1998. The year that changed Irish football. Could 2026 be the next? In May, Brian Kerr's U16s won the European Championships in Scotland. Keith Foy and David McMahon scored in a 2-1 final win over Italy. That Irish Team had a young John O’Shea, Andy Reid and Liam Miller in amongst others. Two months later, Kerr did it again. Our U18s drew 1-1 with Germany in Cyprus, Alan Quinn on target, before winning 4-3 on penalties. Two European titles in one summer. Our U18s had Richard Dunne, a certain Robbie Keane and Gary Doherty et al. One of Irelands greatest ever defender, our greatest ever goalscorer and someone who was capped over 30 times for the Senior Team. Even those who didn’t reach those lofty heights many of those went on to shape Irish Football in their own ways, even extending to today. I don’t think it can be overplayed how important Tournament Football can be to building teams, knockout competition, elite opposition. It all plays a role. The closest example today in the modern game is when Stephen Kenny took our U21s to the Toulon Tournament in 2019. Finishing 4th with a squad including: Caoimhin Kelleher, Dara O’Shea, Conor Coventry, Jayson Molumby, Adam Idah, Liam Scales, Jason Knight, Etc Now in 2026. Our U15s head into the first ever FIFA U15 World Cup later this month. Our U17s reached the last 16 in Qatar last year and are back, with Brazil up first on November 21st. Our U21s have never played at a Euros. A 3-1 win over England in Cork has them two games away. The Seniors are three behind Austria with two to play. Top spot means Nations League A and second could bring a playoff. Competing against the best and higher future seeding. The Girls in Green made their World Cup debut in 2023. Now a 12-0 aggregate win over Kazakhstan has them in a playoff final vs Poland, one tie from Brazil 2027. 1998 didn't just win two trophies. It shaped a decade of Irish football. 2026 has the chance to do the same, but it all hinges on how we end it. A World Cup run in Qatar. Two ties for the U21s. Two Nations League games. One final for the Girls in Green. Get those right, and we'll look back on this year the way we look back on 1998.