Football NewsBBC SportUnverified source· 21 Sept 2026
Northern Ireland return to League B without captain
Michael O'Neill's side face a daunting four-game window, including a test against a player he calls one of the best in the world.
Northern Ireland
team
Competition
UEFA Nations League B
Opponents
Georgia, Hungary, Ukraine
Squad size
28
First match
Away to Georgia, 25 September
What happened. Northern Ireland return to Nations League B for the first time since 2020, but will be without captain Steven Davis. They face four games in 11 days, starting away to Georgia on 25 September and ending at home to the same opposition on 5 October.
- Michael O'Neill has named a 28-man squad for the four-game window.
- Ceadach O'Neill is included and set to add to his two senior caps.
- O'Neill said the schedule is challenging but his team must deal with it.
“I think for a smaller association, it poses more challenges if I'm honest.”
— Michael O'Neill
The four-game window will be used again next year in Euro 2028 qualifying, making this a key test for Northern Ireland's squad depth.
In this story
M. O'Neill
K. Kvaratskhelia
