The Republic of Ireland will feature in Group A of the 2026 World Cup, along with South Korea, South Africa and co-hosts Mexico, if they qualify via the play-offs next March.
“I think it’s a good group,” said Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Ireland manager, following the draw in Washington DC on Friday. “We would fancy qualifying from it.”
“I think it’s quite an equal group. It’s not like a Brazil or an Argentina that are normally clear favourites.”
To book a place at the World Cup in North America, Ireland must overcome Czech Republic in Prague on March 26th before beating Denmark or North Macedonia in a play-off final in Dublin five days later.
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Ireland have not qualified for the biggest tournament in international football since 2002. If they do manage to book their tickets to next year’s World Cup, the opening fixture will pit Hallgrímsson’s team against South Korea on June 11th at Estadio Akron in the sprawling Mexican city of Guadalajara.
Ireland’s second match would be against South Africa at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 18th, before a third and final group match against Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 24th.
The Azteca hosted the 1970 World Cup final, when Brazil beat Italy 4-1, as well as the 1986 decider when Argentina beat West Germany 3-2.
“We were hoping to be in the US as the Irish diaspora is in the US,” Hallgrímsson continued. “I’ve played a couple of occasions in Mexico – big stadiums. So hopefully, if we get there, we will have a lot of Irish fans coming.
“I think it was good to be in a host-nation group, whether it was Canada, US or Mexico.”
Mexico are ranked 15th in the world, Son Heung-min’s South Korea are 22nd and South Africa are 61st, two places behind Ireland, so the Icelander’s confidence does not sound misplaced.
“Normally, I am confident. I’m a positive realist; I’ve said from the beginning that we are going to qualify. I’m not going to change that, but obviously it’s a little disrespectful to all the other opponents we play against.
“I know Mexico playing in Mexico will always be a challenging match. But then again, they have very demanding fans in Mexico. Sometimes they turn on their team if it’s not going well.
“Anyway, it’s a beatable group, if we get ourselves in it. We know we need to focus on what’s ahead and keep our eye and focus on the next opponent, which is the Czech Republic.
“That’s how we have worked from day one and that’s how we will keep on working. We’re not celebrating being here, but we are happy to be in the playoffs,” said Hallgrímsson after the event at the Kennedy Centre, which he described as “more of a show than a draw”.
“We are going to prepare to be here the best way we can. But the focus is March. It’s going to be a big one, so we better be ready for Prague.”
The latest tranche of the tournament’s seven million tickets will be made available by Fifa on general sale next Thursday, with demand among Ireland fans far outweighing supply.
If Ireland qualify, the FAI will receive eight per cent of tickets for each stadium the team plays in, minus the corporate sections.
The opening game of the tournament is between Mexico and South Africa at the Azteca on June 11th.
Twelve group winners and 12 runners-up will be joined in the round of 32 by the eight best third-placed teams. If Ireland finish runner-up in Group A, they would face the runner-up of Group B, which contains co-host Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and the winner of the Uefa play-off A – which could be Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina – at the SoFi Stadium, California, on June 28th.
The Group A winner will play a third-placed team at the Azteca.
Shamrock Rovers captain Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes is expected to be part of the Cape Verde squad that is drawn in Group H against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
“We deserve to be there on merit,” said Lopes. “This is exactly what you want having worked so hard to get to a World Cup. You want the big teams. Spain, nothing comes bigger.
“We are going to have to beat somebody to progress, so why not one of the two biggest football nations in the world.”
Scotland are in Group C – a challenging group including Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. England are in Group L alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana, with their venues and kick-off times to be confirmed on Saturday evening.
