After victory against Bulgaria in the Aviva Stadium on Sunday night ensured that Ireland remain in Nation League B, the primary focus for Heimir Hallgrímsson's men now is qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Republic of Ireland have been placed in Group F alongside Portugal, Hungary, and Armenia, and have six crucial games to make it to the prized competition hosted by USA, Mexico, and Canada. Each team will play each in other in a round-robin format.
Republic of Ireland World Cup qualifying group
Portugal's victory over Denmark on Sunday means that Ireland's World Cup qualifying group is complete.
Ireland's three opponents are:
- Portugal
- Hungary
- Armenia
Republic of Ireland 2026 World Cup Qualifying Fixtures
All times listed are Irish Time
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Time |
| September 6, 2025 | Ireland v Hungary | Aviva Stadium | 7.45pm |
| September 9, 2025 | Armenia v Ireland | Armenian venue TBC | 5pm |
| October 11, 2025 | Portugal v Ireland | Portuguese venue TBC | 7.45pm |
| October 14, 2025 | Ireland v Armenia | Aviva Stadium | 7.45pm |
| November 13, 2025 | Ireland v Portugal | Aviva Stadium | 7.45pm |
| November 16, 2025 | Hungary v Ireland | Hungarian venue TBC | 2pm |
Republic of Ireland 2026 World Cup Qualifying Fixtures ticket info
These will be announced by the FAI and we will update you as soon as information is released.
Permutations for qualifying
1st Place
If Ireland top the group, they will automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
2nd Place
If Ireland come second, they will advance to a play-off round against fellow runners-up in the other 11 groups alongside the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League who failed to finish in first or second place in their qualifiers group. The 16 countries will compete for four places at the World Cup. There will be four play-off paths and the teams will face each other in single-leg semi-finals, and the winners of those games will play in single-leg finals. These games will all take place in March 2026.
3rd and 4th Place
If Ireland fail to finish in first or second place, they will be eliminated from the qualifiers and will not be going to the World Cup Finals in June 2026.
