Work to Do: Ireland’s 2026 World Cup Campaign in Focus

It’s hard to believe that we are approaching nearly ten years since Ireland’s last appearance in a major football tournament. Euro 2016 had some magical memories, not least the thrilling victory over Italy, with Robbie Brady having shades of Houghton in ’94 to send the fans into a frenzy.

That special evening in Lille was, however, one of the few bright moments for Irish soccer on the international stage over the last decade. The return of Mick McCarthy and the Stephen Kenny experiment did not go well, and things started poorly under new boss Heimir Hallgrímsson, but there are some green shoots at the moment, enough to suggest that qualification for the 2026 World Cup is at least possible.

A tough campaign awaits

While possible, it’s going to be tough. In terms of football betting, you have to put Portugal as favourites to win the group. That leaves one runner-up spot between Ireland, Hungary, and Armenia. The Hungarians have been on the rise of late, and while Ireland will be expected to beat Armenia, it is certainly not guaranteed. They are ranked outside the world’s top 100, although they have been improving of late.

The key game, you can argue, is Ireland’s opener against Hungary at the Aviva on the 6^th of September. In a group of just four teams, getting an opening victory will count for a lot. Having a home crowd behind the team can count for a lot, and if Ireland can somehow squeak through and grab three points, then they will head to Armenia a few days later with a lot of confidence. As mentioned, they will be favourites to beat the Armenians, which would really open up the pathway for them.

Of course, that’s all speculation at the moment, and it does seem cliched to say that starting the campaign well is important, but the cliché is built on a foundation of truth. The key is that Ireland go into the ‘business end’ of the campaign – the games against Portugal and Hungary away (the final game of the campaign) with something to protect. Getting six points against Hungary (a slightly superior team at home) and Armenia (an inferior team away) is the key to unlocking that momentum.

June’s friendlies can be useful

It will be interesting to see what Hallgrímsson does in June with the international friendlies Ireland has lined up against Senegal and Luxembourg. There is little in the way of like-for-like in these teams compared to their World Cup qualifying opponents, but they will hopefully allow the coach to continue the development of his system. There are also players who could do with more minutes in a green shirt under their belt, including Evan Ferguson.

There is also the fact that the current Ireland squad is a young one. Eighteen of the players picked to face Bulgaria in the Nations League playoff were aged 26 and under. There are numerous players who have yet to fulfill their potential for both club and country, and that is something to take heart from. Of the seven attackers Hallgrímsson picked for the Bulgaria showdown, none had more than 30 caps. Getting experience will matter to these players, and every minute of action will count before Ireland faces two astute teams in Hungary and Portugal in the autumn.

In the end, the Irish fans should not be too disheartened if, as the formbook suggests, Portugal and Hungary scupper the plans for a road trip across the USA next summer. The team is in transition, with players like Robbie Brady, Seamus Coleman, and Matt Docherty coming to the end of their careers. There are young, hungry talents ready to replace them. We are not quite out of the doom and gloom era for Irish international football yet, but there are plenty of reasons to be positive. And we might just surprise everybody in the campaign in the autumn.

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