On Friday, October 2, a match in the third round of the 2026/27 Nations League season will take place, in which the Ukrainian national team will face Northern Ireland. This match, nominally a home game for the Ukrainians, will be held at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia, as Ukraine is playing its home games abroad due to the war.
After the first two rounds of the Nations League, both teams are tied for first place in Group 2 of Division B, each with four points. The Ukrainians defeated Hungary 1–0 and drew with Georgia (0–0), while Northern Ireland defeated Georgia (1–0) and were held to a draw by Hungary (0–0).
In this transitional season of the Nations League, the winner of each Group in Division B will have the opportunity to advance to Division A, while the second-place teams will compete in promotion playoffs. The third-place teams will remain in Division B, while the fourth-place teams will play in a relegation playoff against the second-place teams from Division C.
Historically, Ukraine and Northern Ireland have faced each other six times, five of which were official matches. Ukraine has won three times, two matches ended in a draw, and Ukraine’s only loss to Northern Ireland came in the group stage of Euro 2016.
The teams’ most recent meeting took place in the summer of 2021, when Ukraine won 1–0. The Ukraine vs. Northern Ireland match is scheduled to begin at 9:45 p.m., and a live stream will be available.
