Northern Ireland's women's team begin their long road to the World Cup in Brazil with a play-off against Portugal. For any footballer, the dream of playing in Brazil is a powerful motivator, and the squad is determined to seize the chance despite a spate of injuries and five new faces in the lineup.
Friday's home leg at Inver Park (19:30 BST) is the first hurdle. Manager Michael Mc Ardle's side are one of the lowest-ranked European teams in the play-offs, and Portugal have beaten them twice in Euro 2025 qualifying and sit 28 places higher in the Fifa world rankings. If they progress, they face Croatia or Iceland, then likely an inter-continental play-off.
Norwich City defender Natalie Johnson said the team believes the games are winnable. "We have a lot of experience in this team and the young players coming in bring their own individual experience and they really add to the squad," she said. She expects a fast-paced game against a technical Portuguese side and says the home pitch will level the playing field.
Birmingham City defender Rebecca Holloway, one of the few survivors from the Euro 2022 squad, said the team is closing the gap on bigger nations. Northern Ireland lost 4-0 away to Portugal before a narrow 2-1 home defeat in 2024, which she sees as evidence of progress. The squad also drew inspiration from the men's side, which played out a 0-0 draw with Georgia while staying top of their Nations League group.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing