Wales vs Northern Ireland – Predicted lineup and team news

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The Football Faithful

·31 March 2026

Wales vs Northern Ireland – Predicted lineup and team news

Wales take on Northern Ireland in an international friendly on Tuesday at Cardiff City Stadium, as both teams look to reset after World Cup heartbreak.

The Red Dragons head into this game still reeling from their penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia & Herzegovina, a loss that ended their hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They had enjoyed a strong group campaign before then, with their only defeats coming against table toppers Belgium.

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The Green and White Army, meanwhile, were sent packing with a 2-0 defeat to Italy in Bergamo.

Wales team news

Craig Bellamy has to reshuffle his team after the Bosnia match, with several senior figures missing. Ben Davies, Chris Mepham and Connor Roberts are all out injured, and Aaron Ramsey is not involved in this international window.

Jordan James is also ruled out after coming off hurt in the previous game, meaning Bellamy has little choice but to turn to younger options.

Sorba Thomas is expected to come into the starting XI after making a lively impact from the bench last week. At the back, relatively untested defenders such as Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor could be handed valuable minutes as Wales look to build depth for future campaigns.

Bellamy is likely to mix youth with some experience, with Ethan Ampadu set to provide stability in midfield. In attack, forwards like Nathan Broadhead and Liam Cullen are in line for more prominent roles, giving them a chance to impress and stake their claim for regular involvement.