FIFA WORLD CUP

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LATEST WORLD CUP ARTICLES

Jake O'Brien dejected after the game 26/3/2026
S In Prague, we experienced a heartbreaking illustration of who we are
Our misery now has an identifiable form in the shape of a fixture on Tuesday against North Macedonia, a fixture that could be considered cruel and unusual punishment for a team that deserved a lot more

Sat, 28 Mar, 2026

Heimir HallgrĂ­msson dejected after the match 26/3/2026
'It's sad to talk about the Euros, but that's our job now' says HallgrĂ­msson
Even the prospect of home advantage at a major tournament come 2028 carried a limited appeal as Prague emptied and shattered dreams made their way home.

Sat, 28 Mar, 2026

Shamrock Rovers v Galway United - SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division
World Cup 2030 campaign - how will Ireland's team look for the next tilt?
Here, we reach for the crystal ball to prophesise who are the contenders to be leading Ireland’s charge for that tilt at the start of 2029

Sat, 28 Mar, 2026

Heimir HallgrĂ­msson dejected after the match 26/3/2026
S Tommy Martin: We haven't yet reached the limits of Heimirball
Even as North Macedonian booby prize looms and the serious talk resumes, more parrot mask-wearing, Pink Pony Club-singing, morning pint-queueing days are surely on the way.

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Debora Barker consoles Ben Brody during the penalty shoot-out 26/3/2026
Ireland v North Macedonia tickets for sale after Prague penalties end World Cup dream
Tuesday's fixture in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, is now a 'dead rubber' as both sides crashed out of contention for World Cup 2026

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

The Ireland team during the penalty shoot-out 26/3/2026
Record 1.6 million people watched Prague penalty pain
Ireland’s World Cup play-off misery in Prague was the most watched TV programme of the year so far

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Nathan Collins dejected after the match 26/3/2026
Nathan Collins: 'I'm not seeing many positives right now because we’re in the gutter'
Ireland captain Collins said it was heartbreaking to lose the World Cup playoff semi-final to Czechia after his side played so well

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Czechia v Republic of Ireland - FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers Play-off Semi-Final
Ireland player ratings against Czechia: Manning's error as untimely as it was costly
Heartbreak for the Irish, but most can walk away with heads held high

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

The Ireland team dejected after losing to the penalty shootout 26/3/2026
What's next for Ireland after World Cup despair in Prague? 
What does 2026 now have in store for Heimir HallgrĂ­msson's men?

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

FBL-WC-2026-EUR-QUALIFIER-UKR-SWE
World Cup 2026: which countries have qualified and how did they do it?
No Ireland unfortunately, but we now know 42 of the 48 of the teams that will play next year, but a few prized remaining places remain up for grabs in the final round of play offs

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Troy Parrott dejected after the match 26/3/2026
Troy Parrott: 'Please stick with us at times like this'
Striker says: “It is times like this, where I'm so, so happy, where I come from" after Ireland's World Cup dream ends in heartbreak

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Jimmy Dunne with his mother Sharon after the match 26/3/2026
Prague post-mortem podcast: Ireland's World Cup dream ends in heartbreak
Brendan O'Brien and John Fallon react to shootout pain for the Boys in Green in Prague.

 Listen | Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

 Listen |
Czechia v Republic of Ireland - FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers Play-off Semi-Final
Czechia v Ireland: Four talking points after heartbreak in Prague
Ireland took a commanding 2-0 lead at the Fortuna Arena, but then the tide began to turn

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Heimir HallgrĂ­msson applauds fans after the game 26/3/2026
'Just pain, we only feel pain': Heimir Hallgrimsson gutted but vows Ireland will 'start again'
The Iceland native saw his side's campaign end in heartbreak after a penalty shootout loss in Prague. 

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Morten Hjulmand,Rasmus Hojlund
Playoff Wrap: Danes demolish North Macedonia, Gyokeres nets hat-trick to help Sweden progress
In the other playoff games, Poland came from behind to beat Albania 2-1 and reach the playoff finals, with Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski netting ‌second-half goals to set up a Path B decider away to Sweden on Tuesday

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Finn Azaz dejected after losing to the penalty shootout 26/3/2026
Without doubt, this World Cup play-off is one that got away for Ireland
The biggest show on earth remains half the world away for the Boys in Green after Ireland's heartbreaking defeat in Prague.

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Troy Parrott dejected after the match 26/3/2026
S World Cup slips from grasp but Ireland have finally found the finisher they've been waiting for
The history books will say that Troy Parrott’s efforts didn’t get Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side to the United States in the summer of 2026; but, boy, he made it an exciting ride – and turned his career, and Irish expectations, around in the process.

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Czechia v Republic of Ireland - FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers Play-off Semi-Final
Czechia v Ireland TV review: nervous pundits and selfies with Ronnie
The Boys in Green saw their campaign come to an end in Prague on Thursday night. 

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Nathan Collins dejected after the match 26/3/2026
Penalty pain again as Ireland World Cup road ends in Prague
Misses by Finn Azaz and Alan Browne proved costly after the Czechs recovered from 2-0 down. 

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Italy v Northern Ireland - FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-off Semi-Final
Northern Ireland's World Cup dream shattered by play-off defeat to Italy
Northern Ireland battled superbly against an Italy side under immense pressure to deliver qualification after two consecutive failures to reach a tournament they have won four times, but were undone by second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Czechia v Republic of Ireland - FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers Play-off Semi-Final
Czechia v Ireland: World Cup road ends in despair after penalty shootout defeat
Czechia came from two down to defeat Ireland on penalties in the World Cup playoff. 

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

A view of Ireland fans in the Old Town Square ahead of the match 26/3/2026
'We're pretty hopeful': Irish fans predict the Czechia v Ireland result
A win against Czechia would set up a playoff final against Denmark or North Macedonia with a spot in the summer's World Cup finals on the line 

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Watch: 'We're in the Czech end, say nothing' - Irish fans on World Cup hopes and ticket hunt
Watch: 'We're in the Czech end, say nothing' - Irish fans on World Cup hopes and ticket hunt
Brendan O'Brien is amongst the thousands of travelling Irish supporters in Prague.

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Czechia v Republic of Ireland - FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers Play-off Semi-Final
S Golden times for Irish sport – and the Irish abroad show the best version of ourselves
We’re spoiled, but all that success would add up to a banquet without a main course if the Republic of Ireland men’s senior team wasn’t able to bring something of its own to the table

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

From schoolboy hat-trick to Hungary heroics — how Troy Parrott became Ireland’s clutch striker
S From schoolboy hat-trick to Hungary heroics — how Troy Parrott became Ireland’s clutch striker
From school finals heroics to international drama, coaches and scouts recall the early promise behind Ireland striker’s rise

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

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