Global InformationNorthern Ireland national football team information
| Nickname(s) | Green and White Army, Norn Iron | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Irish Football Association (IFA) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Michael O'Neill | ||
| Captain | Jonny Evans | ||
| Most caps | Steven Davis (140) | ||
| Top scorer | David Healy (36) | ||
| Home stadium | Windsor Park | ||
| FIFA code | NIR | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 73  1 (4 April 2024)[1] | ||
| Highest | 20 (September 2017) | ||
| Lowest | 129 (September 2012) | ||
| First international | |||
 Ireland 0–13 England  (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) as Northern Ireland[note 1]  Ireland 1–4 England (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 7 October 1950)  France 3–1 Northern Ireland (Colombes, France; 11 November 1952) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Ireland 7–0 Wales  (Belfast, Ireland; 1 February 1930) as Northern Ireland Northern Ireland 5–0 Cyprus  (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 21 April 1971)  Faroe Islands 0–5 Northern Ireland (Landskrona, Sweden; 11 September 1991) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Ireland 0–13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) as Northern Ireland  Netherlands 6–0 Northern Ireland (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 2 June 2012) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1958) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (1958) | ||
| European Championship | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2016) | ||
| Best result | Round of 16 (2016) | ||
The Northern Ireland men's national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. From 1882 to 1950, all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association (IFA). In 1921, the jurisdiction of the IFA was reduced to Northern Ireland following the secession of clubs in the soon-to-be Irish Free State, although its team remained the national team for all of Ireland until 1950, and used the name Ireland until the 1970s.[3][note 2] The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) organises the separate Republic of Ireland national football team.
Although part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland has always had a representative side that plays in major professional tournaments – whether alongside the rest of Ireland pre-1922 or as its own entity – though not in the Olympic Games, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has always recognised United Kingdom representative sides.
Northern Ireland has competed in three FIFA World Cups, reaching the quarter-final stage in the 1958 and 1982 tournaments. Northern Ireland held the accolade of being the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup Finals from their first appearance in 1958 until 2006, when Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 2006 World Cup. At UEFA Euro 2016, the team made its first appearance at the European tournament and reached the round of 16. Northern Ireland last qualified for the World Cup in 1986.
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Matthew Taylor (2008). The Association Game: A History of British Football. Harlow:Pearson Education Ltd.
- ^ "NIFG: Northern Ireland Programmes 1975–1978". Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
- ^ "NIFG: Northern Ireland Programmes 1972–1975". Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
- ^ "NIFG: Northern Ireland Programmes 1968–1972". Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
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