Northern Ireland labelled as easiest opponent for Italy in World Cup play-off | OneFootball

Gazzetta dello Sport notes that Northern Ireland were the ‘easiest opponent’ for Italy in the World Cup play-off draw, mostly due to their poor away record and their FIFA Ranking.

Northern Ireland were labelled as the ‘easiest opponent’ for Italy by La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday.

The most popular Italian sports newspaper wrote that ‘on paper, the weakest team in the draw were Northern Ireland, the lowest-ranked (69th) among the four possible Azzurri opponents.’

Northern Ireland the ‘easiest opponent’ for Italy

Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, Friday, November 21, 2025.

The other possible rivals for Italy in the semifinal were Sweden (43rd), Romania (47th) and North Macedonia (65th).

As you already read in our Northern Ireland squad guide here, the next Azzurri opponents have won just one away game from the last eight, against 103rd-ranked Luxembourg.

Four Premier League players in Northern Ireland squad

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – NOVEMBER 17: Players of Northern Ireland pose for a team photograph prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Northern Ireland and Luxembourg at Windsor Park on November 17, 2025 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Northern Ireland can surely rely on a strong defence as they conceded just six times in six games in the qualification group, two fewer than second-placed Slovakia. A the same time, however, they netted only seven goals, all with different players.

Gazzetta also noted that most of Northern Ireland’s footballers play in lower divisions, with only Conor Bradley (Liverpool), Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard (Sunderland) and Justin Devenny (Crystal Palace) playing in the English Premier League.