A World Cup staged in Brazil is the stuff of dreams for any footballer and the chance to experience that is on offer for Northern Ireland as they begin their play-off journey against Portugal with hope of securing a spot at next year's tournament. It will be a difficult ask for Michael McArdle's side, which has been hit by a spate of injuries and features five new faces, but there is a quiet confidence in the group before what will be, for some of them, the biggest games in their careers to date. First up, in what is set to be an arduous journey in search of a World Cup debut, is Friday's home leg at Inver Park ( ) against the Portuguese.
"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. "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." Family, football and Dalglish - what drives NI boss McArdle? What will new call-ups bring to Northern Ireland?
Elmore and Grant named in Northern Ireland squad As one of the lowest-ranked European sides in the play-offs, it is a difficult route to next summer's tournament for Northern Ireland. If they overcome Portugal they will then face Croatia or Iceland in the next round. If they make it through those games, they will likely have an inter-continental play-off to make it the whole way to Brazil.
Portugal inflicted two defeats on in NI in Euro 2025 qualifying and sit 28 places higher in the Fifa world rankings, but Johnson and her side are not daunted by the task in front of them and instead want to embrace it. "We absolutely believe these games are winnable," she added. "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.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
