Northern Eire supervisor Michael O’Neill says Champions League closing referee Istvan Kovacs mustn’t have allowed Slovakia’s objective or dismissed Dan Ballard within the guests’ 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat on Friday.
Slovakia had targets by Lukas Haraslin and David Strelec dominated out in the course of the second half earlier than Tomas Bobcek’s 91st-minute winner set the hosts up for a winner-takes-all decider within the race for automated qualification in Germany on Monday, with Sunderland centre-back Ballard then proven a soft-looking second warning and O’Neill booked after full time.
“It’s clearly a foul on Daniel,” O’Neill instructed BBC Sport of the objective. “It’s a foul, it isn’t given and the objective stands.
“The yellow card for Daniel is only a joke – whenever you have a look at the incident again, it’s poor. We really feel a bit aggrieved due to that.”
Win, lose or draw. Finest on the earth 💚🤍 #GAWA pic.twitter.com/K67cX1SOnw
— Northern Eire (@NorthernIreland) November 14, 2025
Slovakia vs Northern Eire: O’Neill questions referee
Romanian Kovacs officiated Paris Saint-Germain’s win over Inter in final season’s Champions League closing and Atalanta’s victory in opposition to Bayer Leverkusen within the 2024 Europa League closing, having been the fourth official for Manchester Metropolis’s win over Inter within the 2023 Champions League closing.
“That’s a high referee – he’s refereed the Champions League closing,” mentioned O’Neill, including {that a} Video Assistant Referee (VAR) verify ought to have taken place over the objective.
“When you watch it again, there’s a blatant push behind Daniel Ballard and that’s the place the objective has been scored from.
“It’s sore to lose the sport as we did as a result of we really feel we’ve been overwhelmed by a objective that shouldn’t have stood. That’s what VAR’s there to [resolve].
“The referee didn’t go to verify it, so we are able to’t do something about it. It’s a must to have a look at every particular person incident; it’s can’t be cumulative.
“It might probably’t be ‘nicely I disallowed these two, so I’ve to be just a little bit lenient on that’. You could have a look at every particular person by itself benefit – and, by itself benefit, that objective ought to have been disallowed.”
Northern Eire World Cup qualifying play-off
Northern Eire will end third in Group A and can contest a two-legged decider to succeed in subsequent yr’s match within the US, Canada and Mexico as a result of they are going to be one of many highest-placing Nations League group winners in European qualifying.
“We have been lacking massive gamers however I believed the gamers who got here in did brilliantly,” mirrored O’Neill.
“We’re within the play-offs, and that’s the primary factor. We got here right here and wished to complete second within the group… we have now to congratulate Slovakia, who go to Germany with an opportunity of profitable the group.”
The Inexperienced and White Military full their group fixtures at dwelling to Luxembourg, who’re but to earn a degree, on Monday (19:45 GMT / 12:45 ET / 09:45 PT).
2026 World Cup playoffs dates
The highest workforce from every of the 12 European Qualifier teams proceeds mechanically to the finals, which will likely be expanded to 48 groups.
The 12 runners-up in every group will be a part of 4 Nations League groups within the two-legged play-off ties, which will likely be drawn from pots primarily based on groups’ information in the course of the marketing campaign and happen on March 26 and 31 2026.
When is the draw for the 2026 World Cup finals?
The draw for the World Cup finals will happen on December 5 2025 on the Kennedy Middle in Washington DC, with the ceremony beginning at 17:00 GMT (12:00 ET/ 09:00 PT).
The match runs from June 11 till July 19 2026.
Northern Eire lineup vs Slovakia
Northern Eire had a number of damage points, with first-choice goalkeeper Pierce Charles nonetheless unavailable and his brother, midfielder Shea, absent from the midfield with a hamstring downside.
Ali McCann was out with a damaged arm and fellow midfielder Ethan Galbraith was banned. Defender Brodie Spencer was out however Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley was again from suspension as captain.
Dion Charles got here in for Jamie Reid, with Ruairi McConville in defence and Brad Lyons and George Saville in midfield.
Northern Eire beginning XI: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Trai Hume, Daniel Ballard, Ruairi McConville, Paddy McNair, Justin Devenny, Conor Bradley, George Saville, Brad Lyons, Isaac Worth, Dion Charles
Northern Eire substitutes: Luke Southwood, Conor Hazard, Jamal Lewis, Terry Devlin, Callum Marshall, Jamie Donley, Paul Smyth, Jamie Reid, Patrick Kelly, Jamie McDonnell, Josh Magennis, Ciaron Brown
