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Northern Ireland Draws Potential Nations League Matches Against Republic of Ireland and Scotland

Ahead of the Uefa Nations League draw set to take place in Brussels on Thursday, potential opponents for Northern Ireland are being considered, with the Republic of Ireland and Scotland among the possibilities.

A potential group stage matchup for Northern Ireland could include the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Switzerland, among other teams.

As Northern Ireland prepares for its World Cup play-off against Italy, the team and its fans are also looking ahead to the Uefa Nations League draw, which will determine their opponents for the rest of the year.

Following their promotion from League C in 2024, Northern Ireland will compete in League B of the Nations League's fifth edition.

The latest installment of the competition is scheduled to begin in September and October of this year, during the newly expanded four-game international window, and will run until June 2027.

In anticipation of the draw, BBC Sport NI is examining the potential opponents that Northern Ireland could face.

The Nations League format and draw schedule are as follows: the competition will feature a draw, and the details of this process are outlined below.

The draw will take place at 17:00 GMT on Thursday at the Brussels Expo in Belgium.

Live text updates and reaction to the draw will be available on the BBC Sport website.

Northern Ireland has been placed in pot four for the draw, alongside Sweden, North Macedonia, and Kosovo, all of which won promotion from League C.

The teams in pot four will be matched against a team from one of the other three pots.

Pot 1 consists of Scotland, Hungary, Poland, and Israel.

Pot 2 includes Switzerland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, and Ukraine.

Pot 3 is comprised of Slovenia, Georgia, Republic of Ireland, and Romania.

In a 2024 friendly match, Conor Bradley scored the winning goal against Scotland.

Northern Ireland may be paired with Scotland, who will participate in their first World Cup since 1990 this summer, in the upcoming Nations League.

The two teams last met in a friendly match in March 2024, with Northern Ireland emerging victorious 1-0 thanks to Conor Bradley's first international goal.

Alternatively, Northern Ireland could face Hungary, who narrowly missed out on the World Cup play-offs after a last-minute goal by Republic of Ireland's Troy Parrott in November.

The two teams have a history, having been paired together in the Euro 2016 qualification campaign, with Northern Ireland winning 2-1 away and drawing 1-1 at home.

Poland and Israel are the remaining potential opponents in Pot 1, and it has been some time since Northern Ireland last played either team.

Northern Ireland's previous meetings with these teams include a 1-0 loss to Poland in their Euro 2016 group stage opener and a 3-0 win over Israel in a friendly match in September 2018.

Isaac Price scored a notable free-kick in a draw against Switzerland in a friendly match last year.

From Pot 2, Northern Ireland could be matched against Switzerland, a team that denied them a spot in the 2018 World Cup and will participate in the upcoming World Cup.

In a friendly match against Switzerland at Windsor Park in March of last year, Isaac Price scored a stunning free-kick in a 1-1 draw.

Another potential opponent for Northern Ireland is Bosnia-Herzegovina, a team they could also face in the World Cup play-off final if they defeat Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina beats Wales.

Additionally, Northern Ireland could be drawn against either Austria or Ukraine, both of which are bound for the World Cup.

Northern Ireland has lost its last five matches against Austria, while its most recent meeting with Ukraine was a 2-0 win in the Euro 2016 group stage.

The last meeting between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland ended in a 0-0 draw in Dublin in 2018.

From Pot 3, Northern Ireland could be paired with Slovenia, a team that won both home and away matches against them in Euro 2024 qualifying.

They could also face Georgia, a team they have only met once before in a competitive match, in a friendly in March 2008 that Northern Ireland won 4-1.

A potential intriguing matchup for Northern Ireland would be a group stage draw with Republic of Ireland, who will also participate in the World Cup play-offs next month.

Since the turn of the century, the two teams have met only twice.

The Republic of Ireland won 5-0 in the Nations Cup in 2011, and the teams played to a goalless draw in a 2018 friendly, both of which took place in Dublin.

Northern Ireland has not hosted the Republic of Ireland in Belfast since 1994.

Rounding out the potential opponents in Pot 3 is Romania, a team that hopes to participate in the World Cup this summer and will face Turkey in a play-off semi-final next month.

Northern Ireland has won only three of its nine meetings with Romania, with the last four matches ending in draws.

Portugal won the Nations League title in 2025 by defeating Spain in the final in Munich.

The Nations League features four groups of four teams in Leagues A, B, and C, and two groups of three teams in League D.

The winners and runners-up of the League A groups will advance to the quarter-final stage, a two-legged tournament in March 2027, followed by semi-finals and finals in June 2027.

Additionally, there will be play-offs for promotion and relegation from Leagues A-C in March 2027.

The best-performing teams in the Nations League that do not qualify for the 2028 European Championships through the qualification campaign will participate in play-offs to earn the final qualifying spots for the tournament.

Northern Ireland's first-place finish in Group C3 for 2024 has provided an alternative path to the World Cup playoffs, and a strong performance in League B could potentially yield a similar opportunity for Euro 2028 qualification, should Michael O'Neill's team fail to secure automatic qualification.

The Nations League schedule is as follows:

The first set of matches will take place from September 24-26.

The second set of matches is scheduled for September 27-29.

Matchday 3 will occur between September 30 and October 3.

The fourth set of matches will be played from October 4-6.

The fifth matchday is set to take place from November 12-14.

The sixth and final matchday will be held from November 15-17.

The quarter-finals for League A are slated to occur between March 25-30, 2027.

The play-offs for Leagues A/B and B/C will also take place from March 25-30, 2027.

The final tournament is scheduled to run from June 9-13, 2027.

The play-offs for Leagues C/D are set to be held from March 23-28, 2028.

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GB men’s curling team suffers upset defeat to Italy

At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Great Britain’s men’s curling team mounted a comeback against Italy following a disappointing beginning, ultimately falling short in their inaugural match.

Despite a valiant comeback, Team GB ultimately fell short as Italy held their composure to secure the win in the final end.

A dismal start to the match proved costly for Team GB's men, as they suffered their first defeat of the Winter Olympics at the hands of host nation Italy, despite a spirited fightback in the packed Cortina Curling Stadium.

Following victories in their first two matches, including a win over the Swedish rink that beat them in the gold-medal match four years ago, Team GB entered their second high-profile encounter in as many days in a confident position.

However, a disastrous opening end, in which Italy stole four points, left Team GB trailing and facing an uphill battle in front of a boisterous home crowd.

The British team, currently ranked number one in the world, gradually regained their footing and managed to level the score by the ninth end.

Ultimately, Italy maintained their composure in the final end to emerge victorious, winning 9-7 and adding Team GB to their list of scalps, which already included the Swedes.

"We had to dig deep and play some solid curling, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get us over the line," Team GB lead Hammy McMillan said in an interview with BBC Sport.

With seven wins from nine round-robin matches guaranteeing a spot in the semi-finals, Team GB remains in a strong position, although fewer wins may still be sufficient to advance.

The women's team is set to take to the ice next, facing South Korea in their second match at 13:05 GMT, while the men will return to action on Saturday against the Czech Republic at the same time.

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The looks of shock on the faces of Team GB's curlers told the story of a disastrous opening end.

With a stone in play, Mouat attempted a risky shot in an effort to claim two points, but it backfired, resulting in none of Team GB's stones in the house and four Italian stones in position.

However, the Scottish quartet, ranked number one in the world, quickly regained their composure and got back to their game.

The teams exchanged singles before a impressive final throw by Mouat, aided by a measurement to determine which stone was closest to the button, allowed Team GB to claim two points and narrow the gap to 5-3.

Another excellent team effort, which included a well-judged throw by Mouat, a solid sweep by Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie, and Grant Hardie's strategic expertise, forced Italy to concede a point in the fourth end, reducing the deficit to a single point at the break.

Italy blanked the sixth end and added two points in the seventh to rebuild their lead, but Team GB fought back with two points of their own, remarkably levelling the score with one end remaining after a steal.

The match came down to the final end, but Italy held their nerve to secure the win, prompting a deafening roar from the crowd.

"It's an incredible experience, and we need to get used to it," McMillan added, describing the electric atmosphere as "surreal" and "cool," more akin to a football match than a typical curling crowd.

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Scotland Kicks Off Nations League Against Slovenia

Uefa has released the schedule for the Nations League, with Scotland set to begin their campaign on 26 September with an away match against Slovenia.

Uefa has released the schedule for the Nations League, with Scotland's campaign set to begin on 26 September with an away match against Slovenia.

The team's six group stage games will be played within a three-month period, culminating in a match against Switzerland on 16 November.

The fixture list was announced following Thursday's draw, which placed Scotland in a group with Switzerland, Slovenia, and North Macedonia.

Having been relegated from League A after a play-off loss to Greece last year, Scotland will compete in the second tier of the Nations League this year.

In response to the draw, head coach Steve Clarke noted that the teams in the group appear to be evenly matched.

Clarke reflected on the team's past experience in the competition, stating that it has been beneficial for Scotland.

He emphasized the importance of the Nations League, citing its role in helping the team qualify for Euro 2020, and anticipated a challenging set of matches.

A key matchup in the Nations League will see Scotland face off against Switzerland.

The group stage will determine the teams' fates, with the winner earning promotion, the runner-up entering a play-off, the third-placed team facing a relegation play-off, and the fourth-placed team being relegated directly.

The upcoming group games will mark a reunion for Scotland and Switzerland, who previously drew 1-1 in Cologne at Euro 2024.

Scotland's last encounter with Slovenia was during the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, when they won 1-0 at home and drew 2-2 away.

The team has not played North Macedonia since the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, when they drew 1-1 at home and won 2-1 away, with goals from Ikechi Anya and Shaun Maloney.

The schedule for Scotland's Nations League campaign begins on 26 September with a match against Slovenia.

The team will then host Switzerland on 29 September, followed by a trip to face North Macedonia on 3 October.

Scotland will then play Slovenia at home on 6 October, before hosting North Macedonia on 11 November.

The final group stage match will see Scotland travel to face Switzerland on 16 November.

The team's home match against North Macedonia is set for 11 November.

The campaign will conclude with an away match against Switzerland on 16 November.

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Golfer McIlroy Sinks Bunker Shot at Pebble Beach Pro-Am

At the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, Rory McIlroy achieved an eagle on the 14th hole at Spyglass Hill, capping off his opening round with a score of 68.

During the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, Rory McIlroy achieved an eagle on the 14th hole at Spyglass Hill, contributing to his first-round score of 68.

For further information, Rory McIlroy had a solid opening round, while Hisatsune took the lead.

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