New Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson was not the most elated figure despite his team’s recent victory over Finland in the Nations League.
He warned his players that they would need to raise their levels to book their place at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“Yes, happy with, of course, winning,” said Hallgrimsson, speaking at the post-match press conference.
“It’s always good, not only the points, but I think psychologically good to have a win, good to give the fans a win here at home is a good feeling.”
“Performance, some good, some bad and surely we were lucky – they hit the post twice and Caoimhin (Kelleher) saved a penalty.
“But we know we need to work a lot as a unit, as a group to progress because if we want to qualify for the World Cup. We need to beat teams that are higher-ranked than us and get points from them, and I would say with this performance, we probably wouldn’t.
“But it was enough today and that’s good, and we’ll build on that. It’s good to have a win for the spirit and I think these players need to experience that as often as they can. But we’re under no illusion we need to improve.”
Irish fans are understandably desperate to see the team book their place at the showpiece after failing to qualify for the last five editions of the tournament.
Supporters have been missing the glory days of the late 20th century when they qualified for back-to-back World Cups in 1990 and 1994.
Ireland’s 1990 appearance was their first time on the world stage, and they delivered an unforgettable quarter-final run in Italy.
They were drawn in a tough group alongside England, Egypt and Netherlands, but recorded three draws to secure a last-16 tie against Romania.
Ireland edged through to the quarter-finals after a penalty shoot-out, but their run ended as Toto Schillaci’s double sent the hosts through to the last four.
The players had overachieved and won the admiration of every fan back home, and the current squad will be eager to take inspiration from their achievements.
Ireland will not be the bookmakers’ favourites to qualify for the 2026 tournament, but they have good players excelling at club level and the required profiles to exceed expectations.
Fans on the Emerald Isle will be optimistically backing the team on Irish betting sites to deliver the goods in North America by wagering on their success.
Hallgrimsson’s squad could upset the odds by improving on the performance of their predecessors. Kelleher is a top-class goalkeeper who continues to show why he should be starting regularly.
Jake O’Brien, Dara O’Shea, Nathan Collins and Liam Scales are among a strong selection of defensive options, while Josh Cullen and Jason Knight are combative in midfield.
However, where Ireland’s strength at the 2026 World Cup could be their attack, with Sammie Szmodics and Evan Ferguson capable of causing plenty of problems.
Szmodics has handled the step up to the Premier League with aplomb, while Ferguson has been tipped to eventually secure a move to one of the top clubs in England.
He has found his scoring boots again after his long-running battle with injuries last term and will be vital to their hopes of qualifying and performing well at the 2026 showpiece.
Hallgrimsson’s appointment has injected hope into a nation yearning for World Cup glory. His Iceland side punched above their weight at tournaments, and Irish fans hope to repeat those miracles.
Despite an uneven start to his tenure, the victory over Finland was promising. The next objective must be to show they can beat higher ranked teams and they have the quality to do so.
A heavy defeat against England in their final game of 2024 highlighted that there is still plenty of work to do if Ireland are to qualify for the World Cup.
However, their blend of experienced heads and exciting young talents creates a dynamic squad capable of overcoming challenges and achieving great things.
