Ireland

James Ryan has been handed a three-week suspension after the red card he was shown during Ireland’s 24-13 defeat by South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday was upheld by an independent disciplinary committee.

Second row Ryan’s yellow card for a high hit on Malcolm Marx in the early stages of the loss to the Springboks was subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

The independent committee determined that by applying World Rugby’s sanctioning provisions, a mid-range entry point of six weeks was appropriate.

That has been reduced to three weeks, however, in light of Ryan accepting the red card, his clean record and other mitigating factors.

The sanction could be further reduced to two weeks should Ryan complete World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme as a substitute for the final week of his suspension.

That option is aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues which contributed to the incidence of foul play.

As it stands, Ryan is ruled out of Leinster’s United Rugby Championship game against Dragons this weekend and the Investec Champions Cup matches at home to Harlequins on 6 December and away to Leicester Tigers on 12 December.

During a distinguished playing career, former Ireland, Munster and British and Irish Lions scrum-half Conor Murray played alongside some legendary figures in the world of rugby union.

In a special edition of the BBC’s Ireland Rugby Social podcast, Murray selects the best XV from all the players he lined up with during 15 years participating in the sport at the highest level.

The 36-year-old racked up 125 caps for Ireland, made 207 appearances for Munster and played eight Tests for the Lions across three tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021.

In his own position of scrum-half, Murray selected former Wales number nine Mike Phillips, one of three Welsh players in his XV.

Murray says he learned much from watching Phillips, “taking in as much information as he could” as part of the Lions squad in 2013.

A couple of Englishmen are also included in the selection, with the remainder of the team made up of his former Ireland team-mates.

Murray explains on the podcast that he believes Sam Warburton is worthy of his place in the side at open-side flanker because of both his performances and his leadership abilities.

Warburton led the Lions to a series victory over Australia in 2013 and a drawn series with New Zealand four years later.

The Welsh forward had natural leaders like Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell in the Lions ranks when he took up the reins for the 2013 tour at just 24 years old.

“To be honest, I’d say it was hard for him [to win everyone over at first],” said Murray.

“You had Paulie [O’Connell] and Drico [O’Driscoll] and players who had been on Lions tours before and people naturally looked up to them. They didn’t have to earn people’s respect.

“They looked up to Sam too but he was a new young captain, young to be captain of a British and Irish Lions team.”

While it was certainly eye-catching to hear a former player so recently of the inner sanctum talk in such a way about the expectations around the side, the comments fed into the debate about Ireland’s current standing in the world game after a decade when they have consistently punched above their weight.

Coming into the month ranked third in the world – Ireland have since fallen to fourth below England – more competitive showings against those around them in the rankings are surely now viewed as a base, not an ambition.

While Ireland have not lost to a side lower than fifth in the present rankings since defeat by Wales in the 2021 Six Nations, Saturday’s loss means they have won just three of their past nine against England, New Zealand, South Africa and France, a run that dates back to the end of the 2023 World Cup and the retirement of talismanic skipper Johnny Sexton.

When considering the victories came against a 14-man France, an England side not then at the level they are now, and thanks to a last-kick drop-goal in South Africa, it all feeds into a concerning trend.

Without stripping the losses of similar context, that the reverses come with an average margin of defeat of 9.5 points feels instructive too.

At present, rather than the worst of the best or best of the rest, Ireland feel in a tier all of their own, still far from flat-track bullies but certainly struggling when expected to make the step up.

They start their 2026 Six Nations against France in Paris and visit England in round three. Between now and those testing February away days, direction of travel will continue to be the dominant theme.

There are a staggering 193 countries in the world, and one travel expert has visited them all. But despite his extensive exploration, there’s a UK city he’s labelled one of the best

The world is full of incredible destinations offering breathtaking landscapes and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, so it’s no wonder that we can often overlook what’s right on our doorstep. But sometimes looking a little closer to home is the best thing to do. A UK city has beaten a whopping list of the top places to visit in the eyes of a very well-travelled explorer – and it’s not London.

Henrik Jeppesen has journeyed to every single country in the world – a staggering total of 193 – and has ticked off more than 2,000 destinations on his ever-expanding list. The globetrotter, who hails from Thy in northwest Jutland, Denmark, has been exploring the world since he was just 17, amassing a treasure trove of insider knowledge and a long list of advice.

Despite being well-versed in European travel and having experienced countless countries worldwide, there’s one destination that he can’t recommend highly enough – and it’s right here in the UK. “I absolutely loved Belfast when I visited. I still remember it as being one of the best and most surprising cities I’ve been to”, Henrik exclusively told the Mirror. “The city is so charming, and it has a very rich history.”

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The capital of Northern Ireland is the birthplace of the RMS Titanic and home to the Crumlin Road Gaol, a former prison that has been converted into a museum.

Meanwhile, City Hall takes centre stage in the city, which earned the nickname ‘Linenopolis’ during the 19th century when Belfast was known as the world’s linen capital. In addition to its legacy, Henrik had nothing but praise for the people who call the city home.

“I really loved it there, and the people make the place special. They are really fantastic, and I met, I don’t know how many Northern Irish people – they’re just fantastic, talkative and lovely,” he said. “Then the feeling about walking the streets, beautiful buildings – it’s really a lovely city with the atmosphere, and the food was great.”

Despite visiting Belfast 15 years ago for just three days, Henrik still holds fond memories of the city and is eager to return. “I had plans to visit last month, but I couldn’t go, so I’ll go in the future. The city of Belfast is one of the great cities of Europe, and of all the cities I’ve visited, I haven’t felt that they’ve been that special like Belfast has.”

Noting why it could be seen as an overlooked city in the UK, Henrik said: “You hear so much negativity in the media from the conflict back in the day, so it doesn’t really stand out as a place you want to visit; people think about London, Dublin or Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a fantastic city, but I think Belfast is highly underrated. It’s so simple and easy to get to, so if you want a quick weekend break, it makes so much sense to explore the city.”

For anyone looking to book a getaway to Belfast, or anywhere in Europe, Henrik shared some vital advice when it comes to how long you should spend in one destination. “If you go to other parts of Europe, you might want to do five cities in two weeks, but that might be too fast. I would say you have two weeks. It’s better to spend one week in each location, rather than two places,” the expert advised.

“It’s not to feel rushed. Is it really a holiday if you’re rushed? It shouldn’t be that you rush and hurry to see alot of stuff. I’ve had moments in my travels when I’ve had to rush, but I don’t enjoy it as much; it’s better to take your own pace and explore a lot of things.”

You can find more of Henrik’s world adventures on his website.

With Northern Ireland two games away from qualification for the 2026 World Cup, manager Michael O’Neill has told his players not to “waste this opportunity”.

It’s certainly not a straightforward path to North America as O’Neill’s side travel to Italy for their play-off semi-final on 26 March and, should they stun the Azzurri, they will then travel to either Wales of Bosnia-Herzegovina five days later for a winner-takes-all final.

Italy have not qualified for a World Cup since the 2014 edition in Brazil, with Northern Ireland absent from the big dance since 1986 when it was last held in Mexico – one of the three host nations next year alongside Canada and the USA.

Although O’Neill’s side has a young age profile, the Northern Ireland manager has no fears his side can rise to the challenge in the play-off and, despite defeats away by Germany and Slovakia in the group phase, feels his side showed enough on the road to suggest they can spring the surprise.

“It’s difficult to win away in international football and that is something this team still has to develop, but I take a lot of encouragement from the performances in Cologne and Slovakia where we were challenged and were missing key players in those games,” he said.

“We still gave a really good account of ourselves and were in the game in Germany for 70, 75 minutes. We were in the game in Slovakia right to the end and felt a little big aggrieved by the nature of that result.

“We have to make the game as difficult as possible for Italy and it will be difficult for them with the expectation they carry into the game.

“If we can add to that with how we play the game and the level of our performance, then who knows. We have an opportunity to go to a World Cup and we have to do everything possible to try to take it. What I will say to them [players] is ‘don’t waste the opportunity.'”

Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby is in advanced talks to become head coach at WSL 2 side Newcastle United.

Oxtoby, 43, has been in charge of Northern Ireland since 2023.

She managed Bristol City from 2018 to 2021 before becoming assistant coach to Emma Hayes at Chelsea for two seasons.

Oxtoby has also had spells as Scotland, Birmingham City, Perth Glory and Australia Under-20s assistant.

She began her managerial career at Nottingham Forest in 2012.

World ranking: Ninth World Cup qualifying group: Second behind Norway Last World Cup: 2014

Given their history and status in international football, it’s incredible to think that Italy have not featured at a World Cup since 2014 in Brazil.

Yet, the four-time champions are at risk of missing out on a third global tournament in a row as they finished second in Group I behind Erling Haaland’s Norway, who automatically qualified for the finals.

Their campaign was bookended by two defeats by Norway, including a dismal 4-1 loss in Milan to end their campaign last week.

But despite their form, the Italians will still be the team everyone wants to avoid in the play-offs, and they are the highest-ranked team by a considerable margin.

Northern Ireland last played Italy in 2021, and actually played a role in them sitting out the Qatar World Cup as a goalless draw in Belfast saw Roberto Mancini’s side miss out on top spot and automatic qualification, and they were stunned by North Macedonia in the play-offs.

Domenico Berardi and Ciro Immobile scored in a 2-0 win in the return fixture in that campaign, which opened Group D that March.

In a side that was already missing key players such as the Charles brothers, Shea and Pierce, and the suspended Daniel Ballard, youth got the opportunity to shine in the final qualifier, which was a dead rubber after Friday’s defeat by Slovakia.

Given they were at risk of suspension, Trai Hume and Justin Devenny were given the evening off, and the talismanic Conor Bradley was withdrawn at half-time.

Jamie Donley will get the headlines after his first international goal, but there was a strong first start for Jamie McDonnell, while Ruairi McConville was again commanding in defence and teenager Patrick Kelly made his senior debut.

“We obviously had to make a lot of changes to the team. If you look at the players we used tonight, five of the players are under 21, so I think that’s really positive for us,” O’Neill said.

“Luxembourg are a good team. The results in this campaign are probably a little bit harsh on them, and their performances have been good.

“They’ve not been beaten easily in any of the games, so we take a lot from the fact that we beat them 3–1 away and 1–0 at home. A clean sheet was a positive, and a lot of good performances as well.”

Having etched his name into Republic of Ireland folklore, Troy Parrott let the tears flow.

At the end of a whirlwind 72 hours, the striker’s raw emotion was understandable. On Thursday, Parrott upstaged Cristiano Ronaldo with two goals to sink Portugal and take the Republic of Ireland’s play-off push into the final game.

Carrying a nation’s hopes on his back in Budapest, the 23-year-old Dubliner rose to the occasion in spectacular fashion.

Against Hungary, his penalty brought the Irish level after they fell behind to an early Daniel Lukacs header. Then, after Barnabas Varga’s stunning strike, he equalised again with a deft finish 10 minutes from time.

The Republic of Ireland needed a win to make the play-offs, and after substitute Johnny Kenny was denied, Parrott seized the match-winning moment when he latched on to Liam Scales’ header, poked the ball into the Hungary net and wheeled away in ecstasy in a heart-stopping finale at Puskas Arena.

“I’m really, really emotional. They’re tears of joy. Ah, what a night, what a night,” the AZ Alkmaar striker, who led the line in Evan Ferguson’s absence, told RTE.

“This is why we love football, because things like this can happen. Look, I love where I’m from, so this means the world to me. My family is here.

“It’s the first time I’ve cried in years as well, I really, really can’t believe it. Everyone is crying.

“I said against Portugal that this is what dreams are made of, but this tonight, I don’t think I’ll ever have a better night in my whole life.

“That is really a fairy tale. You can’t even dream about something like that. Honestly, I have no words to describe my emotions right now.”

After 28 caps on the wing, Hansen was entrusted at full-back for the first time with Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne both injured.

For him, it was a case of picking up where he left off in the summer. The 28-year-old was in great form on the British and Irish Lions tour before injury wrecked his dream of making the Test team.

And having returned for Connacht last month, he picked up a foot problem that ruled him out of the All Blacks and Japan games.

After revealing his team on Thursday, Farrell said Hansen had “the bit between his teeth” and they were clearly not empty words as the former Brumbies player gave his head coach an intriguing selection headache in the near future.

“Well my first thoughts were, ‘You better play well in those two different coloured boots!’,” said Farrell, referring to Hansen’s decision to wear one black and one white boot.

“I actually thought that was how it should have been but apparently Mack just did that himself anyway. So he’s drawn attention to himself before he’s even started.

“I said to him before the game, ‘Good players don’t need excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can get the man of the match if you want,’ and he went, ‘Yeah, I agree.’

“So he’s that type of player, he prepares well, he’s got a great attitude to get across his detail and so that’s why he slotted straight back in and he was able to be himself because of that.”

When the clock struck 90 minutes in Slovakia, the visitors were on course for a point that would have left them in pole position for second spot and qualifying from Group A’s own spot in the play-offs without the need to rely on their Nations League success.

Had they held on, or had referee Istvan Kovacs ruled out Tomas Bobcek’s stoppage-time winner for a push on Daniel Ballard, it would not have changed the reality that this was their worst performance of what has been an otherwise encouraging campaign.

Such an outcome always felt a distinct possibility given their notable absentees for the game.

In Kosice, Shea Charles was a massive loss but nobody who has watched Northern Ireland during O’Neill’s second tenure would have expected anything less.

Brad Lyons and George Saville performed determinedly in the middle of the park throughout but arguably, outside of Conor Bradley, there is no player more important to the cause than classy Southampton midfielder Charles.

Not to say that Northern Ireland have not tested the theory through the campaign.

They have been without Bradley and Ethan Galbraith for a game apiece because of suspensions while, when all is said and done, Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard will have played in only three of the six fixtures.

Throw in Ali McCann’s absence for this window, and the fact that first-choice goalkeeper Pierce Charles has missed the entire campaign, and you get a sense of how O’Neill’s depth has been tested.

It is surely no coincidence that their strongest performance – the 2-0 home win over Slovakia last month – was produced by their strongest team on paper.

“The one thing we’ve learnt during this campaign is that you can lose a player at a moment’s notice,” said O’Neill.

“You’re never in control of that, but hopefully come March, the challenges we’ve had through this group with players missing, we’ll not have and we’ll be as strong as we can be.”

The loss in the penultimate fixture in the campaign does still damage their hopes of making it to North America, however, as they will enter those play-offs in the lowest group of seeds.

Slovakia originally thought they had taken the lead in the 56th minute when Lukas Haraslin’s free-kick flew past Bailey Peacock-Farrell, but it was adjudged that Milan Skriniar had obstructed the view of the Northern Ireland goalkeeper.

Just eight minutes later, they had another strike disallowed by VAR after David Strelec was penalised for handling the ball when finishing from another Haraslin set-piece.

O’Neill felt that the decisions to rule out the previous efforts played into allowing the late winner.

“It was a clear push on Daniel Ballard at the corner, two hands in his back,” said O’Neill.

“The other goals that were disallowed should have been disallowed. The first one was offside, the lines show that clearly, and the second one was handball.

“You have to look at each incident on its own merit, you can’t go cumulative and referee the last incident differently to how you refereed the other two incidents.”

Following the winning goal, Ballard was sent off for a second yellow card offence and midfielder George Saville was booked with both players now ruled out of Monday night’s game with Luxembourg through suspension.

On Ballard’s second yellow, O’Neill said: “The Slovakian dug-out that caused that as much as anything.”

“The [second] yellow card for Daniel is a joke,” he continued.

“If you look at it back, it is poor. He is a top referee, he has refereed the Champions League final, he should have disallowed the goal.”

The victory, which keeps alive Slovakia’s hopes of qualifying automatically for next summer’s tournament, sparked huge celebrations from the hosts with O’Neill describing their reaction as “disappointing”.

“Everything was on the line for Slovakia. You could tell that by the way their technical area behaved towards the end of the game, which was disappointing.

“Disappointing for their coach not to shake my hand.

“Ultimately, we congratulate Slovakia because they can go to Germany and try to win the group.”

Ronaldo at risk of being banned for first game of 2026 World Cup if Portugal qualify after red card against Ireland.

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has said Cristiano Ronaldo was wrong to blame him for the red card he received as Portugal fell to a World Cup qualifying defeat.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner exchanged words with Hallgrimsson after being sent off during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat in Dublin on Thursday.

Ronaldo said before the game the Ireland coach had tried to put pressure on the referee by telling the officials not to be influenced by the superstar striker.

With his team trailing by two goals in the second half, the 40-year-old was frustrated and elbowed Dara O’Shea in the back as the Ireland player marked him in the box.

“He complimented me with putting pressure on the referee, but listen, it had nothing to do with me, it was his action on the pitch that cost him a red card,” Hallgrimsson told reporters.

“It had nothing to do with me unless I got into his head.”

He added, “This was just a moment of a little silliness for him, I would say.”

It was Ronaldo’s first sending off in 226 appearances for the national side.

At the very least, Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban, but FIFA disciplinary rules require its judges to impose a ban of “at least two matches for serious foul play”.

Despite the blatant elbow, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez said the red card was harsh.

“I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team,” Martinez told reporters. “He was almost 60 minutes in the box being grabbed, pulled, pushed and obviously he tries to get away from the defender.

“I think the action looks worse than what it actually is. I don’t think it’s an elbow; I think it’s a full body, but from where the camera is, it looks like an elbow. But we accept it.”

Martinez also questioned Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson’s comments about Ronaldo “controlling the referee” in the reverse fixture in Lisbon last month, which Portugal won 1-0.

“The only thing that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth is at the press conference yesterday, Ireland coach was talking about the aspect of the referees being influenced, and then a big centre half falls on the floor so dramatically at the turn of Cristiano’s body,” Martinez said.

Portugal, who are assured at least a playoff spot, are two points clear of Hungary at the top of Group F with a superior goal difference. The Irish are one point further back.

Portugal host Armenia while Ireland travel to face Hungary in the final round of fixtures on Sunday.

Belief that Northern Ireland could seal second spot ahead of Slovakia surged after they were comfortably the superior team when these sides met in Belfast last month, winning 2-0 with a performance that the side’s record goalscorer David Healy said was perhaps their best ever under O’Neill.

In the weeks since, however, there is a growing feeling that tables have turned somewhat.

Slovakia were missing influential pair Stanislav Lobotka and David Hancko for the game at Windsor Park with both expected to be back in Francesco Calzona’s starting line-up at the Kosice Football Arena this time around.

Northern Ireland, however, will be without three-quarters of the midfield that so impressed in the reverse fixture with Shea Charles and Ali McCann injured, while Ethan Galbraith is suspended.

How the manager fills such considerable holes in his line-up has been the key talking point since his squad was confirmed last week.

In Napoli’s Lobotka, O’Neill believes Slovakia can again call upon one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe.

“He’s an excellent player and he plays at the top level of the game with Napoli, but we look at Slovakia as a team, we don’t look at them as one player or two players,” he said.

“It won’t change the way Slovakia try and play. We have to deal with that as a team, it’s not one individual player.

“We don’t envisage any dramatic change in their strategy or how they look to play tactically, but they’ll obviously be stronger.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez held a different opinion of the incident, and having defended his captain, took a swipe at Hallgrimsson for speaking about the referee in the build-up.

“The red card is just a captain that has never been sent off before in 226 games – I think that just deserves credit – and today, I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team,” said Martinez.

“He was 60 minutes or 58 minutes in the box being grabbed, being pulled, being pushed and obviously when he tries to get away from the defender.

“I think the action looks worse than what it actually is, I don’t think it’s an elbow, I think it’s a full body, but from where the camera is, it looks like an elbow. But we accept it.

“The only thing that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth is at the press conference yesterday, your coach was talking about the aspect of the referees being influenced, and then a big centre-half falls on the floor so dramatically at the turn of Cristiano’s body.”

Troy Parrott scores twice in first half to keep Ireland’s hopes of reaching next tournament alive with a famous victory.

Ireland have stunned Portugal 2-0 to keep their narrow path to next year’s World Cup open and make the Nations League winners wait to book an automatic spot on a night where their captain Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off.

Ireland, who have not qualified for a major tournament in a decade and last reached a World Cup in 2002, needed at least a draw on Thursday to keep their qualification hopes alive and a first half Troy Parrott double capped their best performance in years.

They still need a win in Budapest on Sunday to claim a spot in next March’s playoffs after second-placed Hungary won 1-0 in Armenia. A draw at home to bottom-placed Armenia is likely the most Portugal need to secure automatic qualification.

But they will have to do it without Ronaldo, whose initial yellow card for lashing out with an elbow to the back of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea was upgraded after review to his first ever red card for Portugal in his 226th appearance.

Portugal, who were moments away from securing their seventh successive World Cup appearance a month ago before a stoppage-time Hungarian equaliser in Lisbon, fell behind on 17 minutes after Liam Scales headed a fizzed-in corner back across goal and Parrott could not miss.

Well worth the lead, Ireland went inches from doubling it when Chiedozie Ogbene struck the post with a fine effort before in-form AZ Alkmaar striker Parrott found the bottom corner with a brilliant finish from similar distance just before the break.

Ireland, who defended gallantly in the reverse fixture before going down to a late goal, did not require a repeat once Ronaldo received his marching orders on the hour, sarcastically clapping the delighted home fans as he departed.

Portugal, who are assured at least a playoff spot, are two points clear of Hungary at the top of Group F with a superior goal difference. The Irish are one point further back.

Parrott told RTE that it was “probably the best night” of his life.

“It is such a relief and overwhelming feeling to see the hard work paying off,” he said.

“We all knew how important this game was for us, especially given the other result tonight [Hungary beat Armenia]. I am just overwhelmed, I don’t know what words to give now. I am over the moon.”

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson praised the backing of the fans and suggested they may have gotten to Ronaldo.

“I can only praise the supporters. We have amazing fans as always. They have a lot of say in this win, they give us energy and help us at crucial times. They deserve this win,” he said.

“[Ronaldo[ lost his focus a little bit. Maybe it was the fans as well that helped a little bit. He was frustrated and reacted in a way that he knows he shouldn’t.”

Elsewhere on Thursday, Two goals from star striker Kylian Mbappe helped send two-time champions France to the 2026 World Cup with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine.

Midfielder Michael Olise and substitute forward Hugo Ekitike added the other goals in a dominant second half from France, the World Cup runner-up in 2022.

Late goals from Gianluca Mancini and Francesco Pio Esposito helped Italy to a 2-0 win away against Moldova on Thursday, keeping alive their faint hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup with their fifth consecutive victory.

The result lifted Italy to 18 points, three behind group leaders Norway, who earlier beat Estonia 4-1, with the two sides meeting on the final qualifying matchday on Sunday. The Azzurri now face what looks an impossible task, needing to win and overturn Norway’s goal difference of 17.

England eased to a mundane 2-0 victory over Serbia with goals from Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze to make it seven wins from seven games in their World Cup qualifying campaign at a rain-soaked Wembley Stadium on Thursday.

Serbia put up more resistance than in the 5-0 home drubbing by England in September and Dusan Vlahovic twice went close to equalising but the defeat means his side can no longer finish in the top two and earn a playoff shot.

Albania will finish as runners-up and are guaranteed a playoff place after they beat Andorra 1-0 away.

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Ireland host Portugal in Dublin.

The Irish Football Association says it is “fantastic news” the qualifying draw for Euro 2028 will be held in Belfast.

The tournament will be hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland with no matches set to take place in Northern Ireland.

Casement Park, which has not been in operation since 2013, was originally listed as one of the stadiums to be considered when the UK and Republic of Ireland submitted their bid to host Euro 2028.

However, the west Belfast venue was withdrawn from the list of venues in September 2024 after the UK government said it would not be providing funding to redevelop the stadium in time for the tournament.

“We are incredibly proud that our city will play such an important role in delivering what will be the best-ever EURO – one that celebrates passion, inclusivity and the power of football to bring people together,” said Irish FA president Conrad Kirkwood.

“It’s a proud moment for the Irish FA and for everyone who loves football here in Northern Ireland.”

With the opening game of the tournament set for Cardiff and matches to be played in stadiums across England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, the qualifying draw is, to date, the only official Euro 2028 engagement set to take place in Northern Ireland.

It will take place on 6 December 2026 at the ICC Belfast.

“It’s a real privilege to host the qualifying draw for Uefa Euro 2028 – a key milestone in what promises to be a memorable, world class tournament,” added Irish FA CEO Patrick Nelson.

“We’ll welcome UEFA’s leadership, national associations and teams to Belfast, giving them the chance to experience everything our city and ICC Belfast have to offer.

“It’s fantastic news for Belfast, for Northern Ireland and for football across these islands.”

Who: Ireland vs Portugal
What: UEFA World Cup qualifier, Group F
Where: Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland
When: Thursday at 7:45pm (19:45 GMT)

Click here to follow our live coverage.

Unbeaten Portugal (3-1-0) will seal direct qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 if they beat Ireland in their penultimate Group F fixture at the Aviva Stadium.

Armed with a five-point lead, Roberto Martinez’s team are in the box seat to seal a seventh consecutive appearance at football’s global showpiece.

Ireland (1-1-2), for their part, still have a mathematical chance to keep their World Cup aspirations alive by causing a huge upset on Thursday night against an opponent that is fifth in the FIFA world rankings.

They are currently third in the group – but only a point behind second-placed Hungary with two matches still to play. Ireland last qualified for the World Cup in 2006.

Here is all to know about their Group F return clash:

Current Group F standings (two fixtures remaining):

• Portugal – 10 points (from four matches)
• Hungary – 5 points (from four matches)
• Ireland – 4 points (from four matches)
• Armenia – 3 points (from four matches)

How can Portugal and Ireland still qualify for World Cup in Group F?

Scenario 1: 

Group leaders Portugal require a win against Ireland to ensure direct World Cup qualification into next year’s tournament, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In this scenario, Portugal would have 13 points – an insurmountable lead over the other three teams in the group with just one match remaining.

Scenario 2:

If Portugal were to draw its final two fixtures against Ireland and Armenia, they would also finish top of the Group F standings with 12 points from six matches.

Scenario 3:

If Portugal lose its final two matches against Ireland and Armenia, and Hungary – which currently has five points – wins its final two fixtures against Armenia and Ireland, then Hungary would move top of Group F with 11 points vs Portugal’s 10 points.

If Ireland win their final two games, and Portugal lose their final two games, then the teams would be level on 10 points at the top of the standings with the group winner being decided by goal difference.

All 12 group winners in Europe qualify directly for the World Cup while the runners-up go on to the playoffs for the remaining finals places taking place in March.

What happened in Portugal’s last match against Hungary?

Portugal were on the brink of punching their ticket to the World Cup as they led Hungary 2-1 in stoppage time in Lisbon, knowing a win would confirm first place in Group F.

However, Hungary snatched a late draw when Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai finished from close range in injury time.

What happened the last time Portugal played Ireland?

The teams last played on October 11 in Lisbon.

Portugal’s Ruben Neves scored a stoppage-time goal to snatch a dramatic 1-0 home win in Group F after his teammate Ronaldo had a penalty saved earlier in the match as Ireland threatened to hold the unbeaten hosts to a draw.

Is the 2026 World Cup Ronaldo’s last major international tournament?

Yes. With Portugal on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup, Ronaldo confirmed the tournament in North America will be his swansong on football’s biggest stage.

“Definitely, yes, because I will be 41 years old [at the World Cup],” said Ronaldo, who is also the top scorer in history with 143 international goals.

“I gave everything for football. I’ve been in the game for the last 25 years. I did everything. I have many records in the different scenarios in the clubs and also in the national teams.

“I’m really proud. So let’s enjoy the moment, live the moment.”

Head-to-head

This is only the 18th meeting between the European sides with Portugal winning 10 and Ireland winning four.

Ireland’s last win came in a friendly in 2005, courtesy of Andy O’Brien’s solitary strike in Dublin. There have been four subsequent matches, of which Portugal have won three.

Ireland’s last competitive win against Portugal came in a European Championships qualifier in 1995.

The fixture dates back to 1946 and began with a 3-1 home win for Portugal in a friendly.

Portugal’s form

W-W-W-W-D (most recent result last)

Ireland’s form

D-D-L-L-W (most recent result last)

Portugal team news

Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has withdrawn from Martinez’s squad after he suffered a groin injury in his side’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Wolves on Saturday. Rafael Leao is the most likely replacement for Neto.

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Pedro Goncalves is also out for a month after an undisclosed injury playing against Santa Clara on the weekend.

“[I’m] out of these next two games and not being able to be present in the World Cup qualifiers. Something I always dreamed of was representing the National Team, and not being able to go hurts. Now it’s time to recover properly, even though I’m not doing what I love the most! Thank you to the team for the effort until the end! We still have a lot to achieve,” Goncalves wrote on social media.

Ronaldo, who has yet to score away to Ireland in four career meetings, will lead the line for Portugal.

Ireland team news

In a big blow to Ireland’s chances, star striker Evan Ferguson is out of the Portugal fixture with an ankle issue and is in doubt for their final World Cup match against Hungary, which may decide who finishes second in Group F.

Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson will also be without three other injured regulars in the squad: Callum O’Dowda (minor knock), Mark Sykes (shin) and Sammie Szmodics (knee).

Ryan Manning and Jayson Molumby are serving one match suspensions.

Predicted starting lineups:

Ireland: Kelleher (goalkeeper); O’Brien, O’Shea, Collins; Coleman, Cullen, Taylor, Johnston; Ebosele, Azaz; Parrott

Portugal: Costa (goalkeeper); Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Fernandes, Vitinha, Neves, Bernardo, Ronaldo, Leao

What the coaches had to say:

Hallgrimsson:

“If Armenia wins or there is a draw, a win in Hungary is enough for us, so that is two of four scenarios for us,” the Ireland manager said.

“If Hungary win, we need at least a draw, but if they win by two or three goals, we will need a draw [against Portugal] and win by maybe three goals away in Hungary.

“We will know what we need in this game against Portugal before we kick off, which is a benefit to us, but it doesn’t change how we start and play the game, but may need to take calculated risks as the game progresses.”

Martinez:

“November is always a difficult stage. Even so, our focus is on qualifying for the World Cup. … We have to improve, especially in the final 20 minutes of games,” Portugal’s manager said.

British and Irish Lion Mack Hansen has been recalled to the Ireland squad for the side’s remaining autumn Tests but Jamie Osborne will miss out with a shoulder injury.

Ireland are back in action against Australia on Saturday in Dublin (20:10 GMT) before taking on world champions South Africa at Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 22 November (17:40 GMT).

Connacht’s Hansen has rejoined the squad despite initially being considered out for the autumn series because of the foot injury he picked up in his side’s United Rugby Championship loss to the Bulls last month.

Hansen has never started at full-back for Ireland, although his past four Connacht appearances have been in the position, but with usual starter Hugo Keenan also out the former Brumbies player gives head coach Andy Farrell another option in his back three.

Osborne wore the 15 jersey against New Zealand and Japan to start the month but was replaced by Jimmy O’Brien in the second half of the 41-10 win over the latter on Saturday and Farrell said afterwards that his shoulder injury did not “look good”.

Hansen’s club-mate Darragh Murray has also been called into the squad with the second row capped during the summer tour to Georgia and Portugal.

Leinster pair Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier remain doubts for this weekend’s game against the Wallabies with hamstring strains and their progress will be monitored before the team is announced on Thursday.

There is better news on the injury front with centre Stuart McCloskey making progress with a groin injury sustained against the All Blacks and expected to take a full part in training this week.