Northern Ireland Squad Announced for Nations League Matches
Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has doubled down on youth and experience for a demanding Nations League window, keeping teenage prospects Ceadach O'Neill and Braiden Graham in a 28-man squad for a brutal four-game, 11-day stretch.
The Arsenal midfielder and Everton forward, both still in their teens, retain their places after first being called up for June friendlies against Guinea and France. Ceadach O'Neill, 18, featured in both of those matches and has clearly done enough to convince the manager he belongs at this level.
Senior core returns
This time, though, the youngsters will be surrounded by a far more familiar spine.
Defenders Dan Ballard, Paddy McNair, Terry Devlin and Eoin Toal all return after missing the June fixtures, restoring some much-needed depth and experience to the back line. The goalkeeping department is reinforced too, with Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Conor Hazard both recalled having sat out the summer games.
Up front, Dion Charles is back in the fold, adding a recognised striking option for a schedule that will test legs and squad depth alike.
There is also a recall for Michael Forbes. The Dundee United defender, who collected his only previous cap against Finland in 2023, gets another chance to stake a claim in a congested run of fixtures that should offer minutes to more than just the established names.
Injury absences bite
Not everyone is returning.
Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley, sidelined since January following knee surgery, remains out and will not feature in this window. He is joined on the absentee list by Preston North End midfielder Ali McCann and Aberdeen’s Brad Lyons, both ruled out and leaving gaps in midfield energy and versatility that O'Neill will have to plug from within his enlarged squad.
Those injuries help explain the manager’s decision to expand his group. After naming just 23 players in June, O'Neill has gone with 28 this time, bracing for rotation, fatigue and the inevitable knocks that come with four competitive matches in less than a fortnight.
Goalkeepers Luke Southwood and Josh Clarke, along with striker Jamie Reid, sit on standby, ready to be drafted in if required.
Gruelling Nations League schedule
The context for this call-up is stark. After earning promotion from the third tier last year, Northern Ireland now step into Nations League B with little room for error and even less room for rest.
They open the 2026 campaign away to Georgia on 25 September, a testing assignment to launch the window. Then comes a home date with Hungary in Belfast, followed by a clash with Ukraine in Slovakia, before the cycle closes with a return meeting against Georgia, this time on home soil on 5 October.
Four games. Eleven days. One upgraded division.
It is exactly the kind of run that can define a campaign — and show whether O'Neill’s blend of returning stalwarts and fearless teenagers can carry Northern Ireland’s momentum into a higher tier.
