Wales and Northern Ireland Shine in World Cup Qualifiers
It was an exciting night for international football, especially for fans of Wales and Northern Ireland, as both nations picked up vital victories in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns. These results not only boosted hopes of reaching the biggest stage in football but also gave supporters plenty to cheer about.
Let’s start with Northern Ireland. They were away in Luxembourg and managed to secure a confident 3-1 win. West Brom’s Isaac Price played most of the match and had a big role in the story of the night. Early on, Northern Ireland were awarded a penalty after VAR spotted a handball. Price stepped up but saw his effort saved by the goalkeeper. Luckily for him, Jamie Reid was alert to the rebound and fired it into the net, giving the visitors an early lead. Luxembourg fought back and equalised before halftime, but the second half belonged to Northern Ireland. Shea Charles put them ahead again, and after Luxembourg were reduced to ten men, Justin Devenny sealed the win with a third goal. The victory means Northern Ireland sit top of Group A after the opening round of fixtures, but their next challenge is a huge one – facing four-time World Cup winners Germany in Cologne on Sunday night.
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Meanwhile, Wales had a long journey to Kazakhstan – in fact, the furthest they had ever travelled for a qualifier, around 7,000 miles round trip. Despite missing several key players through injury, the Welsh side showed real determination. Defender Chris Mepham, another West Brom man, played 86 minutes and reached an impressive personal milestone: his 50th cap for his country. The breakthrough came in the first half when Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore scored the only goal of the game. Kazakhstan came close to levelling, hitting the woodwork twice, including right at the death, but Wales held on to secure all three points. That win lifted them to the top of Group J, with just three qualifying matches left to play. Next up for them is a friendly at home to Canada in Swansea on Tuesday night.
Elsewhere, Norway’s Aune Heggebø, also linked with West Brom, remained on the bench as his country edged Finland 1-0 in a friendly thanks to an Erling Haaland penalty. He will be hoping for a senior debut when Norway face Moldova in their next qualifier.
All of this comes as excitement builds toward the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For the first time ever, 48 teams will compete in the tournament, making the qualification journey even more intense and meaningful for every nation involved.
For fans of Wales and Northern Ireland, these results were exactly what they hoped for – a strong start that keeps dreams of World Cup football alive and very real.
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