Northern Ireland national football team: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Team colours
Home 　 Away??
Current coach
Lawrie Sanchez, 2004-
Most capped player
Pat Jennings: 119
Highest goalscorer
Colin Clarke: 13
First International
Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February, 1882)
Northern Ireland 0 - 2 Scotland (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 26 February, 1921)
Largest win
Northern Ireland 7 - 0 Wales (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 1 February, 1930)
Largest defeat
Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February, 1882)
England 9 - 2 Northern Ireland (Manchester, England; 16 November, 1949)
World Cup
Finals appearances: 3 (First: 1958) Best result: Quarter-finals, 1958
European Championships
Finals appearances: None

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.

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

• George Best
• Martin O'Neill