Callum Marshall has been named in Northern Ireland’s 26-man squad for FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Luxembourg and Germany in September.
The West Ham United striker looked sharp in pre-season, scoring in a win at Grasshopper Club Zurich in Switzerland and starting the victory over Everton at the Premier League Summer Series in Chicago.
Coming off a Player of the Year-winning 2024/25 season at Huddersfield Town in EFL League One, where he scored nine goals and assisted three in 43 appearances, Marshall is preparing the next step in his career.
Signed from NIFL Premiership club Linfield in January 2022, aged 17, Marshall scored 51 goals in 69 games for the Hammers at U18 and U21 levels, adding nine assists.
He was first capped by Northern Ireland at senior level in June 2023, when he was denied a famous last-gasp UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying equaliser in Denmark by an offside flag, and now has eight caps.
Now 20, the Glengormley-born forward has become a regular in Michael O’Neill’s national squad and will hope to add two more caps in the two World Cup qualifiers to be played in September.
Northern Ireland travel to the Stade de Luxembourg in the eponymous capital city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for their opening World Cup qualifying Group A tie on Thursday 4 September at 8.45pm CEST (7.45pm BST).
They then make the three-hour journey north to Cologne, where they take on Germany in their second Group A tie on Sunday 7 September at 8.45pm CEST (7.45pm BST).
Group A is completed by Slovakia, who Northern Ireland will host at Windsor Park in Belfast in October. Germany also visit in October, before the short qualifying campaign ends with a trip to Slovakia and home game with Luxembourg in November.
The group winners after six matches will qualify directly for the 2026 finals in North America, while the runners-up will advance to play-offs.
All six ties will be broadcast live in the UK by BBC One NI, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport Website.
