TheNorthern Ireland national football team have appeared in theFIFA World Cup on three occasions.
Their bestWorld Cup performance was in their first appearance in the finals, the1958 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals after beatingCzechoslovakia 2–1 in the play-off. They were knocked out byFrance, losing 4–0. In the 1958 competition Northern Ireland became the least populous country to have qualified for the World Cup, a record that stood untilTrinidad & Tobago qualified for the2006 World Cup. Northern Ireland remains, however, the least populous country to have qualified for more than one World Cup finals tournament, to win a World Cup finals match, to have scored at a World Cup finals, and to have progressed from the first round of the World Cup finals.
Captain of the national side at the 1958 World Cup wasDanny Blanchflower, who also captainedTottenham Hotspur in the English league and was twicefootballer of the year in England. His younger brotherJackie was also a key member of the national team, and won two league titles in England withManchester United, until his career was ended by injuries suffered in theMunich air disaster of February 1958.
Despite the presence of world class forwardGeorge Best, another Manchester United player, for most of the 1960s and into the 1970s, Northern Ireland failed to qualify for any major tournaments during this time.
Northern Ireland also qualified for the1982 World Cup. Their opening game was againstYugoslavia atLa Romareda inZaragoza. It was the international debut of 17-year-oldNorman Whiteside who became the youngest player ever in the World Cup finals, a record that still stands. The game finished goalless. Five days later they drew 1–1 withHonduras, which was a disappointment, and many believed had doomed Northern Ireland's chances of advancing in the competition.[1] They needed a win against hostsSpain in the third and final group game at theMestalla Stadium inValencia. They faced a partisan atmosphere with a mostly Spanish crowd and a Spanish speaking referee inHéctor Ortiz who was unwilling to punish dirty play from the Spanish players.[2] However a mistake from goalkeeperLuis Arconada giftedGerry Armstrong the only goal of the game, and despite havingMal Donaghy sent off on 60 minutes, Northern Ireland went on to record a historic 1–0 win and top the first stage group.
A 2–2 draw withAustria at theVicente Calderón Stadium meant that a win againstFrance would take them into the semi-finals, however a French team inspired byMichel Platini won 4–1 and eliminated Northern Ireland from the competition.
In the1986 World Cup, they reached the first round.Billy Bingham, a member of the 1958 squad, was manager for both of these tournaments.
| FIFA World Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
 1930 | Did not enter | |||||||
 1934 | ||||||||
 1938 | ||||||||
 1950 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 1954 | ||||||||
 1958 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
 1962 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 1966 | ||||||||
 1970 | ||||||||
 1974 | ||||||||
 1978 | ||||||||
 1982 | Second round | 9th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| 1986 | Group stage | 21st | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
 1990 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 1994 | ||||||||
 1998 | ||||||||
  2002 | ||||||||
| 2006 | ||||||||
 2010 | ||||||||
 2014 | ||||||||
 2018 | ||||||||
 2022 | ||||||||
 2026 | To be determined | |||||||
  2030 | ||||||||
 2034 | ||||||||
| Total | Quarter-finals | 3/25 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 23 |
| World Cup | Round | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Group stage |  Czechoslovakia | 1–0 | W | Halmstad | W. Cush |
| Argentina | 1–3 | L | Halmstad | P. McParland | ||
| West Germany | 2–2 | D | Malmö | P. McParland (2) | ||
| Czechoslovakia | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | W | Malmö | P. McParland (2) | ||
| Quarter-finals | France | 0–4 | L | Norrköping | — | |
| 1982 | Group stage |  Yugoslavia | 0–0 | D | Zaragoza | — |
 Honduras | 1–1 | D | Zaragoza | G. Armstrong | ||
| Spain | 1–0 | W | Valencia | G. Armstrong | ||
| Second round |  Austria | 2–2 | D | Madrid | B. Hamilton (2) | |
| France | 1–4 | L | Madrid | G. Armstrong | ||
| 1986 | Group stage |  Algeria | 1–1 | D | Guadalajara | N. Whiteside |
| Spain | 1–2 | L | Guadalajara | C. Clarke | ||
 Brazil | 0–3 | L | Guadalajara | — |
| FIFA World Cup matches (by team) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Wins | Draws | Losses | Total | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded |
| Algeria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Argentina | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Austria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Brazil | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Czechoslovakia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| France | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Honduras | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Spain | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| West Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Yugoslavia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 | ||
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Germany | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 1.40 | 4 |
 Northern Ireland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0.80 | 3 |
| Czechoslovakia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 2.00 | 3 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 0.50 | 2 |
| Northern Ireland | 1 – 0 | Czechoslovakia |
|---|---|---|
Cush 21' | Report |
| Northern Ireland | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Czechoslovakia |
|---|---|---|
| McParland 44',97' | Report | Zikán 18' |
| West Germany | 2 – 2 | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Rahn 20' Seeler 78' | Report | McParland 18',60' |
Head coach:Billy Bingham
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Pat Jennings | (1945-06-12)12 June 1945 (aged 37) | Arsenal | |
| 2 | 2DF | Jimmy Nicholl | (1956-02-28)28 February 1956 (aged 26) | Toronto Blizzard | |
| 3 | 2DF | Mal Donaghy | (1957-09-13)13 September 1957 (aged 24) | Luton Town | |
| 4 | 3MF | David McCreery | (1957-09-16)16 September 1957 (aged 24) | Tulsa Roughnecks | |
| 5 | 2DF | Chris Nicholl | (1946-10-12)12 October 1946 (aged 35) | Southampton | |
| 6 | 2DF | John O'Neill | (1958-03-11)11 March 1958 (aged 24) | Leicester City | |
| 7 | 3MF | Noel Brotherston | (1956-11-18)18 November 1956 (aged 25) | Blackburn Rovers | |
| 8 | 3MF | Martin O'Neill(c) | (1952-03-01)1 March 1952 (aged 30) | Norwich City | |
| 9 | 4FW | Gerry Armstrong | (1954-05-23)23 May 1954 (aged 28) | Watford | |
| 10 | 3MF | Sammy McIlroy | (1954-08-02)2 August 1954 (aged 27) | Stoke City | |
| 11 | 4FW | Billy Hamilton | (1957-05-09)9 May 1957 (aged 25) | Burnley | |
| 12 | 2DF | John McClelland | (1955-12-07)7 December 1955 (aged 26) |  Rangers | |
| 13 | 2DF | Sammy Nelson | (1949-04-01)1 April 1949 (aged 33) | Brighton | |
| 14 | 3MF | Tommy Cassidy | (1950-11-18)18 November 1950 (aged 31) | Burnley | |
| 15 | 3MF | Tommy Finney | (1952-11-06)6 November 1952 (aged 29) | Cambridge United | |
| 16 | 3MF | Norman Whiteside | (1965-05-07)7 May 1965 (aged 17) | Manchester United | |
| 17 | 1GK | Jim Platt | (1952-01-26)26 January 1952 (aged 30) | Middlesbrough | |
| 18 | 3MF | Johnny Jameson | (1958-03-11)11 March 1958 (aged 24) | Glentoran | |
| 19 | 4FW | Felix Healy | (1955-09-27)27 September 1955 (aged 26) | Coleraine | |
| 20 | 3MF | Jim Cleary | (1956-05-27)27 May 1956 (aged 26) | Glentoran | |
| 21 | 4FW | Bobby Campbell | (1956-09-13)13 September 1956 (aged 25) | Bradford City | |
| 22 | 1GK | George Dunlop | (1956-01-16)16 January 1956 (aged 26) | Linfield |
| Honduras | 1–1 | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Laing 60' | Report | Armstrong 10' |
| Spain | 0–1 | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Armstrong 47' |
| Austria | 2–2 | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Pezzey 50' Hintermaier 68' | Report | Hamilton 27',75' |
Head coach:Billy Bingham
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Pat Jennings | (1945-06-12)12 June 1945 (aged 40) | Tottenham Hotspur | |
| 2 | 2DF | Jimmy Nicholl | (1956-12-28)28 December 1956 (aged 29) | West Bromwich Albion | |
| 3 | 2DF | Mal Donaghy | (1957-09-13)13 September 1957 (aged 28) | Luton Town | |
| 4 | 2DF | John O'Neill | (1958-03-11)11 March 1958 (aged 28) | Leicester City | |
| 5 | 2DF | Alan McDonald | (1963-10-12)12 October 1963 (aged 22) | Queens Park Rangers | |
| 6 | 3MF | David McCreery | (1957-09-16)16 September 1957 (aged 28) | Newcastle United | |
| 7 | 3MF | Steve Penney | (1964-01-16)16 January 1964 (aged 22) | Brighton | |
| 8 | 3MF | Sammy McIlroy(c) | (1954-08-02)2 August 1954 (aged 31) | Manchester City | |
| 9 | 4FW | Jimmy Quinn | (1959-11-18)18 November 1959 (aged 26) | Blackburn Rovers | |
| 10 | 3MF | Norman Whiteside | (1965-05-07)7 May 1965 (aged 21) | Manchester United | |
| 11 | 4FW | Ian Stewart | (1961-09-10)10 September 1961 (aged 24) | Newcastle United | |
| 12 | 1GK | Jim Platt | (1952-01-26)26 January 1952 (aged 34) | Coleraine | |
| 13 | 1GK | Philip Hughes | (1964-11-19)19 November 1964 (aged 21) | Bury | |
| 14 | 4FW | Gerry Armstrong | (1954-05-23)23 May 1954 (aged 32) | Tottenham Hotspur | |
| 15 | 3MF | Nigel Worthington | (1961-11-04)4 November 1961 (aged 24) | Sheffield Wednesday | |
| 16 | 3MF | Paul Ramsey | (1962-09-03)3 September 1962 (aged 23) | Leicester City | |
| 17 | 4FW | Colin Clarke | (1962-10-30)30 October 1962 (aged 23) | Bournemouth | |
| 18 | 2DF | John McClelland | (1955-12-07)7 December 1955 (aged 30) | Watford | |
| 19 | 4FW | Billy Hamilton | (1957-05-09)9 May 1957 (aged 29) | Oxford United | |
| 20 | 2DF | Bernard McNally | (1963-02-17)17 February 1963 (aged 23) | Shrewsbury Town | |
| 21 | 3MF | David Campbell | (1965-06-02)2 June 1965 (aged 20) | Nottingham Forest | |
| 22 | 4FW | Mark Caughey | (1960-08-31)31 August 1960 (aged 25) | Linfield |
| Algeria | 1 – 1 | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Zidane 59' | Report | Whiteside 6' |
| Northern Ireland | 1 – 2 | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Clarke 46' | Report | Butragueño 1' Salinas 18' |
| Northern Ireland | 0 – 3 | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Careca 15',87' Josimar 42' |
One of Northern Ireland's record World Cup players,Norman Whiteside, also holds the record for the youngest player ever to appear in the tournament. When he was fielded againstYugoslavia, he was only 17 years and 41 days old.
| Rank | Player | Matches | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Hamilton | 8 | 1982 and 1986 |
| David McCreery | 8 | 1982 and 1986 | |
| Sammy McIlroy | 8 | 1982 and 1986 | |
| Jimmy Nicholl | 8 | 1982 and 1986 | |
| Norman Whiteside | 8 | 1982 and 1986 | |
| 6 | Mal Donaghy | 7 | 1982 and 1986 |
| Pat Jennings | 7 | 1982 and 1986 | |
| 8 | Gerry Armstrong | 6 | 1982 and 1986 |
| 9 | Eleven players | 5 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter McParland | 5 | 1958 |
| 2 | Gerry Armstrong | 3 | 1982 |
| 3 | Billy Hamilton | 2 | 1982 |
| 4 | Wilbur Cush | 1 | 1958 |
| Colin Clarke | 1 | 1986 | |
| Norman Whiteside | 1 | 1986 |