Ireland's Euro opponents - who are they?

GROUP OF DEATH: Ireland boss Eileen Gleeson. Pic: Ryan Byrne

Stamp this as a bona fide group of death. 

To be pooled with one of the world’s top five is daunting enough but Ireland have three of those to navigate in the top tier of European qualifiers kicking off in April.

The fixture list will be confirmed on Wednesday morning but given the calibre of France, England and Sweden, all three would draw crowds to Lansdowne Road if the FAI can avoid clashes with existing fixtures with their co-residents from the rugby.

Here, we look at the three nations Ireland earned the right to compete with by earning promotion from winning their Nations League B last Autumn.

FRANCE: 

FIFA ranking: 3.

Managed by former Saudi boss Herve Renard, the French are the great underachievers of the women’s global game, failing to live up to their promise by winning either the World Cup or Euros. 

Quarter-finalists at last year’s World Cup, losing to co-hosts Australia on penalties, they were unbeaten in their next seven games, winning six, until Spain beat them in the recent Nations League. 

Lyon, who won the Champions League six of the seven years before the last one, supply the spine of the team, including a strikeforce of Kadidiatou Diani and Delphine Cascarino.

ENGLAND: 

FIFA ranking: 4.

Reigning European champions and World Cup runners-up, Sarina Wiegman’s side are laced with talent throughout, from BBC Personality of the Year Mary Earps, through Keira Walsh in midfield to Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp in attack. 

They were surprisingly demoted to the second pot following a disappointing Nations League campaign but will still be favourites to qualify directly for Switzerland.

SWEDEN: 

FIFA ranking: 5.

Familiar to Ireland for winning the group which from they grabbed runners-up to eventually reach the World Cup, Sweden have a long-standing reputation as the gold standard in women’s football, much higher than their male counterparts. 

Still, Ireland held them to a 1-1 draw in Gothenburg along that journey two years ago, drawing praise from their boss Peter Gerhardsson, who has particular fondness for Irish band Fontaines D.C.

Katie McCabe’s Arsenal teammates Amanda Illestedt and Stina Blackstenius were brought to the club since her manager, another Swede Jonas Eidevall, arrived in 2021.

FORMAT:

The task for Ireland is straightforward in the round-robin pool – somehow achieve a top-two finish and a ticket to Switzerland is theirs, otherwise, they funnel into the playoffs in October and November, initially against a League C team.

League A Euro qualification groups:

Group A1: Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Finland.

Group A2: Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Czech Republic.

Group A3: France, England, Sweden, IRELAND.

Group A4: Germany, Austria, Iceland, Poland.

Women's EURO 2025 calendar:

Qualifying matchdays 1 & 2: April 3–9, 2024 

Qualifying matchdays 3 & 4: May 29– June 4,2024 

Qualifying matchdays 5 & 6: July 10–16, 2024.

Play-off draw: July 19, 2024.

Play-off round 1 (2 legs): October 23–29, 2024 

Play-off round 2 (2 legs): November 27– December 3, 2024 

Finals draw: December 16, 2024 

Finals: July 2025 2–27 (Switzerland)