Slovakia vs Northern Ireland, 2026 World Cup Qualifying - UEFA, Group Stage

Northern Ireland secure World Cup playoff spot despite Slovakia loss

Tomas Bobcek's late goal ended Northern Ireland's hopes of making it out of World Cup qualifying Group A but they came away assured of a playoff place regardless.

• 0': Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
• 0': First Half begins.
• 3': Dávid Hancko (Slovakia) wins a free kick on the left wing.
• 3': Foul by Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland).
• 3': Attempt blocked. Milan Skriniar (Slovakia) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tomás Rigo.
• 3': Attempt blocked. Milan Skriniar (Slovakia) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• 4': Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• 4': Foul by Lukás Haraslín (Slovakia).
• 5': Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Stanislav Lobotka.
• 5': Foul by Trai Hume (Northern Ireland).
• 5': Lukás Haraslín (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 7': Attempt saved. Isaac Price (Northern Ireland) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner by Martin Dúbravka (Slovakia). Assisted by Justin Devenny with a cross.
• 11': Corner, Slovakia. Conceded by George Saville.
• 14': Foul by George Saville (Northern Ireland).
• 14': Matús Bero (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 15': Attempt blocked. Tomás Rigo (Slovakia) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lukás Haraslín.
• 15': Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 15': Foul by Tomás Rigo (Slovakia).
• 16': Foul by Matús Bero (Slovakia).
• 16': Ruairi McConville (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
• 17': Attempt missed. Dan Ballard (Northern Ireland) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Justin Devenny following a set piece situation.
• 17': Foul by Dion Charles (Northern Ireland).
• 17': Norbert Gyömbér (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 18': David Strelec (Slovakia) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by Dávid Hancko.
• 18': Attempt missed. Dávid Duris (Slovakia) header from the right side of the six yard box is just a bit too high.
• 23': Foul by Dan Ballard (Northern Ireland).
• 23': Matús Bero (Slovakia) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• 23': Dan Ballard (Northern Ireland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• 26': Delay in match because of an injury Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Northern Ireland).
• 27': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• 28': Foul by Dion Charles (Northern Ireland).
• 28': Milan Skriniar (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 30': Attempt saved. Dion Charles (Northern Ireland) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner by Martin Dúbravka (Slovakia). Assisted by Ruairi McConville with a headed pass.
• 31': Foul by Dion Charles (Northern Ireland).
• 31': Tomás Rigo (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
• 31': Attempt blocked. Lukás Haraslín (Slovakia) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
• 31': Attempt missed. Stanislav Lobotka (Slovakia) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
• 32': Dion Charles (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
• 32': Foul by Milan Skriniar (Slovakia).
• 34': Foul by Matús Bero (Slovakia).
• 34': George Saville (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
• 35': Dan Ballard (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 35': Foul by David Strelec (Slovakia).
• 36': Brad Lyons (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
• 36': Foul by David Strelec (Slovakia).
• 37': Brad Lyons (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
• 37': Foul by Matús Bero (Slovakia).
• 38': Attempt missed. Isaac Price (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.
• 42': Attempt blocked. Isaac Price (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Trai Hume.
• 44': Foul by Ruairi McConville (Northern Ireland).
• 44': Matús Bero (Slovakia) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• 45': Attempt missed. Milan Skriniar (Slovakia) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Tomás Rigo with a cross following a set piece situation.
• 45': Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time.
• 45'+1': Offside, Slovakia. Lukás Haraslín is caught offside.
• 45'+2': Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• 45'+2': Foul by Adam Obert (Slovakia).
• 45'+3': Attempt missed. George Saville (Northern Ireland) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Ruairi McConville with a headed pass following a set piece situation.
• 45'+3': First Half ends, Slovakia 0, Northern Ireland 0.
• 45': Second Half begins Slovakia 0, Northern Ireland 0.
• 45': Substitution, Northern Ireland. Jamie Reid replaces Dion Charles.
• 46': Attempt blocked. David Strelec (Slovakia) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dávid Duris.
• 46': Offside, Slovakia. Matús Bero is caught offside.
• 49': Foul by Paddy McNair (Northern Ireland).
• 49': Lukás Haraslín (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 53': Foul by Trai Hume (Northern Ireland).
• 53': Lukás Haraslín (Slovakia) wins a free kick on the left wing.
• 55': Offside, Slovakia. Milan Skriniar is caught offside.
• 57': Foul by Trai Hume (Northern Ireland).
• 57': Lukás Haraslín (Slovakia) wins a free kick on the left wing.
• 57': Trai Hume (Northern Ireland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• 58': Attempt missed. Lukás Haraslín (Slovakia) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
• 61': Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 61': Foul by David Strelec (Slovakia).
• 62': Delay in match because of an injury Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Northern Ireland).
• 63': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• 64': Foul by Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland).
• 64': Lukás Haraslín (Slovakia) wins a free kick on the left wing.
• 65': GOAL OVERTURNED BY VAR: David Strelec (Slovakia) scores but the goal is ruled out after a VAR review.
• 65': Handball by David Strelec (Slovakia).
• 66': VAR Decision: No Goal Slovakia 0-0 Northern Ireland.
• 68': Handball by Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland).
• 68': Attempt blocked. Dávid Hancko (Slovakia) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lukás Haraslín.
• 68': Attempt missed. Dávid Hancko (Slovakia) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left.
• 69': Substitution, Slovakia. Leo Sauer replaces Dávid Duris.
• 70': Attempt missed. Isaac Price (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Justin Devenny.
• 70': Dávid Hancko (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 70': Foul by Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland).
• 70': Attempt blocked. Isaac Price (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ruairi McConville.
• 71': Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
• 71': Foul by Dávid Hancko (Slovakia).
• 72': Foul by Ruairi McConville (Northern Ireland).
• 72': Stanislav Lobotka (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 72': Foul by Norbert Gyömbér (Slovakia).
• 72': Justin Devenny (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 73': Norbert Gyömbér (Slovakia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• 73': Substitution, Northern Ireland. Josh Magennis replaces Paddy McNair.
• 74': Attempt missed. Brad Lyons (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
• 77': Delay in match because of an injury Jamie Reid (Northern Ireland).
• 78': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• 78': Substitution, Northern Ireland. Jamie Donley replaces Jamie Reid because of an injury.
• 80': Attempt saved. Dávid Hancko (Slovakia) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Northern Ireland). Assisted by Lukás Haraslín.
• 81': Foul by Josh Magennis (Northern Ireland).
• 81': Norbert Gyömbér (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 83': Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• 83': Foul by Dávid Hancko (Slovakia).
• 84': Substitution, Slovakia. Lubomír Tupta replaces Lukás Haraslín.
• 84': Substitution, Slovakia. László Bénes replaces Tomás Rigo.
• 87': Offside, Northern Ireland. Justin Devenny is caught offside.
• 88': Handball by Jamie Donley (Northern Ireland).
• 88': Substitution, Slovakia. Róbert Bozeník replaces David Strelec.
• 88': Substitution, Slovakia. Tomás Bobcek replaces Norbert Gyömbér.
• 90': Attempt blocked. László Bénes (Slovakia) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Adam Obert.
• 90': Corner, Slovakia. Conceded by Isaac Price.
• 90'+1': Corner, Slovakia. Conceded by Conor Bradley.
• 90'+1': Goal! Slovakia 1, Northern Ireland 0. Tomás Bobcek (Slovakia) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by László Bénes with a cross following a corner.
• 90'+1': Fourth official has announced 8 minutes of added time.
• 90'+3': Attempt missed. Tomás Bobcek (Slovakia) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the right following a fast break.
• 90'+4': Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Leo Sauer.
• 90'+6': Handball by George Saville (Northern Ireland).
• 90'+7': Substitution, Northern Ireland. Ciaron Brown replaces Trai Hume.
• 90'+8': Foul by George Saville (Northern Ireland).
• 90'+8': Róbert Bozeník (Slovakia) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
• 90'+8': George Saville (Northern Ireland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• 90'+9': Foul by Dan Ballard (Northern Ireland).
• 90'+9': Stanislav Lobotka (Slovakia) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• 90'+9': Second yellow card to Dan Ballard (Northern Ireland) for a bad foul.
• 90'+10': Second Half ends, Slovakia 1, Northern Ireland 0.
• 0': Match ends, Slovakia 1, Northern Ireland 0.