Northern Ireland women's national football team
Association | Irish Football Association (IFA) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Tanya Oxtoby[1] | ||
Captain | Simone Magill | ||
Most caps | Julie Nelson (125) | ||
Top scorer | Rachel Furness (38) | ||
FIFA code | NIR | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 44 1 (13 December 2024)[2] | ||
Highest | 44 (December 2024) | ||
Lowest | 85 (June 2005) | ||
First international | |||
Republic of Ireland 4–1 Northern Ireland (Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 30 June 1973) | |||
Biggest win | |||
North Macedonia 0–11 Northern Ireland (Skopje, North Macedonia; 25 November 2021) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Scotland 11–1 Northern Ireland (Clydebank, Scotland, 23 November 1974) England 10–0 Northern Ireland (Blackburn, England, 16 March 1986) | |||
European Championship | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2022) | ||
Best result | Group stage (2022) |
The Northern Ireland women's national football team represents Northern Ireland in international women's football. Although most national football teams represent a sovereign state, FIFA statutes permit Northern Ireland as a member of the United Kingdom's Home Nations to maintain its own national side that competes in all major tournaments, with the exception of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament.
The team were the lowest UEFA-ranked team (27th)[3] to qualify for the European Championships Finals in England in 2022.
In September 2021 it was announced that the senior women's team would be adopting a full-time professional set up ahead of Euro 2022.[4]
Results and fixtures
[edit]The following is a list of matches in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2024
[edit]23 February 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League promotion/relegation matches | Montenegro | 0–2 | Northern Ireland | Podgorica |
14:00 | Report | Stadium: Podgorica City Stadium |
27 February 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League promotion/relegation matches | Northern Ireland | 1–1 (3–1 agg.) | Montenegro | Belfast |
20:00 (19:00 GMT) | Report | Stadium: Windsor Park | ||
Note: Northern Ireland won 3–1 on aggregate, and therefore both teams remained in their respective leagues. |
5 April Euro 2025 qualifying | Northern Ireland | 0–0 | Malta | Belfast |
Report | Stadium: Windsor Park Referee: Maria Marotta (Italy) |
9 April Euro 2025 qualifying | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–3 | Northern Ireland | Zenica |
Report | Stadium: Bosnia and Herzegovina FA Training Centre Referee: Désirée Grundbacher (Switzerland) |
31 May Euro 2025 qualifying | Portugal | 4–0 | Northern Ireland | Leiria |
21:45 (20:45 UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Attendance: 10,017 Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden) |
4 June Euro 2025 qualifying | Northern Ireland | 1–2 | Portugal | Lurgan |
20:00 (19:00 UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: Mourneview Park Referee: Franziska Wildfeuer (Germany) |
12 July Euro 2025 qualifying | Malta | 0–2 | Northern Ireland | Ta' Qali |
19:30 | Report | Stadium: Centenary Stadium |
16 July Euro 2025 qualifying | Northern Ireland | 2–0 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Belfast |
19:00 (18:00 UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Windsor Park |
25 October 2024 Euro 2025 qualifying play-off | Croatia | 1–1 | Northern Ireland | Varaždin, Croatia |
18:00 CEST (UTC+01:00) | Lojna 4' (pen.) | Report | Lojna 90+2' (o.g.) | Stadium: Stadion Varteks |
29 October 2024 Euro 2025 qualifying play-off | Northern Ireland | 1–0 (a.e.t.) (2–1 agg.) | Croatia | Belfast |
20:00 CEST (UTC+01:00) |
|
Report | Stadium: Windsor Park |
29 November 2024 Euro 2025 qualifying play-off | Northern Ireland | v | Norway | Larne, Northern Ireland |
20:00 CEST (UTC+01:00) | Stadium: Inver Park |
3 December 2024 Euro 2025 qualifying play-off | Norway | v | Northern Ireland | Oslo, Norway |
18:00 | Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion |
Coaching staff
[edit]Manager history
[edit]- Alfie Wylie (2004–2019)[5]
- Kenny Shiels (2019–2023)[6][7]
- Tanya Oxtoby (2023–)[1]
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]- The following players are named in the squad for the UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying two matches against Norway, on 29 November and 3 December 2024 respectively.[8]
- Caps and goals updated as of 5 December 2023 after the match against Republic of Ireland.
Recent call-ups
[edit]- The following players have been named to a squad in the past 12 months.
- This list may be incomplete.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Shannon Turner | 8 September 1997 | 6 | 0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | v. Montenegro, 27 February 2024 |
GK | Lilie Woods | 29 August 2003 | 1 | 0 | Mid-Ulster | v. Hungary, 31 October 2023 |
GK | Lauren Perry | 5 April 2001 | 5 | 0 | Montrose | v. Croatia, 29 October 2024 |
DF | Abbie Magee | 15 November 2000 | 12 | 0 | Cliftonville | v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 9 April 2024 |
DF | Sarah McFadden | 23 May 1987 | 104 | 9 | Durham | v. Montenegro, 27 February 2024 |
DF | Demi Vance | 2 May 1991 | 90 | 4 | Glentoran | v. Croatia,29 October 2024 |
DF | Rachel McLaren | 19 November 2002 | 1 | 0 | Crusaders | v. Croatia,29 October 2024 |
MF | Rachel Furness | 19 June 1988 | 95 | 38 | Bristol City | v. Hungary, 31 October 2023 INJ |
MF | Nadene Caldwell | 24 January 1991 | 78 | 2 | Glentoran | v. Croatia, 29 October 2024 |
MF | Marissa Callaghan | 2 September 1985 | 86 | 9 | Cliftonville | v. Croatia, 29 October 2024 |
FW | Caitlin McGuinness | 30 August 2002 | 18 | 1 | Cliftonville | v. Hungary, 31 October 2023 |
FW | Kirsty McGuinness | 4 November 1994 | 57 | 14 | Cliftonville | v. Albania, 26 September 2023 |
FW | Caragh Hamilton | 18 October 1996 | 38 | 6 | Lewes | v. Croatia, 29 October 2024 |
Notes:
- INJ Withdrew due to injury.
- WD Withdrew from the squad due to non-injury or medical issue
Records
[edit]- Statistics correct as of 5 December 2023.
- Active players in bold.
Most caps[edit]
|
Most goals[edit]
|
Simone Magill holds the world record for the fastest international goal in women's football. Previously, US forward Alex Morgan had held the record at twelve seconds. Magill achieved an eleven-second goal against Georgia at the start of a European Qualifying match on 3 June 2016. The goal marks the fastest ever international goal by any national Northern Irish team – male or female.[9]
Competitive record
[edit]FIFA Women's World Cup
[edit]FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | |||
1991 | Did not qualify | UEFA EURO 1991 | ||||||||||||||||
1995 | Did not enter | UEFA EURO 1995 | ||||||||||||||||
1999 | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||||
2003 | ||||||||||||||||||
2007 | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | −4 | ||||||||||
2011 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 16 | −8 | |||||||||||
2015 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 19 | −16 | |||||||||||
2019 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 27 | −23 | |||||||||||
2023 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 16 | +20 | |||||||||||
2027 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||
Total | 0/10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 44 | 13 | 11 | 23 | 58 | 89 | −31 |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Championship
[edit]UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualifying record | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
1984 | Did not qualify | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 21 | – | ||||||||
1987 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 35 | ||||||||||
1989 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
1991 | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 21 | – | ||||||||
1993 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
1995 | ||||||||||||||||
1997 | ||||||||||||||||
2001 | ||||||||||||||||
2005 | ||||||||||||||||
2009 | Did not qualify | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 28 | – | ||||||||
2013 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 15 | ||||||||||
2017 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 22 | ||||||||||
2022 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 18 | |||
2025 | Did not qualify | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 15 | [a] | 23rd | |||||||
Total | 1/14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 65 | 17 | 8 | 40 | 72 | 175 | 23rd |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Nations League
[edit]UEFA Women's Nations League record | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | League | Group | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | RK | |
2023–24 | B | 1 | 3rd | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 14 | * | 26th | |
2025 | B | 1 | To be determined | |||||||||
Total | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 26th |
Promoted at end of season | |
No movement at end of season | |
Relegated at end of season | |
* | Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs |
See also
[edit]- Northern Ireland women's national under-19 football team
- Northern Ireland women's national under-17 football team
- Northern Ireland national football team, the men's team
- Republic of Ireland women's national football team
Notes
[edit]- ^ From Euro 2025 onwards a new qualifying format was introduced, linked to the Women's Nations League where teams are divided into leagues with promotion/relegation between the leagues at the end of each cycle.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Archer, Kenny (1 September 2023). "New Northern Ireland women's manager Tanya Oxtoby targeting top tournaments". The Irish News. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Women's National Teams Coefficient Overview" (PDF). editorial.uefa.com. 24 February 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- ^ VAVEL.com (29 September 2021). "Northern Ireland Women move to a full-time international set-up". VAVEL. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ "Alfie Wylie leaves role as Northern Ireland women's manager after 15 years to take new IFA job". Belfast Telegraph. 12 April 2019.
- ^ "Kenny Shiels: Former Kilmarnock boss appointed Northern Ireland senior women's manager". BBC Sport. 16 May 2019. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Kenny Shiels: Northern Ireland women's manager leaves role". BBC Sport. 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Oxtoby names senior women's squad for play-off final". Irish Football Association. 13 November 2024. Archived from the original on 22 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ Fullerton, Gareth (7 October 2017). "Northern Ireland striker recognised for scoring fastest goal ever!". belfastlive. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.