Northern Ireland Stand Alone as Nations League’s Last Team Yet to Concede

Switzerland’s 11th-minute equaliser in their eventual 2-1 victory over Slovakia on Saturday narrowed the field, leaving Northern Ireland as the sole remaining side in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League yet to concede a goal.

Michael O’Neill’s side has maintained three consecutive clean sheets upon their return to the competition’s second tier, nullifying Georgia and Ukraine while holding Hungary to a goalless stalemate during this window.

Indeed, across this campaign and the 2024-25 edition when Northern Ireland competed in League C, they have kept seven clean sheets in their past nine Nations League matches, surrendering just three goals in total.

If they manage to keep Georgia out again in Belfast on Monday night, it will mark the side’s longest defensive run of clean sheets in nine years.

They did face some danger in the reverse fixture in Tbilisi, with goalkeeper Pierce Charles producing a standout performance by saving a penalty from Paris Saint-Germain forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Despite the absence of Daniel Ballard and Conor Bradley through injury, the Queens Park Rangers loanee has had precious little to do in the two games since.

Hungary registered their only shot on target in injury time at Windsor Park last week, while the side’s record goalscorer David Healy described the stopper’s two saves in the 3-0 victory against Ukraine as “ones for the camera”.

“I think the clean sheets are a real plus for us and we want to maintain that because history tells us that Northern Ireland are never the highest scoring team,” said O’Neill.

“If you look at the xG [Expected Goals] in the games, people have different opinions on that, but the xG for the opposition has been low and that means we’ve got a good defensive structure.”

“It means our young defenders are coping with the game at this level, but it also means that we defend well as a team and the best teams do that.”

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