Abbie Larkin pounces at death to send Ireland into top tier of Nations League 

Belgium took 39 minutes to cancel out Ireland’s two-goal advantage through Tessa Wullaert’s brace on home soil but substitute Larkin pounced in the final minutes to hook the ball home from close range for only her second goal in 30 internationals.

28 October 2025; Abbie Larkin of the Republic of Ireland, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring her side's first goal during the UEFA Women's Nations League A/B promotion/relegation play-off second leg. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Belgium 2 (Tessa Wullaert 33, 39) Ireland 1 (Abbie Larkin 90) Ireland win 5-4 on aggregate.

On a night for stalwarts, a fresh-faced 20-year-old Abbie Larkin stole the headlines and fired Ireland into the top tier of nations for next year’s World Cup qualifiers.