Northern Ireland v Luxembuourg (05/09/2024)

FACT FILE: LUXEMBOURG

WORDS: IAN PARKER

• The Grand Duchy holds the record for the most World Cup and European campaigns without ever qualifying for a major tournament - having competed in every World Cup qualifying campaign since those for the 1934 tournament, and every European campaign since those for the 1964 finals. • During that first European qualifying campaign, Luxembourg shocked the Netherlands with a 3-2 aggregate win but later lost out to Denmark. • Although results have improved in recent years, up until 2008 Luxembourg had played 104 World Cup qualifiers and earned only eight points. • Their ranking from the Nations League earned them a place in the Euro 2024 qualifying play-offs, however a 2-0 loss to Georgia ended their hopes at the semi-final stage. • Football federation boss Paul Philipp, who spent 15 years in charge of the national side, had said he would shave off his famous moustache - one he has worn for four decades - if Luxembourg had qualified for the Euros. Alas, it survived. • Among their notable recent results was a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over the Republic of Ireland in March 2021, with Gerson Rodrigues scoring the decisive goal. • Luxembourg were in League D when the Nations League was launched in 2018 but earned promotion in the inaugural edition and have remained in League C since, twice finishing second in their group. • The creation of a national academy in 2001 was the starting point for significant improvement in Luxembourg’s fortunes, and the country now has several players playing professionally abroad. • Luxembourg has a population of just 650,000. Around half are foreign-born, and the national team has been able to recruit a number of players from such backgrounds. For example, current players Gerson Rodrigues, Miguel Goncalves and Leandro Barriero all come from the sizeable Portuguese community.

INTERNATIONAL • This will be the sixth meeting between Northern Ireland and Luxembourg, with Northern Ireland winning three, drawing one and losing the other. • The first meeting between the two nations was a friendly in February 2000 when a young David Healy - then a reserve striker for Manchester United - made his international debut and scored twice in a 3-1 Northern Ireland win. • The two sides did not meet again until the World Cup qualifying campaign of 2012-13. • Northern Ireland enjoyed the better of their first meeting in Belfast in September 2012 and led through a fine goal from Dean Shiels, but Michael O’Neill’s side were denied victory because of a late own goal from Ryan McGivern - the first time in 10 competitive games that Luxembourg had avoided defeat. • Twelve months later Luxembourg won only their fourth ever World Cup qualifier, beating Northern Ireland 3-2 on home turf. Martin Paterson put Northern Ireland ahead and Gareth McAuley equalised after goals from Aurelien Joachim and Stefano Bensi, however Mathias Janisch’s goal three minutes from time secured a shock result. • There have been two friendlies since. Michael O’Neill was in charge of Northern Ireland when an experimental line-up won 1-0 in Belfast courtesy of an own goal from Kevin Malget in September 2019, while late goals from Steven Davis and Gavin Whyte earned Ian Baraclough’s side a 3-1 win in Luxembourg in March 2022. • Brothers Vincent and Oliver Thill, as well as Enes Mahmutovic, all featured for Luxembourg in that friendly in 2022, playing only weeks after abandoning club careers in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

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NIR V LUX