As the much-talked-about 2026 World Cup hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico draws ever closer, it’s a known fact that the Republic of Ireland has failed to reach any of the past 5 editions of the competition, with their last appearance dating as far back as the 2002 World Cup.

But now, with new manager, Heimir Hallgrimsson, at the helm, and a young and exciting crop of talent at his disposal, expectations have never been higher for the team to end its 24-year-long wait for a place in the finals.

But does the Green Army really have a shot at making it this time? And what exactly are Ireland’s odds to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? To answer these questions, sport writer Kate Richardson will take a deep dive on the journey so far for the Irish national team.

Schedule of matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers

The format for the European World Cup Qualifying tournament is pretty much similar to the 2022 World Cup edition. However, with the allocated slots for European countries going up to 16 from the initial 13, slight changes are to be expected.

For one, the total number of groups has gone from 10 to 12, with all group leaders securing automatic qualifications. The 12 group runner-ups will then have to battle it out along with four teams from the Nations League for the remaining 4 spots in the playoff rounds in March 2026.

Ireland will kick-off their World Cup qualifying campaign against Hungary on September 6th, followed by a trip to Armenia 3 days later. Their remaining 4 matches in the round-robin tournament format will come in the October and November international breaks respectively.

Ireland’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup this year 

With the road to the tournament having been made slightly better by the increased slot allocations, the Green Army will surely fancy their chances when their campaign begins.

The team has looked in good form since the appointment of Hallgrimsson, who has won 4 of his 9 games so far, including the recent double over Bulgaria in the UEFA Nations League playoffs. The former Iceland and Jamaica coach will be looking to ride the wave into the European qualifiers, as he and his team aim to put smiles on Irish faces come 2026.

According to the Football Association of Ireland’s director of football, Marc Canham, “Not only does Heimir have significant experience at international level with two different countries, but crucially he also has a track record of qualifying for major international tournaments and taking teams up the FIFA world rankings,” and the entire nation will have their fingers crossed when the qualifiers kick off proper in September.

Ireland have been drawn in group F of the European tournament along with Portugal, Hungary, and Armenia.

How difficult does the road to qualification look? 

Now, while enthusiasm from fans has never been higher going into the upcoming games, there’s still no denying the stern test they are set to face. Ireland, who currently place 60th in the FIFA rankings, will need to and will be hopeful to secure a double against Armenia who sit 42 places lower on the rankings.

The real test, however, will be when they face off against 37th-placed Hungary, and closest rivals in the World Cup Qualifying group. Unlike Ireland, Hungary boasts recent appearances in major tournaments, with the latest coming in the 2024 European Champions.

The boys in green will need to be at their best when the Hungarians come to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin for the first game of the qualifiers and hope to take points off them again in the reverse fixture.

Also in the qualifiers group are 7th-placed Portugal, who will be going into the competition as Nations League champions and favourites to top the four-man group.

Players who could make World Cup qualification a reality 

No doubt, Ireland is already looking like a team capable of writing their own underdog story in this year’s World Cup qualifiers. But do they really have what it takes to pull a rabbit out of the hat?

Well, for starters, they got a decent manager running affairs, and that could count for a lot. Also, the current team has more than a few bright sparks on the list, and here are some names that could significantly boost Ireland’s chances.

• Nathan Collins: One of the first names on the Ireland squad is Brentford’s centre-back, Collins, who’s also captain of the team in the absence of Seamus Coleman. The 24-year-old will be looking to provide stability at the back once again for Ireland, as he hopes to make it to his first major tournament in the green and white jersey.
• Caoimhin Kelleher: With a reported £18m move to Brentford this summer, the ex-Liverpool man will be looking to sharpen his form with much-needed first-team action before the time for the qualifying fixtures. No doubt, Ireland will be counting on his safe hands to produce the goods between the sticks if they are to stand a chance.

Others include:

• Evan Ferguson
• Seamus Coleman

Analysts’ opinions  

Given Ireland’s recent history and their opponents in Group F, experts believe that their chances of qualifying are quite slim especially considering their other four-team group members. Ireland currently has a 15 – 25% chance of getting through, according to analysts, with bookmakers giving them 1/1 odds to finish top 2, and 7/1 odds to top the group.

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Conclusion

There’s definitely no shortage of confidence in the Ireland dressing room, despite the humongous task they’ll have to overcome if they are to make it to the World Cup. Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson speaking after the tournament draws in Zurich remarkably said, “I’m not going to tell you to book flights to the USA, but start looking.”

These are big words, indeed, from the gaffer, and now, it’s left to be seen if his team can back it up when they kick off against Hungary in September.