Northern Ireland face Italy this week aiming to end their 40-year wait for a World Cup return.
The two sides meet in Bergamo in a play-off semi-final as they bid to book their place in North America this summer.
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It marks the first of two potential matches for a spot in the finals.
The winner will face either Wales or Bosnia & Herzegovina for a place alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in group B of the World Cup.
Northern Ireland qualified for the play-offs through winning their Nations League group back in 2024.
Meanwhile, Italy had to settle for their spot after finishing second behind Norway in World Cup qualifying.
As a result, they must come through the play-offs to avoid missing out on a third successive World Cup for the first time ever.
The four-time winners have not appeared at a finals since their group stage exit in 2014.
Northern Ireland have been waiting even longer, though, with the last of their three appearances coming in 1986.
Michael O’Neill previously guided them to Euro 2016 in their only major tournament since their last World Cup finals.
Italy vs Northern Ireland: Date and how to watch
Italy host Northern Ireland at Atalanta’s New Balance Arena on Thursday, March 26.
Kick-off in Bergamo is scheduled for 7.45pm GMT.
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The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom by the BBC.
Coverage on BBC One in Northern Ireland, BBC Three, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website begins at 7pm.
eSPORTY and eSPORTY.com will also have regular updates throughout the night.
Natalie Sawyer presents Kick Off from 7pm on Thursday, featuring the latest from Bergamo.
To tune in via the eSPORTY website, click HERE for the livestream.
You can also listen on the eSPORTY app here, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
Northern Ireland squad to face Italy
Goalkeepers
- Bailey Peacock-Farrell – Blackpool
- Conor Hazard – Plymouth Argyle
- Pierce Charles – Sheffield Wednesday
- Josh Clarke – Partick Thistle
Defenders
- Paddy McNair – Hull City
- Ciaron Brown – Oxford United
- Trai Hume – Sunderland
- Brodie Spencer – Oxford United
- Eoin Toal – Bolton Wanderers
- Ruairi McConville – Norwich City
- Terry Devlin – Portsmouth
- Tom Atcheson – Blackburn Rovers
Midfielders
- George Saville – Luton Town
- Ali McCann – Preston
- Shea Charles – Southampton
- Isaac Price – West Brom
- Paul Smyth – Queens Park Rangers
- Ethan Galbraith – Swansea City
- Justin Devenny – Crystal Palace
- Brad Lyons – Kilmarnock
- Jamie Donley – Oxford United
- Jamie McDonnell – Oxford United
- Patrick Kelly – Barnsley
- Kieran Morrison – Liverpool
Forwards
- Josh Magennis – Exeter City
- Dion Charles – Huddersfield Town
- Callum Marshall – Bochum
- Jamie Reid – Stevenage
Italy vs Northern Ireland: Team news
Northern Ireland have been handed a blow ahead of Thursday’s clash with Dan Ballard ruled out.
The Sunderland defender will miss out due to a hamstring injury picked up against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month.
Under-21 international Tom Atcheson, who plays under O’Neill for Blackburn Rovers, has been called into the squad to replace Ballard.
The visitors were already without Conor Bradley after he was ruled out for the rest of the season in January.
As for Italy, Federico Chiesa has withdrawn from Gennaro Gattuso’s squad ahead of the match.
Sandro Tonali is also a doubt to face Northern Ireland after missing Newcastle United’s defeat to Sunderland on Sunday.
Italy vs Northern Ireland: Head-to-head
Thursday’s play-off semi-final will be the 11th meeting between Italy and Northern Ireland.
However, the visitors have won just one of those matches, a 2-1 home victory back in January 1958.
Of their eight meetings since, Italy have won six and drawn the other two matches 0-0.
Those include their last fixture in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup back in November 2021.
Meanwhile, their last meeting in Italy saw the hosts claim a 2-0 victory.
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Italy vs Northern Ireland: What has been said?
O’Neill believes making the World Cup this summer would go down among Northern Ireland’s finest achievements.
He said: “If we look over history, if this team can achieve this, it’ll be as good as anything that any Northern Ireland team has done to go through two away games and get to a World Cup. It’s a huge challenge but we have that opportunity.
“We have the opportunity to write our names into the history of football here in Northern Ireland and we intend to do everything possible to try and take it.
“We’ve got to be thankful that we’re still in it and we’re still in the fight. I think if you get through the first game, it would be an amazing result for us.
“I think we would just ride that wave into the second game and whoever that may be against. But away games are always tough.
“We have to believe because if we don’t believe, no-one else will and that’s how we have to approach the game.
“I’ve always said don’t waste the opportunity… never waste.
“Every time you step on the pitch as an international player, you never know when it will be your last opportunity.
“So, make sure that you embrace it and you do everything possible and that will be the message going forward.”
