Northern Ireland national football team records and statistics

This page details Northern Ireland national football team records and statistics; the most capped players, the players with the most goals, and Northern Ireland's match record by opponent and decade.

Player records
{{legend|#CCFFCC|Players still active are highlighted in green|border=#AAAAAA}}

Most capped players
after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra. Players with an equal number of caps are ranked in chronological order of reaching the milestone.

Top goalscorers
after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra. Players with an equal number of goals are ranked in chronological order of reaching the milestone.

Most captaincies
{{legend|#CCFFCC|Players still active are highlighted in green|border=#AAAAAA}} after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

Captaincy appearances are only awarded to players who were assigned the captaincy at the start of an international game. Players with an equal number of captaincies are ranked in chronological order of reaching the milestone.

Most clean sheets
{{legend|#CCFFCC|Players still active are highlighted in green|border=#AAAAAA}} after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

A goalkeeper is awarded a clean sheet if he does not concede a goal during his time on the pitch.

Hat-tricks
The result is presented with Northern Ireland's score first.

Red cards
The result is presented with Northern Ireland's score first.

Age records

 * Youngest player to make debut: Samuel Johnston – 15 years and 154 days, 18 February 1882 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 england
 * Oldest player to play a game: Elisha Scott – 42 years and 200 days, 11 March 1936 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 wales
 * Youngest player to play at World Cup finals: Norman Whiteside – 17 years and 41 days, 17 June 1982 vs
 * Oldest player to play at World Cup finals: Pat Jennings – 41 years and 0 days, 12 June 1986 vs 🇧🇷 brazil
 * Youngest player to score a goal: Samuel Johnston – 15 years and 161 days, 25 February 1882 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 wales

Goal records

 * First Irish goal: Samuel Johnston – 15 years and 161 days, 25 February 1882 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 wales
 * Most goals scored in one game by a player: 6 – Joe Bambrick, 1 February 1930 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 wales

Firsts

 * First International: 18 February 1882 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 england
 * First home international: 18 February 1882 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 england
 * First win: 12 March 1887 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 wales
 * First overseas opponent: 🇳🇴 norway, 25 May 1922
 * First win over an overseas opponent: 1 May 1957 vs

Streaks

 * Most consecutive victories: 5
 * 26 March 2017 – 4 September 2017
 * 21 March 2019 – 5 September 2019
 * Most consecutive matches without defeat: 12
 * 29 March 2015 – 4 June 2016
 * Most consecutive draws: 4
 * 11 September 2012 – 6 February 2013
 * Most consecutive matches without a draw: 24
 * 26 January 1884 – 28 March 1891
 * Most consecutive matches without victory: 21
 * 5 November 1947 – 7 November 1953
 * Most consecutive defeats: 11
 * 26 January 1884 – 19 February 1887
 * 3 October 1959 – 7 October 1961
 * Most consecutive matches scoring: 13
 * 4 November 1933 – 16 March 1938
 * Most consecutive matches without scoring: 13
 * 27 March 2002 – 11 October 2003
 * Most consecutive matches conceding a goal: 46
 * 18 February 1882 – 27 March 1897
 * Most consecutive matches without conceding a goal: 6
 * 27 March 1985 – 26 February 1986

FIFA World Cup

 * Qualification
 * First match: 1 October 1949 vs
 * First goal: Sammy Smyth vs, 1 October 1949


 * Finals
 * First finals: Sweden 1958
 * Total number of times qualified for the finals: 3 (1958), (1982) and (1986)
 * First game: 8 June 1958 vs
 * First goal: Wilbur Cush vs, 8 June 1958
 * Most Successful final: 1958 – Quarter finals
 * World Cup top goal scorer: 5
 * Peter McParland (1958)

UEFA European Championship

 * Qualification
 * First match: 10 October 1962 vs 🇵🇱 poland
 * First goal: Derek Dougan vs 🇵🇱 poland, 10 October 1962


 * Finals
 * First finals: France 2016
 * Total number of times qualified for the finals: 1 (2016)
 * First game: 12 June 2016 vs 🇵🇱 poland
 * First goal: Gareth McAuley vs 🇺🇦 ukraine, 16 June 2016
 * Most Successful final: 2016 - Round of 16
 * European Championship scorer: 1
 * Gareth McAuley (2016)
 * Niall McGinn (2016)

UEFA Nations League

 * Qualification
 * First match: 8 September 2018 vs 🇧🇦 bosnia and herzegovina
 * First goal: Will Grigg vs 🇧🇦 bosnia and herzegovina, 8 September 2018

Rankings

 * Highest FIFA Rank: 20 (September 2017)
 * Lowest FIFA Rank: 129 (September 2012)
 * Highest Elo Rank: 5 (1882)
 * Lowest Elo Rank: 114 (11 October 2013)

Performance by competition
after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only

Performance by manager
{{legend|#CCFFCC|Current manager highlighted in green|border=#AAAAAA}}

after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only

Performance by venue
after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

Performance by confederation
after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only

Performance by decade
{{legend|#CCFFCC|Still active decade highlighted in green|border=#AAAAAA}}

after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only

Head to head records
after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only

FIFA members yet to play against Northern Ireland
after the match against 🇦🇩 andorra.

Competitive record
Champions Runners-up  Third Place  Fourth Place

Titles

 * British Home Championship
 * **Winners (3): 1914 (as ), 1980, 1984
 * **Shared (5): 1903, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1964

FIFA Rankings
Last updated 27 March 2023