NI target challenge of Nations League promotion
Before this Nations League campaign, Northern Ireland had won just one of 16 games played in the second tier of the competition, according to BBC Sport. However, after collecting eight points from four games without conceding a goal, Michael O'Neill's side could end Saturday night as a League A side for the first time. For that to happen, Hungary would need to lose to Georgia in Tbilisi before Northern Ireland face Ukraine. O'Neill emphasized that playing against big teams in a competitive group stage would be great for the team's development. Strong performance in the competition also ensures the team is among the second group of seeds for the Euro 2028 qualifying draw.