Preview:Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg - prediction, team news, lineups

Northern Ireland and Luxembourg will round off their Group A campaigns with a clash at Windsor Park on Monday night.

The visitors are looking for their first point in their final 2026 World Cup qualifier, while the home side will be aiming to post their third victory in the section to finish on nine points.

Match preview

Northern Ireland have a record of two wins and three draws from their five 2026 World Cup qualification fixtures, with six points leaving them third in the table, six points behind leaders Germany and second-placed Slovakia.

Michael O'Neill's side cannot finish in the top two, and they will end their Group A challenge in third regardless of what happens in this match, but the Green and Whites could still qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Indeed, the national side have secured a qualifying playoff place via the Nations League, so their hopes of competing in the finals of next summer's World Cup are still very much alive.

Northern Ireland have not competed at a World Cup since 1986, when they were knocked out in the group stage, while their last major tournament was Euro 2016 - reaching the round of 16.

The Green and Whites have faced Luxembourg on eight previous occasions, suffering just one defeat, and they have been victorious in four of the last five meetings between the two sides.

Luxembourg, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a 2-0 home defeat to Germany, with the result leaving them at the bottom of the section on zero points, losing each of their five games.

The Red Lions have never qualified for the finals of a World Cup or a European Championship, so their struggles in Group A are not a surprise, but they will be hoping to give their supporters something to cheer on Monday.

Jeff Strasser's side opened their Group A campaign with a 3-1 home defeat to Northern Ireland, and they have lost another four times since then, including a 4-0 reverse to Germany in October.

Luxembourg's only previous win over Northern Ireland in eight attempts came during qualification for the 2014 World Cup, recording a 3-2 home success in September 2013.

However, the Red Lions did manage to hold Northern Ireland to a 2-2 draw at the end of last year, and their performance against Germany last time out would have given them confidence ahead of this match.

Northern Ireland World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

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Northern Ireland form (all competitions):

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Luxembourg World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

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Luxembourg form (all competitions):

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Team News

Northern Ireland will be without the services of Sunderland's Dan Ballard through suspension, with the 26-year-old sent off in the latter stages of the team's clash with Slovakia last time out, as well as George Saville due to accumulated yellow cards.

As a result, there could be a spot in the middle of the defence for Ciaron Brown, while Paddy McNair and Ruairi McConville should also feature in the back three.

Dion Charles has scored four times in 33 caps for Northern Ireland, and the Huddersfield Town attacker is in line to continue in the XI, while there should also be a start for Kilmarnock's Brad Lyons.

Liverpool's Conor Bradley should continue in midfield for the home team, with key midfield duo Shea Charles and Ali McCann absent through injury.

As for Luxembourg, Danel Sinani is comfortably the leading goalscorer in the squad with 14, and the attacker sits joint-fifth on the all-time scoring list for his country.

Sinani will continue in the final third of the field, and he should be joined by Aiman Dardari, who plays his club football for Bundesliga outfit Augsburg.

Olivier Thill was his team's standout performer in the defeat to Germany last time out, and the 28-year-old will continue in a wide position for the away team in this match.

Left-back Florian Bohnert picked up his second yellow card of Qualifying in the loss to Germany and is suspended.

Northern Ireland possible starting lineup:

Peacock-Farrell; McConville, Brown, McNair; Hume, Bradley, Kelly, Devenny; Lyons, Charles, Price

Luxembourg possible starting lineup:

Moris; Jans, Korac, Carlson, Veiga; O Thill, Martins, Olesen, Barreiro; Sinani, Dardari

We say: Northern Ireland 1-0 Luxembourg

We are not expecting this to be a classic, and Northern Ireland might need to be patient if they are to secure all three points, but the hosts should have enough quality to post a third victory in the section.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.