Northern Ireland football clubs in European competitions

Did You Know?

• Northern Irish teams have played against teams from 48 of the 55 UEFA countries through the 2023/24 season.
• They have yet to play against teams from Armenia, Austria, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Moldova, or Russia.

History

Only the NIFL Premiership champion gets a spot in the UEFA Champions League. The league runner-up, the Europa League play-off winner, and the Irish Cup winner all go to the UEFA Europa Conference League. If the cup winner has already qualified through a top-two league finish, the Conference League place goes to the third-placed team. Glenavon were the first Northern Irish club to appear in any European competition, drawing 0-0 away to Denmark’s AGF in the 1957–58 European Cup first leg, before losing the home leg 3-0. Linfield became the first Irish League side to win a European Cup match, beating Sweden’s Göteborg 2-1 at Windsor Park in 1959, though they lost the return leg 6-1 and the tie 7-3 on aggregate. Linfield hold the record for most Champions League appearances by a Northern Irish club, with 27 seasons up to 2012–13. Glentoran were the first to play in a secondary competition, entering the 1962–63 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup against Real Zaragoza. They lost 2-0 at home and 6-2 away, falling 8-2 on aggregate. Glentoran also hold the record for most appearances in the UEFA Cup/Europa League, with 21 seasons, and the overall record for European competitions by a Northern Irish club, with 42 seasons up to 2013–14, one more than Linfield’s 41.

Statistics

As of 26 August 2022, the first game in the European Cup or UEFA Champions League was AGF 0–0 Glenavon on 11 September 1957. Linfield have appeared in the most competitions (33), played the most games (78), recorded the most wins (11), most draws (23), and most defeats (44). In the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, UEFA Cup, or UEFA Europa League, the first match was Glentoran 0–2 Real Zaragoza on 26 September 1962. Glentoran have appeared in the most competitions (23) and played the most games (50); Linfield have the most wins (15); Glentoran and Linfield share the most draws (9); Glentoran have the most defeats (36). In the UEFA Europa Conference League, the first match was Glentoran 1–1 The New Saints on 8 July 2021. Larne and Linfield have each appeared in the most competitions (2); Larne have played the most games (8) and recorded the most wins (4); Linfield have the most draws (3); four clubs share the most defeats (2). In the European Cup Winners' Cup, the first match was Glenavon 1–4 Leicester City on 13 September 1961. Glentoran have appeared in the most competitions (9), played the most games (22), recorded the most wins (3), most draws (7), and most defeats (12). In the UEFA Intertoto Cup, the first match was Cliftonville 0–3 Standard Liège on 22 June 1996. Cliftonville have appeared in the most competitions (3), played the most games (10), and recorded the most defeats (7); Newry Town have the most wins (2); Cliftonville have the most draws (2). Overall, the first match was AGF 0–0 Glenavon on 11 September 1957. Linfield lead in competitions appeared in (55), games played (137), wins (29), draws (35), and defeats (73). The biggest winning margin in a match is 5 goals, jointly held by Linfield 6–1 Aris and Coleraine 5–0 Sant Julià. The biggest winning margin on aggregate is also 5 goals, jointly held by Linfield 9–4 Aris, Coleraine 7–2 Sant Julià, and Linfield 5–0 ÍF Fuglafjørður. The heaviest defeat in a match is 11 goals, Dinamo Bucharest 11–0 Crusaders. The heaviest defeat on aggregate is 13 goals, jointly held by Ards 1–14 PSV Eindhoven.