and BBC Two Northern Ireland. Subscribers can also stream the action live via BBC iPlayer.
Team News and Absences
Michael O'Neill will be without several key players due to suspension and injury. Dan Ballard is suspended following his red card against Slovakia, while George Saville is also out due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Shea Charles and Ali McCann remain sidelined, which could see Conor Bradley continue in a midfield role. For Luxembourg, forward Danel Sinani is suspended, potentially making way for Abdulai Djabi Embalo or Alessio Curci to partner Augsburg's Aiman Dardari in attack. Benfica midfielder Leandro Barreiro is expected to feature.
With nothing but pride on the line in this fixture, O'Neill will be demanding a strong, encouraging performance from his squad as they build momentum ahead of next year's decisive play-offs.
