Northern Ireland national football team
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| Team colours
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| Current coach
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| Lawrie Sanchez, 2004-
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| Most capped player
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| Colin Clarke: 13
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| First International
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Ireland 0 - 13 England
(Belfast, Ireland; 18 February, 1882)
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Northern Ireland 0 - 2 Scotland
(Belfast, Northern Ireland; 26 February, 1921)
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| Largest win
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Northern Ireland 7 - 0 Wales
(Belfast, Northern Ireland; 1 February, 1930)
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| Largest defeat
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Ireland 0 - 13 England
(Belfast, Ireland; 18 February, 1882)
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England 9 - 2 Northern Ireland
(Manchester, England; 16 November, 1949)
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| World Cup
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Finals appearances: 3 (First: 1958)
Best result: Quarter-finals, 1958
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| European Championships
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| Finals appearances: None
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Northern Ireland's best World Cup performance was in their first appearance in the competition, the 1958 World Cup, where they reached the Quarter-finals after beating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the play-off. They were knocked out by France, losing 4-0.
They also qualified for the 1982 World Cup, reaching the second round after beating Spain, the hosts 1-0. In the 1986 World Cup, they reached the first round. They have not qualified for any other World Cups.
Northern Ireland were the last winners of the now defunct British Home Championship held in 1984.
Current coach Lawrie Sanchez was appointed in January 2004 after a run of 10 games without a goal. The previous manager was Sammy McIlroy. That run ended after his first game in charge, a 1-4 defeat to Norway in a friendly in February 2004. The run of 16 games without a win ended after his second game, a 0-1 victory in a friendly over Estonia, with a largely experimental side, in March 2004.
World Cup record
- 1930 - Did not enter
- 1934 - Did not enter
- 1938 - Did not enter
- 1950 - Did not qualify
- 1954 - Did not qualify
- 1958 - Quarter-finals
- 1962 - Did not qualify
- 1966 - Did not qualify
- 1970 - Did not qualify
- 1974 - Did not qualify
- 1978 - Did not qualify
- 1982 - Round 2
- 1986 - Round 1
- 1990 - Did not qualify
- 1994 - Did not qualify
- 1998 - Did not qualify
- 2002 - Did not qualify
European Championship record
- 1960 - Did not enter
- 1964 - Did not qualify
- 1968 - Did not qualify
- 1972 - Did not qualify
- 1976 - Did not qualify
- 1980 - Did not qualify
- 1984 - Did not qualify
- 1988 - Did not qualify
- 1992 - Did not qualify
- 1996 - Did not qualify
- 2000 - Did not qualify
- 2004 - Did not qualify
Famous players
