It is a hard answer to provide. At the end of the day, it’s been a while since the Irish national team reached a major tournament. Ten years since the EURO 2016, while the last WC appearance was back in 2022. Now, that’s a lot of time. Can they do it for the 2026 World Cup held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada? Well, it is going to be a hard task to achieve.
Ireland is slotted in Group F of the European qualification zone. They’ve been pitted against the likes of Portugal, Armenia, and Hungary. With only the first team going directly, it is evident, even at this point before even one game has been played, that Ireland has no chance of ending up first in the group. Even if you had multiple free crypto casino bonuses, we’d advise you against wagering on Ireland. Instead, Portugal is the safe bet. Let’s see Ireland’s opponents strength.
Portugal
Portugal is one of the most dominant teams in the world of football. They will win this group, and we have little to no doubt about it. CR7 is still leading the attack, and he is playing as good as ever for the national team. Add the likes of Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, Nuno Mendes, Bruno, Joao Neves, Vitinha, and Gonzalo Ramos to the lost and you get one of the top teams in the world. They’ve won the latest Nations League trophy after beating the champions of Europe, Spain, and that’s everything you need to know about their strength. As far as Group F goes, Portugal will win it.
Armenia
While no team should be underestimated, if Ireland wants to have any chances of going across the pond come summertime next year, they need to beat Armenia. USA/Mexico/Canada World Cup will be up there for the grabs, only if 6 points is taken from Armenia. Their squad is not on par with Ireland, and this needs to be shown on the field. The team is led by John van ‘t Schip, which relies on strong play out of possession, as the team has no superstar to rely on. Henrikh Mkhitaryan has retired from national football, and the best players for the team are less known players such as Haroyan Varazdat, Spertsyan Eduard, and Bichakhchyan Vahan.
Hungary
The Hungarian national team is not the force that it once was, but the current generation is one of the best in recent memory. Led by the experienced Italian Marco Rossi the team made it to the last European Championship and played quite well. The team captain and the best player is Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai, who is also the on field general and the alder in the locker room. Willi Orban and Milos Kerkez are their best defenders, while up front in charge of goals is Varga Barnabas. Hungarians are quite a good team, yet they are not flawless. Not even close to it. The second place in Group F will be decided between them and Ireland.
Ireland
On paper, the Irish team should have enough firepower to get the best out of Hungary and Armenia. They’re not quite good enough to challenge Portugal for the position No. 1, but they could get that sweet second spot, and get into the WC elimination qualification round. Heimir Hallgrimsson has a nice squad to work with, but the players need to get their best versions to the national team. Troy Parrott and Adam Idah have had excellent seasons last year on club level and they need to carry that form on to the national team. Evan Ferguson, who was dubbed to be the nation’s golden child needs to find his old form as soon as possible, get his fitness in order, and get those vital minutes for the club so that he could be the next big thing for the country.
The team looks thin in the middle, yet against the likes of Hungary and Armenia, the likes of Cullen, Brady, Knight, Moran, and Smallbone should be enough to control the games as long as it’s possible. Defensively, this team is sound enough to even resist Portugal, as Doherty, Collins, O’Shea, and Scales have enough experience to keep any team at bay. With Kelleher between the posts, Ireland has a leader at the back which was not the case in the past.
With everything above said, yes, we believe that Ireland has enough quality to reach the final stages of the 2026 World Cup. Yes, they will need a tad bit of luck, both in Group F, and later on when they reach the elimination stages of the qualifications. Considering that it’s been more than two decades since the last WC appearance, the players are motivated enough to bring the ultimate glory to the national team.
