He's the president of Brazil, not Northern Ireland, but it's all the same to him.

This evening G20 leaders will be dined in style at a glittering dinner hosted by the Queen. Two heads of state, however, will be spirited away even before aperitifs have been served, bound for a more pressing engagement.

The Presidents of football mad Latin American countries, Brazil and Argentina, have accepted an invitation from the IFA to attend tonight’s World Cup Qualifier between Northern Ireland and Slovenia. Raymond Kennedy, who heads the game’s local governing body, contacted the pair through their own countries’ football dignitaries.

‘We’d hoped that perhaps one leader would attend’, admitted Kennedy, ‘but it transpires that both Presidents Lupa and Kirchner are only too eager to escape the political maelstrom for an hour or two. We hope the crowd will give them a warm welcome to Windsor Park’.

The South American pair will be introduced to players before the game, after being transferred from Buckingham Palace to Midgley Park by helicopter. Luis Lula and Cristina Kirchner will leave promptly at the final whistle.

Police have joined the Irish Football Association in urging supporters to arrive early, as the security presence is expected to be high.