Northern Ireland Conclude World Cup Qualifying Campaign with 1-0 Victory Over Luxembourg
Northern Ireland finished their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win against Luxembourg at Windsor Park on Sunday. The match, played after a minute’s applause in remembrance of George Best on the 20th anniversary of his death, saw Jamie Donley score the decisive goal from the penalty spot.
Manager Michael O’Neill welcomed back several players from suspension, including Ley, Brown, Jamal Lewis, and Ethan Galbraith. However, Trai Hume was omitted from the squad entirely, while Justin Devenny and Josh Magennis were named as substitutes. O’Neill explained this was a precautionary measure due to uncertainty surrounding potential suspension rules for players already carrying a yellow card, despite later confirmation that no players were at risk of a ban.
The first half saw limited clear-cut chances. Isaac Price had an early volley saved by Luxembourg goalkeeper Moris, and a promising move involving Donley, Galbraith, and Price culminated in Jamal Lewis shooting over the bar. A 17th-minute goal from donley, assisted by Galbraith, was disallowed for offside. Luxembourg responded with Christopher Martins forcing a save from Northern Ireland’s goalkeeper, Hazard, who was making his first competitive start in over two years, and Dirk Carlson shooting wide.
The breakthrough came five minutes before halftime when VAR alerted the referee to a foul by Luxembourg’s Christopher Martins on Brown. Despite initial muted appeals from the Northern Ireland players, a penalty was awarded, prompting protests from both Moris and Luxembourg coach Dan Huet, both of whom received yellow cards. Donley confidently converted the penalty, marking Northern Ireland’s 100th World Cup qualifying goal at Windsor park.
The second half featured a number of substitutions, including an 86th cap for Josh Magennis, tying him with Keith Gillespie as Northern Ireland’s tenth most-capped player, and a debut for Barnsley’s Patrick Kelly. Luxembourg appealed for a late penalty when Leandro Barreiro went down under a challenge from Kelly, but the referee waved play on.
Following the match, Michael O’Neill praised Donley’s performance, highlighting his “real quality” and suitability for the number nine position, a role O’Neill acknowledged has been problematic for Northern Ireland. He noted Donley’s clever link-up play, good finishing ability, and technical skill. O’Neill also expressed hope that Donley’s loan situation at Stoke City, were he has seen limited playing time, woudl improve in January. He reiterated his belief that Donley, having impressed during his time at Leyton Orient, possesses meaningful potential at just 20 years of age.
