OTD E0076 — 15 Jan 1958: Belfast Eliminates Italy — The Battle of Belfast and the 2–1 That Changed Qualifying History

15 Jan 1958: Northern Ireland stun two-time world champions Italy at Windsor Park, winning 2–1 to qualify for Sweden ’58. We trace UEFA’s new-era qualifying format, Group 8’s twists (including Portugal’s shock 3–0 over Italy), the London-fog chaos that turned 4 Dec into the infamous “Battle of Belfast” friendly, then the rescheduled decider: McIlroy, Cush, Ghiggia sent off — and Italy out for the first time. Northern Ireland go on to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Ideas: [email protected]