Germany Earn Crucial Win Over Northern Ireland
Germany secured an important three points in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers with a 3–1 victory over Northern Ireland in a hard-fought match on home soil.
Serge Gnabry opened the scoring early in the 7th minute, taking full advantage of a defensive mix-up by the visitors to calmly slot past the keeper. But Northern Ireland found a way back into the game in the 34th minute, when Isaac Price stunned the home crowd with a brilliant equaliser from the edge of the box.
Germany, however, turned up the pressure after the break. In the 69th minute, midfielder Nadiem Amiri restored the lead after a sweeping attacking move. Just three minutes later, rising star Florian Wirtz sealed the result with a sensational free-kick goal that left the goalkeeper with no chance.
FIFA World Cup 2026, Qualifiers
Germany - Northern Ireland 3:1 (1:1)
Goals: Gnabry, 7 (1:0); Price, 34 (1:1); Amiri N., 69 (2:1); Wirtz, 72 (3:1)
Germany: Baumann; Rudiger (Tah J., 82); Koch; Anton; Groß (Goretzka, 66); Kimmich; Leweling; Wirtz; Gnabry (Beier M., 61); Raum D.; Woltemade (Amiri N., 61)
Substitution: Amiri N. (from 61); Beier M. (from 61); Goretzka (from 66); Tah J. (from 82)
Bench: Nübel; Dahmen F.; Collins N.; Mittelstädt; Stiller; Nebel P.; Adeyemi K.
Yellow Cards: Rudiger 27
Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell; Hume; Toal (McConville, 88); McNair; Charles Sh.; Price (McDonnell J., 88); Bradley C.; Galbraith (Marshall, 77); Devenny; Mccann А. (Saville G., 76); Reid J. (Charles Di., 70)
Substitution: Charles Di. (from 70); Saville G. (from 76); Marshall (from 77); McConville (from 88); McDonnell J. (from 88)
Bench: Southwood; McMullan; Johnson Ryan; Devlin; Donley; Hale; Taylor Da.
Yellow Cards: Galbraith 53; Devenny 62; Bradley C. 63; Saville G. 90