Bradley captained Michael O’Neill’s side against Slovakia
Northern Ireland’s Conor Bradley has stated that there is “no point” in being intimidated by the caliber of opposition they will encounter in their play-off path for the 2026 World Cup.
Following their defeat by Slovakia in Kosice on Friday, Michael O’Neill’s team will enter the crucial fixtures in March by virtue of their Nations League group victory last year, rather than as a higher seed typically awarded to qualifying group runners-up.
Consequently, in Thursday’s draw, they are set to face one of the highest-ranked teams in the semi-final round, a group that currently includes nations such as Italy, Turkey, and Poland.
“I think we’ve progressed significantly in the last few campaigns, both in the Nations League and this [qualifying] campaign, and we need to continue on that upward trajectory,” said Liverpool defender Bradley.
“We certainly won’t fear anyone. It’s all to play for, and we’re only two games away from a World Cup, so there’s no point in being afraid.”
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Teams in Pot Three and Pot Four in the play-offs will automatically play their semi-finals away from home, which Bradley acknowledges presents an additional challenge.
The team has secured only two competitive victories on the road since O’Neill’s return as manager in December 2022, against San Marino and Luxembourg.
Bradley identified the difficulty of winning away from home as his “biggest learning” from his 29 international appearances to date.
“Any game away from home is always going to be difficult, but the more experience you gain in these situations, the more you can learn from it, and hopefully, we can do that,” he stated.
“It’s great to be in the play-offs. Obviously, it’s going to be brilliant.
“It’s going to be difficult, but we’re really looking forward to it. We’re two games away from being at a World Cup, which is pretty special.”
Ultimately, the margins in Group A came down to Slovakia’s home victory over Germany, while Northern Ireland suffered two defeats against the four-time World Cup champions.
Indeed, while it had little impact on the final standings, Northern Ireland’s 2-0 victory over Slovakia at Windsor Park last month was more convincing than their hosts’ performance in Kosice on Friday.
After Tomas Bobcek’s stoppage-time winner, tensions flared, with exchanges between the two sets of players after the final whistle, and O’Neill reported that opposing manager Francesco Calzona did not shake his hand after the game.
“It was disappointing, really. I think when we beat them in Belfast, we showed a bit more class after the game,” Bradley said.
“They were sort of giving it a bit more. It’s disappointing, but I’m sure we’ll see them again.”
Midfielder Isaac Price was equally unimpressed with Slovakia’s reaction to the win, which kept alive their hopes of qualifying not just for the play-offs but automatically at the expense of Germany for the tournament in North America next summer.
“I think some of their players had a lot to say, especially ones that didn’t play,” said the West Bromwich Albion player. “I think if you’re playing in the game and you want to have a pop, then that’s fine, but if you’re a third-choice goalkeeper and you’re not playing, I think just be quiet.
“They had a few words to say. They looked overly excited, but that’s a compliment to us. I think they took that as a really big result, and it is a big result for them.
“I think we were far better than them at home. They wanted revenge, and ultimately, they got it.”