The team made their debut at the1924 Summer Olympics, reaching the quarter-finals. Between 1924 and 1936, the team competed as theIrish Free State and from then until 1950, it was referred to by the FAI asÉire orIreland. During the same period, anotherIreland team also existed; this was overseen by theIrish Football Association (IFA) and had previously been the sole national team for the entire island of Ireland. In 1953,FIFA decreed that for competitive matches in tournaments that both Irish teams could enter, the FAI team would be officially called Republic of Ireland while the IFA team was to be namedNorthern Ireland. Northern Ireland was allowed to keep using the title Ireland by FIFA in theBritish Home Championship (which was discontinued in 1984). The Republic of Ireland was the first nation from outside the United Kingdom todefeatEngland at home, in a fixture played atGoodison Park,Liverpool, in 1949. The team reached the quarter-final stage of the1964 European Nations' Cup, where they lost to the eventual championsSpain.
The team's home stadium is theAviva Stadium, inDublin, although some of their home games have been played in other stadiums across the country. Their traditional colours are green shirts and white shorts. The position of manager is currently filled by Heimir Hallgrímsson.[4][5]Séamus Coleman has served as team captain since 2016.
After Euro 2016, the national team missed the next four major tournaments (UEFA Euro and FIFA World Cup) as of 2025.
In 1923, the FAIFS was recognised byFIFA as the governing body of football in the Irish Free State[7] and at the1924 Summer Olympics, the Irish Free State made their international debut. On 28 May, at theStade Olympique, they beatBulgaria 1–0, withPaddy Duncan scoring the team's first-ever goal.[8]As a result, they qualified for the quarter-finals where they lost to theNetherlands.[9][10] On 14 June 1924, the Irish Free State made their home debut against theUnited States, who had embarked on a brief European tour after competing in the same Summer Olympics.Ed Brookes scored ahat-trick in a 3–1 home win atDalymount Park.[11]
The Irish Free State did not play their next game until 21 March 1926, an away game againstItaly lost 3–0. In subsequent years, the status of the Olympic Games football competition was downgraded and as a result, this game is widely regarded as the Irish Free State's first official game. On 25 February 1934, the Irish Free State made theirFIFA World Cup debut, drawing 4–4 withBelgium at Dalymount Park in a1934 FIFA World Cup qualifier.Paddy Moore scored all four of the Free State's goals and became the first player ever to score four goals in a World Cup game.[12]
After 1936, they reverted to the designation "Football Association of Ireland" and began to refer to their team asÉire or "Ireland". During this entire period, there were two Irish international football teams, chosen by two rival Associations. Both Associations, the Northern Ireland-based IFA and the Irish Free State-based FAI claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and considered themselves entitled to select players from the entire island. At least 38dual internationals were selected to represent both teams,[13] however the overwhelming majority of these were Southerners who also agreed to play for the IFA team, with only a bare handful "crossing the border" in the other direction.
A2–0 win overEngland atGoodison Park on 21 September 1949 was the first time England suffered a home defeat by a team outside theHome Countries ofScotland,Wales and theIreland team run by the Belfast-basedIrish FA. FIFA eventually intervened when both teams entered1950 World Cup qualification, the first time they had entered the same competition. Four players –Tom Aherne,Reg Ryan,Davy Walsh,Con Martin – actually played for the two different teams in the same FIFA World Cup tournament.[14] All four players concerned had been born in the Irish Free State and made their full international debut in FAI colours before agreeing to represent the IFA team. This may have alarmed the FAI since they subsequently lobbied FIFA to prevent the IFA from picking Southern-born players (as well as attempting to exert pressure on the players themselves, sometimes through their clubs). FIFA's response was to restrict the eligibility of players on the basis of the (political) border, further ruling in 1953 that neither team could be referred to asIreland in competitions which both teams were eligible to enter; i.e., initially the FIFA World Cup and subsequently the European Nations Cup (now the UEFA European Football Championship). FIFA decreed that the FAI team officially be called theRepublic of Ireland while the IFA team was to be namedNorthern Ireland.[15]
The1958 World Cup qualifiers saw the Republic of Ireland drawn with England. In their home game against England,Alf Ringstead put the hosts 1–0 up beforeJohn Atyeo equalised in the last minute to salvage a 1–1 draw for England. Under the rules of the day, a win for the Republic of Ireland would have meant a play-off with England for a place in the World Cup.[12]
After reaching the quarter-finals of the1964 European Nations' Cup, the Republic of Ireland was drawn to faceSpain andSyria in1966 World Cup qualifying. Despite Syria's withdrawal, this was still considered a qualifying group with the Irish winning 1–0 at home and losing 4–1 away. This meant a play-off at theParc des Princes inParis, which Spain won 1–0[16]Eamon Dunphy made his Ireland debut in this game.[16] The play-off was originally scheduled to take place atWembley Stadium in London, home to a largeIrish diaspora, but the FAI agreed with theRoyal Spanish Football Federation to have the match moved to Paris, where a large Spanish diaspora lived.[17] The FAI was criticised for this move to boost revenue from gate receipts.[16]
In 1965, the Republic of Ireland team made history when selectingManchester United full-backShay Brennan for the senior national team. This was the first instance of a player born outside the Republic being selected to play for the national team due to having an Irish parent. Since then, many of the Republic's most prominent players have been born in England, includingMark Lawrenson,David O'Leary,John Aldridge,Tony Cascarino andDavid Kelly. A number of players born in Scotland, includingRay Houghton, have since represented the Republic due to having Irish parentage. The selection rules were later relaxed to allow for the selection of players with an Irish grandparent.
In 1969, the FAI appointedMick Meagan as the first permanent manager of the national side. His two years in charge were marked by exceptionally poor results, however with the team losing five out of six matches and gaining just one point in their1970 World Cup qualification, and doing no better in theUEFA Euro 1972 qualifiers, leading to his dismissal. His replacement,Liam Tuohy, did a somewhat better in the1974 qualification, and more importantly, oversaw major improvements to the national team's training facilities and persuaded many English club sides to end their policies of not releasing Irish players for international games during the domestic season. Ultimately, however, the team still failed to qualify for the World Cup, and Tuohy resigned following a dispute over his wages.Johnny Giles became the side's first player-manager in the 1970s. This was followed by the debut of a youngLiam Brady and results improved markedly.[18] The side missed out on the1978 World Cup by two points, having defeatedFrance at home duringqualification. After a less than impressive performance atEuro 1980 qualifying, in which the team finished well behind group winners England and Northern Ireland,[19] Giles resigned, saying that he had taken the national side as far as he could.[20]
Eoin Hand took over as manager for the1982 World Cup qualifiers, and once more the Republic of Ireland narrowly missed out on qualification, this time on goal difference behind France, whom they had defeated at home once more. Disappointing qualifying campaigns for both Euro 1984 and the1986 World Cup followed, ending Hand's time in charge.
In 1986, the Republic of Ireland appointedJack Charlton, a top rated English manager who had been part of England's World Cup-winning side of1966. During the 1970s, he had developedMiddlesbrough into a side which provided many players to the dominantLiverpool team of the time.
The Republic of Ireland played against theNetherlands at theCitrus Bowl inOrlando, Florida, where they were eliminated from the 1994 FIFA World Cup after losing 2-0
After taking charge of the Republic of Ireland, Charlton influenced changes in the national side which resulted in the most successful period of its history, qualifying for two World Cups and a European Championship. Prominent players in this period includedPaul McGrath,Packie Bonner,Niall Quinn, and the Liverpool trio ofRay Houghton,John Aldridge andRonnie Whelan.
Ireland's first appearance at a major finals tournament came inEuro 1988. With Ireland's fixtures already complete, qualification was secured throughGary Mackay's 87th-minute goal inSofia when Scotland beat Bulgaria 1–0; the Scottish win left Ireland top ofthe group.[21] In spite of the enforced absence ofLiam Brady andMark Lawrenson from their squad, in the finals inWest Germany, Ireland shocked Europe by beating England 1–0 inStuttgart with a header fromRay Houghton in their competitive debut;[22] drew 1–1 with theSoviet Union inHannover, withRonnie Whelan the scorer; and lost to eventual champions theNetherlands 1–0 inGelsenkirchen, coming within seven minutes of a draw that would have meant a semi-final place.[23][24]
The Republic of Ireland's longest competitive winning streak was achieved in 1989 during the1990 World Cup qualifying campaign. Five games against Spain, Northern Ireland,[19]Hungary, andMalta twice, were all wins.[25] Subsequently, the side made it to the1990 World Cup in Italy. Three draws in the group stage against England,Egypt and the Netherlands were enough to make the knockout stage. Virtually the entire country watched as they beatRomania on penalties, withPackie Bonner making a vital save andDavid O'Leary scoring the decisive spot-kick.[26] Ireland was then beaten 1–0 by hosts Italy in the quarter-final at theStadio Olimpico inRome. During the tournament, the team had an audience withPope John Paul II, the only team to do so.[27]
After missing out onEuro 1992 (despite being unbeaten in qualifying), the Republic of Ireland qualified for the1994 World Cup, held in the United States, via aqualification group which again included Spain and Northern Ireland,[19] and ended with the Republic finishing above European championsDenmark by a very narrow margin (goals scored).[28] In their first match at the 1994 finals, they beat the previous World Cup hosts and third-place finishers, Italy, 1–0 in their opening game atGiants Stadium just outside New York City, but lost to Mexico 2–1 at theCitrus Bowl in the heat and humidity ofOrlando, Florida. They ended the group stage with a 0–0 draw withNorway atGiants Stadium, inEast Rutherford, New Jersey. With these results, they made it to the second round, eventually losing 2–0 to the Netherlands in Orlando.
Charlton was replaced byMick McCarthy but Ireland still missed out on the next two major tournaments. Ireland just managed to finish second to Romania in their1998 World Cup qualification campaign after Tony Cascarino scored a late goal to win the away match withLithuania.[16] A play-off with Belgium followed, with the match at Lansdowne Road finishing in a 1–1 draw, the match in Belgium finishing 2–1 to the home team and substituteDavid Connolly being sent off in the latter, preventing Ireland from progressing to the1998 World Cup.[29][16] FIFA awarded theFIFA Fair Play Award for 1997 to the Irish supporters "for their exemplary behaviour at Ireland team matches, especially the FIFA World Cup qualifying play-offs against Belgium".[30] Ireland's opponents inUEFA Euro 2000 qualifying Group 8 wereYugoslavia,Croatia, Malta andNorth Macedonia (then known as FYRO Macedonia (seeMacedonia naming dispute)).[16] North Macedonia scored a last-minute equaliser that denied Ireland top spot in the group; instead, they facedTurkey in a play-off to decide which team would participate inEuro 2000.[16] The match in Dublin finished in a 1–1 draw, although Turkey qualified through theaway goals rule after a 0–0 draw, at the end of which Tony Cascarino became involved in a fight and retired from international football.[16][31]
Ireland took on both Portugal and the Netherlands in2002 World Cup qualifiers in UEFA's Group 2, ending the group in second place with 24 points from 10 matches (seven victories and three draws).[16] Despite this unbeaten run, Ireland were drawn in a play-off withIran. The match in Dublin finished in a 2–0 victory to Ireland with goals fromIan Harte (penalty) andRobbie Keane, while the match inTehran, played in front of 100,000 spectators, finished in a 1–0 win for Iran.[16] McCarthy thus managed to lead Ireland to the2002 World Cup final stages, though only for the team to lose inspirational captainRoy Keane due to the pair'sinfamous public spat in Saipan.[32] 1–1 draws withCameroon and Germany were followed by a 3–0 victory overSaudi Arabia inGroup E.[33][34][35] The Irish once again progressed to the knockout stage, only losing narrowly 3–2 on penalties to Spain inSuwon after Robbie Keane's last minute equalising penalty kick forced the game into extra time.[36]
After a poor start to qualifying forEuro 2004, McCarthy was replaced byBrian Kerr, but he too struggled to guide the side to the tournament or the subsequent2006 World Cup in Germany, and was ultimately sacked in October 2005.[37][38] Kerr was replaced bySteve Staunton (assisted byBobby Robson in the position of "international football consultant") in January 2006.[39] Under Staunton, results varied widely but the team still failed to qualify forEuro 2008 and Staunton lost the position in October 2007.[40] His reign included a humiliating 5–2 defeat toCyprus during thequalifiers' Group D, one of the worst defeats in the team's history.[41]
2008–2019: Trapattoni & O'Neill spells in charge and Mick McCarthy's return
The Ireland players celebrating qualification for UEFA Euro 2012
Giovanni Trapattoni was appointed manager in February 2008 following a spell with assistant coachDon Givens in charge.[42] Trapattoni went through all ten first round2010 World Cup qualifying games unbeaten, winning four of the ten games.[43] Ireland lost out on a place in thefinals, however, after a controversial, narrow loss to France in the play-offs. Ireland went down 1–0 in the first leg, andlost 2–1 on aggregate, withWilliam Gallas scoring a controversial goal in extra time in the second leg afterThierry Henry had handled the ball before crossing for Gallas to score.[44] This followed another controversy over FIFA's last-minute decision toseed the play-off draw.[45]
In 2011, Ireland hosted and won the inauguralNations Cup with wins against Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland without conceding a goal.[46]
In theirEuro 2012 qualifying group, Ireland finished second, losing only the home fixture againstRussia. They thus reached the play-offs and were drawn againstEstonia, whom they beat5–1 on aggregate.Euro 2012 was Ireland's first major tournament since 2002, but inGroup C they lost all three matches, against Croatia, Spain, and Italy.UEFA, however, announced a special award for the fans of the Irish team, who notably sang in the last few minutes against Spain, despite trailing 4–0.[47][48]
Irish team in September 2013
Ireland was drawn inGroup C of UEFA's 2014 World Cup qualification alongside Germany,Sweden,Austria, theFaroe Islands andKazakhstan.[49] On 12 October, Ireland suffered their largest ever competitive home defeat, 6–1 against Germany, at theAviva Stadium. Ireland then lost against Sweden and Austria in early September 2013, effectively ending the qualification campaign, and Giovanni Trapattoni resigned as team manager the following day.[50]Noel King was appointed interim senior manager on 23 September 2013 following his resignation.
On 5 November 2013, the FAI announced thatMartin O'Neill would be Trapattoni's replacement as manager, with former team captainRoy Keane as his assistant. They assumed their roles when the team met on 11 November where they won againstLatvia 3–0 and drew againstPoland 0–0.[51]
For theEuro 2016 qualification phase, the Republic of Ireland was drawn inGroup D againstGeorgia, Germany,Gibraltar, Poland and Scotland.[52] The team played against Gibraltar for the first time, beating them 7–0, and achieved an away draw against World Cup champions, Germany, a few days later in October 2014.[53][54]
On 8 October 2015, the Republic of Ireland beat world champions Germany 1–0 in a Euro 2016 qualifier at the Aviva Stadium.Shane Long scored the game's only goal with an excellent finish[55] in the 70th minute, rewarding the Republic of Ireland's impressive defensive display.[56] The result, hailed as one of the Republic of Ireland's greatest,[57] guaranteed the Republic of Ireland a play-off place at least, with hopes of automatic qualification still a reality going into the final group game against Poland inWarsaw.[58] A win, or a draw of 2–2 or more,[58] would guarantee at least second place in the group and ensure automatic qualification[59] for thefinals in France. The Republic of Ireland, however, lost 2–1,[60] thus entering them into the play-offs.[61]
The draw for the Euro 2016 Play-off was held inNyon, Switzerland, on 18 October 2015.[62] Ireland were unseeded in the draw, meaning they could face one ofBosnia and Herzegovina,Ukraine, Sweden or Hungary.[63] Ireland were drawn against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the top seeded team in the play-off.[64] The only previous meeting between the teams resulted in a 1–0 win for the Republic of Ireland in a friendly in 2012, Shane Long scoring the game's only goal.[65] Owing to injuries and suspensions, Ireland had only the "B" squad available for the first leg of the play-off, played inBilino Polje Stadium. A goal fromRobbie Brady almost secured a victory for the Irish untilEdin Džeko equalised 1–1 to end off the match. In the second leg played at the Aviva Stadium,Jonathan Walters scored two goals leading to a 2–0 victory for the Irish. In the end, Ireland won the play-off 3–1 onaggregate, qualifying them for Euro 2016.
At the tournament's final stages in France, Ireland were drawn into Group E against Italy, Belgium and Sweden. In their opener at theStade de France inSaint-Denis, Paris,Wes Hoolahan scored the opener with a spectacular half-volley off aSéamus Coleman cross, but Sweden equalised afterCiaran Clark headed into his own net attempting to clear a cross fromZlatan Ibrahimović, leading to a 1–1 draw. At theNouveau Stade de Bordeaux against Belgium, the Belgians cruised to a 3–0 victory after two goals fromRomelu Lukaku and one fromAxel Witsel, leaving Ireland needing to win their final match against already qualified Italy to qualify for the knockout stage. Against Italy at theStade Pierre-Mauroy inVilleneuve-d'Ascq,Lille, Ireland played strongly but were five minutes plus stoppage time away from elimination whenRobbie Brady headed in Hoolahan's cross. The Republic held on to win 1–0, sending Ireland through as one of the four best third-place teams. On 26 June, Ireland playedFrance in theround of 16 inLyon.[66] Ireland took the lead in the match with an early penalty from Robbie Brady, but France went on to win 2–1 to advance to the quarter-finals.[67]
The2018 World Cup qualification draw took place on 25 July 2015 when the team were drawn inGroup D against Austria, Georgia,Moldova,Serbia and Wales.[68] Ireland started qualifying strongly with a hard-fought 2–2 draw away to Serbia preceding two impressive victories over Georgia and Moldova.
On 12 November 2016, Ireland beat Austria inVienna to go top of the 2018 World Cup qualifying group. However, a run of three draws against Wales, Austria and Georgia followed by a devastating 1–0 loss at home to Serbia looked to have diminished any chances of the Republic of Ireland qualifying for the2018 World Cup. The Republic of Ireland were soon back on form however after securing a 2–0 victory at home to Moldova thanks to a brace from Daryl Murphy.[69]
On 9 October 2017, Ireland defeatedWales 1–0 inCardiff to qualify for thequalification play-offs after a James McClean goal fired Ireland to second place in the group.[70] They went on to playDenmark in the play-offs.[71]
In the first leg of the play-offs on 11 November, Ireland drew 0–0 against Denmark inCopenhagen.[72] In the second leg on 14 November inDublin, Ireland lost 5–1 to Denmark after taking the lead in the game. Shane Duffy's early header looked to have given the Republic of Ireland hope in qualifying for their first World Cup since 2002, however, anAndreas Christensen goal, aChristian Eriksen hat-trick and a lateNicklas Bendtner penalty shattered Irish dreams.[73]
On 21 November 2018, Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane left their posts with the Ireland senior team following a run of poor results.[75][76]
The FAI confirmed on the weekend of 23 November 2018,Mick McCarthy's appointment as the Republic of Ireland manager after the 59-year-old agreed to return to the role following a meeting with chief executiveJohn Delaney. McCarthy appointedTerry Connor as his assistant, who he had worked with atWolverhampton Wanderers andIpswich Town respectively. Ireland's record goalscorerRobbie Keane was announced as a member of the backroom team.[77] He started poorly with an unconvincing 1–0 win over Gibraltar after having previously beaten them 7–0 and 4–0 in the past.[78] However, a good performance against Georgia saw another 1–0 win thanks to aConor Hourihane free kick.[79] The wins left them top of thegroup, a position they still held three matches later in mid-September 2019, with just three matches remaining. Ireland failed to automatically qualify and were placed into a semi-final play-off againstSlovakia.[80]
On 4 April 2020, amid theglobal COVID-19 pandemic, McCarthy stood down as manager and was immediately replaced byStephen Kenny.[81] On 3 September 2020, Ireland drew 1–1 away toBulgaria in Kenny's first match as manager.[82] The following month, Ireland played its postponedEuro 2020 semi-final play-off match against Slovakia. The match finished 0–0 after extra time and a 4–2 penalty shootout defeat saw Slovakia progress to the play-off final.[83]
In March 2021, Ireland played two2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers; losing 3–2 away toSerbia before losing at home 1–0 toLuxembourg.[84][85] Ireland would ultimately fail to qualify for the World Cup as they ended the campaign with a third-place finish in their group.[86][87]
On 8 June 2021,Chiedozie Ogbene became the first African-born player to represent the Republic of Ireland, when he made his debut in a 0–0 draw away toHungary.[88]
In October 2023, the Republic of Ireland was confirmed as co-host ofUEFA Euro 2028 alongsideEngland,Scotland,Wales andNorthern Ireland. However, due to the unusually high number of involved associations in the bid, Ireland was not granted automatic qualification to the tournament. Instead, all teams will participate inqualifying, with two spots allocated to the best performing hosts which are unable to qualify on merit. Ireland will host games atAviva Stadium.[90]
Stephen Kenny's contract was due to expire at the end of 2023, with the manager himself admitting after a friendly againstNew Zealand that while he would like to continue in the position, his "instinct [was] that’s not going to happen." The match was eventually confirmed to be his last, as the FAI announced on 22 November 2023 that Kenny's contract would not be renewed. While Kenny recorded only six wins in 29 competitive matches during his tenure and is widely considered as one of Ireland's worst managers in modern history, he was also credited with introducing younger players to the squad.[91][92][4][5]
In September 2025, the Republic of Ireland opened their2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with a 2-2 draw at home toHungary before losing 2-1 away toArmenia who were 105th in theFIFA World Rankings.[96][97][98]On 13 November 2025, Ireland defeatedPortugal 2-0 with both goals coming fromTroy Parrott to remain in contention of qualifying for the World Cup.[99]Three days later, in Irelands final group game in which they had to win, Parrott scored a hat-trick, including a 96th-minute winner, in a 3–2 win away toHungary, securing Ireland's place in the2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs. He became the first ever Republic of Ireland player to score ahat-trick in an away game and the first Irish player to score a competitive hat-trick sinceRobbie Keane in 2014.[100][101][102]
Traditionally, the team has played in a home strip of green shirt, white shorts and green socks. The second strip is usually the reverse of these colours, although there have been exceptions, such as an orange shirt in the late 1990s. Squad numbers are either white with an orange trim, on the home shirts, or green with an orange trim. The shirts worn in the team's first international match at the1924 Olympics wereSt. Patrick's blue; this was their change jersey at the time, but the match was againstBulgaria, whose home strip was green.[103] In 2021, Ireland again wore a blue jersey in a friendly againstQatar to commemorate the FAI's centenary.[104]
A limited edition grey shirt was used just once, in a match against Wales on 17 November 2007.[105] A black jersey with a green stripe across the chest was worn in the final game of the2011 Nations Cup against Scotland and in a friendly against Italy inLiège, Belgium.[106][107]
The previous kit was supplied byUmbro since 1994. In March 2009, Umbro signed a deal with the FAI to keep them as kit suppliers to the team until 2020.[108] HoweverNew Balance became kit suppliers in August 2017. This deal only lasted 3 years before Umbro returned as kit suppliers in November 2020.[109] Umbro's return was also brief however, withCastore taking over in 2023.[110]
Since the 1980s, most home matches have been played atLansdowne Road, Dublin, the national rugby stadium owned by theIrish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). The ground was closed for redevelopment in 2007, with the replacement ground, theAviva Stadium, opening on 14 May 2010. The first football match in the Aviva wasManchester United against a League of Ireland XI side, managed byDamien Richardson, on 4 August 2010. Manchester United won the game 7–1, withPark Ji-Sung scoring the first goal in the Aviva Stadium.[111] Aviva Stadium is jointly owned by the IRFU and FAI, although it will return to solely IRFU ownership on expiry of the current 60-year lease.[112] The first football international played at Lansdowne Road by a FAI team was a friendly againstItaly in 1971 (an IFA team first played in 1878 against England[113]); a 5–0 victory overSan Marino in aUEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group D match on 15 November 2006 was the last game there before the reconstruction.[114] The all-seater capacity of Lansdowne Road prior to the renovation was 36,000, although higher attendances, using the standing only areas, were permitted for friendly matches. The Aviva Stadium's status as an all-seater increased capacity for competitive games to 51,700. The opening game at the Aviva Stadium, a controversial 1–0 friendly defeat toArgentina, was noted forRobbie Keane securing his membership in theFIFA Century Club and managerGiovanni Trapattoni's absence due to surgery, with assistant managerMarco Tardelli taking charge.[115][116]
With the announcement of the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road, a new venue was required to stage the Republic of Ireland's home internationals. The only stadium in Ireland deemed suitable to stage international football was the 82,300 capacityCroke Park, home of theGaelic Athletic Association (GAA). To accommodate this, the GAA temporarily relaxed its rule governing the playing of "foreign" games on its property. Initially, fourUEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group D matches were played at Croke Park in 2007, resulting in two wins and two draws.[117] The GAA initially agreed to allow the FAI use until the end of 2008, and later extended the permission until the completion of Aviva Stadium. TheHill 16 end of Croke Park is a terrace, which means like Lansdowne Road before it, the capacity of the stadium was reduced to around 74,500 for competitive matches as temporary seating must be used.
Prior to the 1980s, the Republic of Ireland played most home games atDalymount Park, home ofBohemians, but progressively more games were played at Lansdowne Road following a safety review which reduced Dalymount's capacity. The last international match played there was againstMorocco in 1990. The Republic of Ireland have also played home matches inTolka Park (twice) and theRDS Arena in Dublin as well at theMardyke andFlower Lodge grounds in Cork. These games in Cork were, until 2009, the only two home Irish internationals played outside of Dublin. During the construction of theAviva Stadium, two friendly games were played inThomond Park,Limerick, in 2009.[118][119] Two further friendlies were played in the RDS Arena in May 2010.[120][121] Ireland played a friendly againstBelarus in Cork's 7,000 capacityTurners Cross stadium in May 2016.[122]
Ireland matches currently broadcast byRaidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) (qualifiers only),Sky Sports, and highlights onVirgin Media Television.Sky Sports shows most of Ireland's friendly matches, while RTÉ shows competitive games such as World Cup and European Championship qualifiers.[123][failed verification] RTÉ briefly lost its broadcast rights in 2002 when the FAI controversially sold them in a multi-million deal toSky Sports, a subscription based satellite channel.[124] The decision was criticised by fans and politicians,[125][126] and theConsumers' Association of Ireland (CAI) described the FAI as "greedy".[127] The FAI was eventually forced to reverse its decision and to allow RTÉ to continue its broadcasts after the government intervened to stop the sale of important Irish sporting events to non-terrestrial television broadcasters.[128] RTÉ (for qualifiers)[129] andEir Sport (for friendlies) will hold the rights until 2018.
The selection[130][131][132] of young players born in Northern Ireland, especially those who have already represented Northern Ireland at youth level, into Republic of Ireland national teams has been controversial,[133] as these players are able to claim Irish nationality even though born and brought up outside the Republic's territory. This has led to accusations of unfairness and predatory behaviour.[134][135] In Northern Ireland it is seen by Northern Ireland supporters as having the effect of dividing international football in their country along sectarian lines, whereby Nationalists will declare for the Republic of Ireland while Unionists continue to play for Northern Ireland.[136] It has also been argued that it is actually the sectarian divisions, which already existed in Northern Irish football, that are a factor in a number of players switching to the Republic. The switches ofDarron Gibson, andJames McClean brought matters to a head in the 2010,'s as a previous unspoken reluctance to be seen to 'pilfer' players, and some ambiguity on the rules, broke down after theGood Friday Agreement clarified in both British and Irish law the right of anyone born in Northern Ireland to Irish citizenship as a birthright. FIFA accepting this gave any northern born players the right to switch to play for the Republic unless they had a full competitive cap for Northern Ireland.[137][138] Traditionally, those in Northern Ireland who identify as Irish, predominantly Catholics and nationalists, support the Republic of Ireland team.Martin O'Neill, captain of the 1982Northern Ireland team that reached the World Cup that year in Spain, has managed the Republic, andBrendan Rodgers, andNeil Lennon, both high profile Northern Ireland football figures have been linked with the next vacancy.[139]
Between 1924 and 1969, a committee of selectors chose the team, on occasions a coach or team manager was appointed;Mick Meagan was the first manager to actually select the team.[143] Managers from the periods in which the national side was known as theIrish Free State or simplyIreland are obscure and many are not currently known, however it is known thatVal Harris,Bill Lacey andAlex Stevenson managed the side.[144]
INJ Withdrew from latest squad due to injury PRE Preliminary squad / standby PER Withdrew from latest squad due to a personal issue SUS Player is suspended
In the 1934 qualifiers,Paddy Moore (v. Belgium) became the first player anywhere to score 4 goals in a World Cup match. For the1950 World Cup, after three qualified teams withdrew, FIFA invited the FAI to compete as a replacement, however they declined.[177] During qualification for the1962 World Cup, it was the only qualifying tournament in which the team had a 0% record. During qualification for the1966 World Cup, Ireland reached their first play-off againstSpain.Goal difference did not count, so a play-off was contested at theStade Colombes, Paris, and Ireland failed to progress. Ireland almost qualified for the1982 World Cup but lost on goal difference to France in a tough and tight group. Fans lamented some controversial refereeing decisions.[178]
For the1990 World Cup, Ireland reached the quarter finals of the tournament for the first time in their history. It was Ireland's first participation in a FIFA World Cup. Ireland playedEngland in the first drawing 1–1.[179] Ireland drew the next two matches but ultimately qualified for the knockout stages where they playedRomania. The match ended 0–0 and Ireland won on penalties 5–4 which sent Ireland into the quarter-final showdown against the tournament hostItaly. There Ireland lost 1–0 via aSalvatore Schillaci goal in the 38th minute that sent the Irish out of the competition.
Ray Houghton scored against Italy at the 1994 FIFA World Cup
In 1994, Ireland participated in their second consecutive World Cup.[180] This time they were drawn withMexico,Norway and Italy. Ireland won their first game against Italy which was the first time Ireland had won a World Cup match and their first victory over Italy with a notable goal fromRay Houghton. Ireland lost against Mexico in the second group match and drew with Norway but still made to the knockout phase where they faced theNetherlands. Ireland lost 2–0.
For the 1998 qualification campaign, Ireland scraped into the play-offs largely due toTony Cascarino's seven goals in ten games. They lost in the play-off againstBelgium, drawing 1–1 in the first leg then losing 2–1 in the second leg.[181] Although for next campaign Ireland were drawn with two big European nations, the Netherlands,Portugal. Ireland went the whole campaign unbeaten, beating the Netherlands 1–0 in the process;Jason McAteer scored the sole goal.[182]
At the start of the tournament, captainRoy Keane and managerMick McCarthy where involved in a "bust up" and Keane was sent home. Despite this, McCarthy did not call up a replacement and continued with 22 players. Ireland drew in their first match againstCameroon and in their second match they drew again against the tournaments runner upGermany. In Ireland's final group match, they defeatedSaudi Arabia, their second ever victory in a World Cup, and progressed to the round of 16. There, they met Spain, and lost in a penalty shoot-out.[183]
France'sThierry Henry'shandball stirred international controversy after the move set upWilliam Gallas to score in extra-time of the second leg of the play-off; the referee did not notice and allowed the goal to stand, leading to widespread media controversy, protests at the French embassy in Dublin and comments from senior government officials from both countries.[185][186][187]
Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the1964 European Nations' Cup, but failed to qualify for the final tournament after losing on aggregate toSpain.[188]
Ireland did not qualify for a European Championship untilEuro 1988. On 12 June 1988 inStuttgart, the Irish team took to the pitch in its first match at a major championship finals against England. Ray Houghton ofLiverpool scored the only goal of the match as Ireland recorded a memorable and historic victory.[189] The game is fondly remembered in Irish folklore through the song "Joxer goes to Stuttgart" by Irish folk legend Christy Moore.[190] Ireland took on the formerSoviet Union next and took the lead late in the first half via a spectacular volley from Liverpool's Ronnie Whelan. Unfortunately for both Whelan and Ireland the lead was cancelled out midway through the second half by Oleh Protasov as the match ended in a 1–1 draw.[191] In their final match, Ireland lost out to the Netherlands 1–0.
It was not until 2011 that Ireland clinched a place at another European Championship, qualifying forEuro 2012 with a 5–1 aggregate victory overEstonia.[192] At the tournament itself, however, Ireland lost all three of its matches and conceded nine goals, the nation's worst performance in a major tournament to date.[193]
Ireland qualified toEuro 2016 following a play-off victory overBosnia and Herzegovina.[194] In the group stages they drew 1–1 withSweden, having initially taken the lead through aWes Hoolahan strike, before being beaten 3–0 byBelgium in the following game. However, a 1–0 victory overItaly in their final game, courtesy of a late header fromRobbie Brady, earned the side a spot in the round of 16, the first time the team had ever advanced from the group stage at a European Championship. In the round of 16, Ireland faced the hostsFrance and, after taking an early lead through a Brady penalty, were beaten 2–1.[195]
The team's head-to-head records against all 83 nations whom they have played to date ( 'B' internationals were played against Italy and West Germany in the past), including friendly internationals:[198] Three of these teams no longer exist (Czechoslovakia, theSoviet Union andYugoslavia), so Ireland have played against 83 of the 211FIFA members: 54UEFA, 8CONMEBOL, 8CAF, 6CONCACAF, 6AFC and 1OFC members as of 9 June 2022.[199] The onlyUEFA members against whom Ireland have not played areKosovo andSlovenia.
a.^ "Germany" includes nine games againstWest Germany which were played between 1950 and German reunification in 1990. b.^ "Serbia" includes four games against Serbian predecessor (YUG/SFRY and FRY/SCG) teams.
^Dewart, Jonny (23 October 2006)."List of Dual Internationalists". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats.Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved26 December 2007.
