Kess Elmore and Lucy-Jayne Grant join Northern Ireland squad

Kess Elmore, a forward for Sparta Prague, receives her first call-up to the Northern Ireland squad for the 2027 Women's World Cup play-off against Portugal. Alongside Elmore, Lucy-Jayne Grant makes her debut inclusion in the squad. The team, under coach Michael McArdle, faces Portugal on October 9 at Inver Park, following a 2-1 defeat in a previous encounter in Euro 2025 qualifying. Several players are absent due to injuries, including Kelsie Burrows and Laura Rafferty. A good performance against the higher-ranked Portugal could lead to a subsequent play-off against Iceland or Croatia.

• 9:23 AMYahoo Sports — Elmore and Grant named in Northern Ireland squad