The long road to next year’s World Cup finals in the USA, Mexico and Canada begin earnestly, as aforementioned, in Belfast next month.
It is a belated start given that most other teams in Europe started their qualifiers in March, but this is due to the fact that NI are in the four-team Group A.
NI have effectively three ways to qualify for the tournament. If they top the group, they will automatically secure a spot in the World Cup.
If they finish second, they will join the 11 other second-placed teams and the four best Nations League group winners who did not automatically qualify for the World Cup for a play-off which will involve a semi-final and final.
If they miss out on the top two, Northern Ireland’s group-winning performance in the Nations League means there is still an outside chance of reaching the World Cup.
For O’Neill’s side to secure a play-off spot through this route, they would require eight of the 11 teams above them in ranking of group winners to finish in the top two of their World Cup qualifying group.
Those teams are Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, England, Norway, Wales, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and North Macedonia.
NI’s opening game is an ideal one to get their campaign off to a flier as Luxembourg are the lowest ranked team in the group.
They are also very familiar opponents as O’Neill’s side faced Luxembourg twice in the Nations League in the autumn, collecting a win and a draw.
O’Neill’s side then have the daunting trip to Germany, who will be favourites to progress as Group winners and automatically book their spot at the World Cup.
Up next in October, is a home game against Slovakia, who defeated Northern Ireland in extra-time in a Euro 2020 play-off the last time the two sides met, and a home meeting with Germany.
They round off their condensed campaign with two games they will feel they have to win to progress, away against Slovakia and at home to Luxembourg.