What’s stopping this team from winning the 2030 World Cup? Absolutely nothing I tell you! Might be too defensive though….. 👀

Talent of the Day - Oisín Gallagher Age: 21 Club: Barnet (on loan from Lincoln City) Position: DM / CB Strengths: Ball-Winning, Ground Coverage, Aerial Duels, Defensive Work and Versatility Foot: Right Height: 180cm Since coming into the Ireland U21s this year, scoring on his debut against Kazakhstan, he's become one of the group's unsung heroes for his reliability. At 21, he's consistently putting in the hard yards, parking any ego and going out to play games, with loans from Barwell to Drogheda and Boston. Now an ever-present for Barnet in League Two. Playing under Dean Brennan, who led Barnet to the National League title and was League Two Manager of the Month in August.

Let’s. Talk. About. Colin. Healy. Kerry FC held Cork City to a 1-1 draw last night, which was enough for a historic place in the playoffs. A club that has only been senior since 2023. That came after a poor start. Sixteen points from 18 games. No league win until the sixth match. A three-game touchline ban. Plenty KFC supporters asked questions about if he was the right man for the job. But to the club’s credit, they stood by him. What followed was the best second half of any team in the First Division. 36 points from 18 games, more than champions Cork City. A run which secured fourth and a historic playoff place, a remarkable achievement for a club that had never finished above the bottom two. From 9th to 4th. From 33 points to 52. Six fewer defeats, 17 fewer goals conceded. He only joined the club in May 2025, with Kerry ninth. Back-to-back league wins for the first time in the club’s history followed, along with an FAI Cup semi-final and a record points total. What makes it more remarkable is what he’d been through to get there. In 2024, Healy lost his wife, Kelly. He has spoken openly about how his focus became helping his two young children cope with the loss of their mother. His time as Ireland women’s assistant ended when his contract wasn’t renewed, with Healy disputing assurances he says he was given by the FAI. How the players responded says it all, with Denise O’Sullivan criticising the FAI for “lacking class”. At Cork City, Healy took over a side already on its way out of the Premier Division. Within two years, the club was back as First Division champions. When results turned in 2023, he stepped away. Time has been kind to him. Cork City were relegated again within six months of his exit, and the decline that followed said more about the club than the man. Setbacks have followed him since his playing days, from missing out on a World Cup at Saipan to two broken legs in under a year at Sunderland. Every time, he has come back. A year ago, we said Colin Healy was the right man for Kerry. Through everything, he has proved it. Look up resilience in a dictionary and there should be a photograph of Colin Healy.

ICYMI Gavin Bazunu after Bolton’s win over Wolves on Tuesday Night. Where he made a match-winning save that was nothing short of World Class! 🤯 Absolutely brilliant to see him enjoying his football with his new club💚 People forget that he’s only 24

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.

🇮🇪 Wexford CBS are going to flying the flag for Ireland in China! The senior team at Wexford CBS are set to represent Ireland at the 2026 International School Sport Federation (ISF) Football World Cup in Suzhou, China. They earned their invite after winning the FAI Under-17 National Junior Cup in 2025, and they'll become the first Irish team to compete in the tournament since St Benildus College went to Sardinia in 1999. That's 27 years! The squad leave for Shanghai on October 14th before travelling to Suzhou, where the tournament kicks off on October 18th. 38 teams from 31 different countries will take part over eight days, with the Opening Ceremony at Suzhou Sports Centre expected to draw a crowd of upwards of 40,000 people 👀 In the group stage draw, Wexford CBS were drawn alongside Bulgaria, Mali and, to the great anticipation of the students, England. Germany, France and Brazil will also have school representatives out there. But with China and Uganda reaching the final in 2024, there's hope within the school of a deep run. The side is littered with young League of Ireland players with promising careers, and leading them out as captain will be Wexford FC's Alex Norval. "It's the stuff you dream of as a kid, something you can't even imagine." "We're like a big family. It's the closest team I've ever been on, we are all best friends, I think that can help. Teams with individuals don't win much." Defender Daragh Rogan summed up what it means to the group: "It's not every day you get to represent your country... Getting to wear the crest, it's something special. Soccer is a big part of the culture at this school, here it's serious." School principal John Hegarty said the lads have trained all summer while also fundraising to cover the huge expense of the trip. "The lads have done all of the work both on and off the field, so it's great for them." Best of luck to the lads and staff out in Suzhou 💚

🇮🇪 Ireland's Cerebral Palsy squads are set for World Cup kick-off! Both our Men's and Women's CP squads get their 2026 IFCPF World Cup campaigns underway this week in Atlanta, Georgia, with the tournament starting this Wednesday, October 14th. With support from the FAI, the two squads made the trip after a preparation camp at the FAI National Training Centre. The Men's squad is led by FAI Coach Development Lead Paul Smyth and has nine players with previous World Cup experience. That includes Dillon Sheridan, who scored five goals as Ireland finished 10th overall. The Women's squad is overseen by FAI Women & Girls' Lead Aisling Conway, with seven players who represented Ireland at the last World Cup in Spain. That team won Bronze on their first ever World Cup appearance 👀 Men's Group C Thu Oct 15 | Ireland v Indonesia Fri Oct 16 | Ireland v Japan Sun Oct 18 | England v Ireland Women's Group B Fri Oct 16 | Australia v Ireland Sat Oct 17 | Netherlands v Ireland Mon Oct 19 | Ireland v Colombia Men's Squad GK: Luke Staunton (Roscommon), Ruadhan Dooley MacDonough (Tipperary) DEF: Conor Halpin (Dublin), Carl McKee (Dublin), Darren Martin (Monaghan) MID: Ryan Nolan (Wicklow), James Bateman (Tipperary), Jake Hannon (Kildare), Eric O'Flaherty (Galway), Aaron Tier (Limerick) FWD: Dillon Sheridan (Dublin), Darryl Fay (Dublin), Jack O'Sullivan (Cork), Warren Morrissey (Dublin) Staff: Paul Smyth (Head Coach), Brian Dorrian (Assistant Coach), Thomas Hughes (Coach), Will Donohoe (Physio), Bobby Moore (Equipment Officer) Women's Squad GK: Reeva Merriman (Kildare) DEF: Casey Heaney (Westmeath), Elsie Friel (Donegal), Isobel Clarke (Dublin), Aisling Duncan (Longford) MID: Katie Finegnan (Dublin), Ella Sherlock (Dublin) FWD: Eva Walsh (Dublin), Kate Connolly (Waterford), Robyn Ennis (Offaly) Staff: Aisling Conway (Head Coach), Conor McKahey (Assistant Coach), Clodagh McGrath (Coach), Andrea McCormack (Physio), Ellen Tinnelly (Equipment Officer) It's so important that we support and get behind all aspects of Irish football. Best of luck to both squads and staff out in Atlanta 💚

Back. Our. Girls. In. Green. 🇮🇪 Ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan and Tuesday’s return fixture at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, our U17s and U19s have been blazing a trail of their own: four European qualifiers in ten days. Combined score: 35-0. U17s 28 Sep: Ireland 16-0 Azerbaijan 1 Oct: Ireland 2-0 Albania 4 Oct: Kosovo 0-6 Ireland U19s 7 Oct: Ireland 11-0 Armenia Whatever the level of the opposition, you can only beat what’s in front of you, and they’ve done it at a canter. These players are a credit to the coaches, clubs and families putting in the hours, often with little support behind them. With the senior side chasing another World Cup in Brazil 2027, it’s more important than ever to back them. Women’s football is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, but there are still bridges to build if we’re to ride this wave. For one, the well-documented jump from U19 to senior level is too big for most players, and many fall out of the system. An U23 team is the natural solution, giving players meaningful games, keeping them on the radar and easing that step up. That needs investment from the FAI and government, plus consistent, thoughtful marketing. Honestly, I constantly see the bulk of the “blame” for women’s football (and sport) pushed onto men. Everyone has a personal responsibility, and it shouldn’t take a partner or daughter to get a man interested. But you can’t fake interest, and if you force it down people’s throats or demonise those who don’t share it, you’ll always get pushback. We all have a role to play, but I think women also have a responsibility to support each other more. Plenty of women enjoy sport, but how many follow men’s sport rather than women’s? There’s a constant cognitive dissonance in women not supporting women while attending men’s events. It’ll never make sense to me. Yes, everyone should do their bit to learn about and support women’s sport, irrespective of gender. But if we want to make an occasion of women’s events and have young girls aspiring to be the next Katie Taylor, we all need to look inward before pinning blame on anyone else. Best of luck to the squad this week.