Armagh challenge will be ‘feisty’ but one to really look forward to - McGuinness 

Jim McGuinness says every NFL Division 1 outing has box office potential as he and his Donegal side get set to welcome Armagh to MacCumhaill Park. 

Donegal have picked up maximum points to date on their return to the top tier with home and away wins earned over both Dublin and Kerry. 

The relentlessness of that gauntlet shows no let-up this coming Sunday as Kieran McGeeney brings the All-Ireland champions to Ballybofey. 

The Orchard men - also making a Division 1 comeback in 2025 - lost out on their opening night away to last season’s beaten All-Ireland finalists Galway. 

However, they bounced back in impressive fashion last time out to topple Tyrone at the Athletic Grounds. 

Having met three times last term alone, Jim McGuinness says there are no secrets between Armagh and Donegal at this stage. 

Donegal drew with the weekend’s visitors in last season’s regulation Division 2 contest before edging the league decider at Croke Park. 

And it took a penalty shootout to separate the sides when they met in the Ulster SFC decider back in May. 

As they get set to renew acquaintances, McGuinness says Sunday is another one of these big occasions that seem to lurk around every single corner now in Division 1. 

“It’s the All-Ireland champions coming to town,” McGuinness told DonegalLive. “But there is nothing I’m going to tell you about Armagh that you don’t already know. 

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“MacCumhaill Park will be packed. Half of the ground will be a sea of orange and the rest green and gold. 

“It’ll be feisty as usual but a great occasion. It’s a great game for us as well. To have the All-Ireland champions at home will be another serious test. 

“We had Dublin there on the Saturday night, Killarney this time out. And that’s what Division 1 is all about. Around every corner is something to get excited about. 

“It was very well signposted for us that this is what Division 1 was going to look like this year. The first big thing for us, in the lead-up now is to recover the players. 

“Then we have to look forward to the game and see what we can get out of it. It’s another competitive game, it’ll be a spectacle and there will no doubt be a serious atmosphere”.