Northern Ireland Begin World Cup Play-off Against Portugal With Brazil Dream in Sight
The long road to Brazil starts at Inver Park
Northern Ireland begin their Women's World Cup play-off journey on Friday night when they host Portugal in the first leg of a two-legged tie at Inver Park (19:30 BST), with a place at next summer's tournament in Brazil the ultimate reward.
It is a difficult ask for Michael McArdle's players, who have been hit by a spate of injuries and include five new faces in the squad. As one of the lowest-ranked European sides in the play-offs, the route is an arduous one — but there is a quiet confidence around the camp before what will be, for some players, the biggest games of their careers to date.
"When you're growing up, Brazil is the place to be, it's the home of football. It really doesn't get much better than that," said Norwich City defender Natalie Johnson, who has won 13 caps for her country.
"The fact that we are at this point and that it could be a reality, you don't need much more motivation than that. There's a lot on the line, but we are taking it one game at a time, and I think if you look at it that way, nothing is impossible. Obviously there is that dream at the end of it, but we're focused on the game in front of us."
A daunting but not impossible route
Portugal inflicted two defeats on Northern Ireland during Euro 2025 qualifying and sit 28 places higher in the FIFA world rankings, yet Johnson and her team-mates are refusing to be daunted by the task in front of them, preferring instead to embrace it.
"We absolutely believe these games are winnable," she said. "We have a lot of experience in this team and the young players coming in bring their own individual experience and they really add to the squad. It's a good balance and we are going in to get something out of this.
"Any Portugal side is going to be very technical and we're expecting a very fast-paced game. We're going to have to be at our best to face that, quick football, and that's what we're working towards. On paper it might look like there is a big gap between the teams, but at the end of the day, it is a game of football and I think particularly on our home pitch it will be a much more level playing field."
If Northern Ireland overcome Portugal over the two legs, they will then face Croatia or Iceland in the next round. Should they make it through those games, they will probably face an inter-continental play-off to complete the journey all the way to Brazil.
Holloway: the gap is closing
Birmingham City defender Rebecca Holloway is one of the few survivors from the squad that qualified for Euro 2022, Northern Ireland's first major tournament, and is one of nine players in the current squad to have been involved in the two Euro 2025 qualifying defeats by Portugal — a 4-0 away loss and a narrow 2-1 home defeat in 2024.
"It feels like a long time ago in a way, especially when you look at how much the squad has changed, but I think that's also what is very exciting," she said. "It's like a new generation coming through and I think it's also important that we have some experienced players here to help those new faces. We're excited to see what they can do and encourage them to play with confidence and freedom and do what they are good at.
"We're slowly closing the gap on Portugal and the so-called bigger nations. They had a narrow 2-1 win over us at home in 2024 after a 4-0 away defeat, I think that shows that we are getting closer."
Men's team provide the inspiration
McArdle's youthful side do not have to look far for inspiration on how to punch above their weight. After assembling in camp on Monday, the team watched Northern Ireland's men's side draw 0-0 with Georgia — a result that kept Michael O'Neill's team top of their Nations League group after taking eight points from four games without conceding a goal.
"It was brilliant watching them play with such youth and energy and the exciting football that they are playing," Holloway continued. "This younger generation play with no fear and I think that is what the men's senior team are doing. I am hoping the young players see that and we can adopt the same attitude. I think we were all watching thinking 'we can't wait to do this on Friday'."
The squad for the Portugal tie was announced on 30 September, with former England youth international Kess Elmore headlining five fresh faces alongside Galway United defender Lucy-Jayne Grant and three home-grown domestic players, as Northern Ireland prepare for what would be a historic first World Cup appearance.