"It's hard when you lose a game to realise the positives. The players are disappointed and you have to feel that disappointing with them as well. But for a nation of our size, to come with a team of that age and play as we did, there's a lot more positives."
"For us to get to a World Cup, we have to get there at the expense of a nation like Italy, which is a huge challenge. We will take this forward when qualification comes for Euro 2028, when the players will be further along in their journey."
Northern Ireland's World Cup hopes ended in Italy, with a young team averaging 22.5 years old. Despite the loss, coach Michael O'Neill emphasized the positives of their performance. Key players were missing, yet the team showed resilience against Italy. O'Neill expressed pride in the team's efforts and highlighted the challenges of competing against stronger nations. Looking ahead, he remains optimistic about future qualifications, particularly for Euro 2028, as the players continue to develop and improve.
Read at www.bbc.com
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