What happened: Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill has signed a new four-year contract with the Irish FA and declared himself "100% committed" to the national team. He stopped short, however, of ruling out taking on another dual role at some point in the future, as he has done before in his career.

Why it matters: The extension settles the central question over Northern Ireland's leadership, giving the program stability through a full qualifying cycle. O'Neill's open door to a future dual role keeps speculation alive about whether he could again pair the international job with club work, but the commitment removes near-term uncertainty about the dugout.

What to watch: Watch for the Irish FA's official terms and O'Neill's first squad selection under the new deal, plus any clarification on what a "dual role" could entail.