Republic of Ireland national football team

Mens national football team.

The Republic of Ireland national football team represents the Republic of Ireland in international football competitions. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competitions. The team's colors are green shirts and white shorts, reflecting the colors of the Irish flag. They are colloquially referred to as "The Boys in Green" (Na buachaillí i nglas in Irish).

Since their debut at the 1924 Summer Olympics, Ireland has qualified for three FIFA World Cup tournaments (1990, 1994, and 2002) and three UEFA European Championships (1988, 2012, and 2016). Their best performance at a major tournament came in the 1990 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals.

At the World Cup, Ireland has achieved notable results, including victories over England and Italy. Their most successful period came under the management of Jack Charlton from 1986 to 1995, during which they qualified for their first major tournaments and reached their highest FIFA ranking of 6th in August 1993.

Ireland plays its home matches at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The current head coach is Heimir Hallgrímsson, and the team captain is Séamus Coleman. Robbie Keane holds the records for both most caps (146) and most goals (68) for the national team.

Throughout its history, Ireland has produced several notable players, including Roy Keane, Liam Brady, and Paul McGrath. The team has also benefited from players born outside Ireland but eligible through Irish parentage or grandparentage. As of October 2024, Ireland is ranked 63rd in the FIFA World Rankings.