If Price is right it’s next stop World Cup
ISAAC PRICE believes qualifying for the 2026 World cup is a realistic target for Northern Ireland’s young guns.
Michael O’Neill is moulding a new-look side around the likes of Price, conor Bradley, shea charles and Trai Hume, and took encouragement from Friday’s 1-1 friendly draw away to Romania.
That came five months after an otherwise poor Euro 2024 qualifying campaign ended with a 2-0 home win over Denmark.
The youthful starting line-up in Bucharest felt like a significant change as O’Neill challenged his emerging players to make their mark on the side.
and the boss will be hoping for more of the same against scotland at Hampden tomorrow night.
asked about their chances of reaching the 2026 World cup, which is being expanded to 48 teams, Price said: “I think it’s very realistic.
“We’ve got players here playing in the championship and conor playing in the Premier League and the Europa League.
“We’ve got a lot of good young players coming through and I think the next World cup can definitely be one we aim for.”
Price earned his 10th cap in Bucharest, and linked up well with Bradley, Hume and charles in a promising combination down the right-hand side.
It was another show of the progress Price, 20, has made since deciding to leave boyhood club Everton last summer and move to standard Liege.
He added: “I feel I’ve developed more. Physically I still need to get stronger, faster. The league over there is very tough, and when you come into international football you start playing against the best players from any country.”