Northern Ireland will play a friendly against Sweden in Stockholm in March, it was announced today.
The international challenge match is set to be staged at Strawberry Arena, Sweden’s national stadium, on Tuesday 25 March (7pm kick-off CET; 6pm KO GMT).
Senior men’s team boss Michael O’Neill said the game will provide a good test for his players ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers this autumn.
Sweden are 27th in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, while Northern Ireland are in 71st place just now despite topping their UEFA Nations League group (C3) back in the autumn.
O’Neill said: “The game will be a great opportunity to test ourselves against a higher ranked team similar to what we will face in World Cup 2026 qualification.
“Sweden are currently a Pot 2 team with two of Europe’s most sought after strikers in Gyokeres and Isak.
“We have made progress in the last 12 months, continuing to introduce younger players into the squad and developing a system and style of play. It’s important we test ourselves at every opportunity and this game will allow us to do that.”
Sweden had an excellent Nations League campaign in the autumn. They were unbeaten as they topped League C Group 1, which also featured Slovakia, Estonia and Azerbaijan. They won five of their six games and drew with the Slovakians away from home.
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, Tottenham Hotspur attacker Dejan Kulusevski and Sporting Lisbon frontman Viktor Gyokeres are their star players, however they have some promising younger players who are starting to make waves, including Nottingham Forest attacker Anthony Elanga, Spurs midfielder Lucas Bergvall and Bologna defender Emil Holm.
Meanwhile, plans are being finalised for a second friendly in the March international window. That game will be played prior to the international challenge match in the Swedish capital.
Northern Ireland are in Group A for stage one of the FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualifiers and will play either Germany or Italy, Slovakia and Luxembourg between September and November.
The Germans and Italians will play each other in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals in March and the winner of that last eight tie will then meet Northern Ireland and the two other national teams later in the year.
Game number one for Northern Ireland will be away to Luxembourg on Thursday 4 September, and on Sunday 7 September they will be away to either Germany or Italy.
O’Neill’s team will then have a home double header in October. Matchday three will see Slovakia visit the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park on Friday 10 October, while on Monday 13 October either the Germans or Italians will visit Belfast.
The final two games in Group A for Northern Ireland are against Slovakia away on Friday 14 November and against Luxembourg at the National Football Stadium on Monday 17 November.
