Nations League B,
Group 2: England v Republic of Ireland,
Wembley Stadium, Sunday, 5pm — Live RTÉ 2
The Republic of Ireland march down Wembley Way on Sunday evening revived by a “lucky” win over Finland as the 63rd-ranked Fifa nation faces number four in the world on their hallowed turf.
England dismissed the idea of an old rivalry being renewed last September in Dublin when former Irish underage stars Declan Rice and Jack Grealish dominated proceedings in a 2-0 victory for Lee Carsley’s side.
The Anglo-Irish pair are injured, so that narrative quietens. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham will probably fill the space.
The difference now, and perhaps forever, is the interim English manager — who makes way for Thomas Tuchel after this game — talks about “winning the World Cup” while Heimir Hallgrímsson, the settled Irish head coach, cannot see beyond qualifying for 2026.
How is that coming along? Quite well actually.
Evan Ferguson’s goal and Caoimhín Kelleher’s denial of Joel Pohjanpalo’s late penalty on Thursday night at the Aviva sends Ireland into a Nations League, two-legged relegation playoff next March, potentially against Northern Ireland. The draw is on Friday in Switzerland.
Ireland’s guaranteed third-place finish in Nations League B, behind England and Greece, almost certainly puts them into a four-team World Cup qualification group, as third seeds, when Fifa president Gianni Infantino slips the limelight with a remote draw on December 13th.
Dodging a five-team group allows Hallgrímsson’s squad to avoid two qualifiers in June, a notoriously tricky window as most Irish players are employed by Championship clubs and their season ends in early May. That lack of match fitness damaged Ireland under Stephen Kenny in 2022, when they lost in Armenia, and last year when beaten in Athens.
As it stands, regardless of what happens at Wembley, Ireland in 2025 can expect another six-game blitz over two-match blocks in September, October and November. That makes Hallgrímsson’s recent baptism of fire worthwhile. The wonder is what the Icelander has learned.
“It was a little Jekyll and Hyde performance [against Finland],” he admitted. “We need to improve the defensive side and be more tactical. But it was good energy from start to finish and when you win your duels and have players working hard, it always gives you a chance to win.
“We were lucky but this team deserves a bit of luck. Finland played well, they moved the ball well and got into good spaces, but unlucky for them they didn’t convert it to goals, but another time they would have. To reach the World Cup we need to get results off higher-ranked opposition.”
With Ferguson looking sharp again and Nathan Collins growing into an inspirational leader, Ireland can confidently plan to take points off second-seeded nations — just not Greece — next year.
“Goals for goalscorers always helps you, but one goal doesn’t change [Ferguson’s] trajectory. He is improving step by step. He probably feels it’s too slow, but we have seen in the numbers that he is doing more and more and you can see he is getting more minutes at his club. So we’re patient. He has good quality.
“It’s a bit of pressure on young shoulders, that he needs to carry this team. We just need to share that load with him.”
Mikey Johnston and Festy Ebosele, two penetrative wingers, promise to keep inviting Ferguson to pick goalscoring spots while the 20-year-old’s creative streak sent Sammie Szmdoics through for a goal on Thursday that was ruled offside.
The glaring problem for Ireland remains in midfield where Josh Cullen cannot plug every hole without an established partner. Hallgrímsson rightly abandoned the three centre halves experiment as hope remains that Will Smallbone and Andrew Moran become international-calibre players.
With neither fit, Cullen and Jason Knight or Jayson Molumby, all decent operators in the second tier of English football, are tasked with containing Bellingham and an array of Premier League options from which Carsley can choose. Liverpool’s Curtis Jones excelled with a goalscoring debut in Thursday’s 3-0 defeat of Greece as the caretaker boss risked further derision from the English media by naming Ollie Watkins ahead of Harry Kane.
“The most pleasing thing was the amount of control,” said Carsley. “Curtis was outstanding. Jude was really good.
“We created a lot and it’s brilliant for Ollie to get a goal. It’s important if we want to put players in a position to win the World Cup that these players need to have as many experiences as they can. It’s no slight on Harry. He’ll start the next game.”
Captain Kane, of the Letterfrack Kanes, seeks a 69th international goal. It would be unwise to expect anything other than a clinical English display as victory secures automatic promotion to Nations League A.
ENGLAND (possible): Pickford (Everton); Walker (Manchester City), Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Konsa (Aston Villa), Lewis (Manchester City); Jones (Liverpool), Gallagher (Atlético Madrid); Madueke (Chelsea), Bellingham (Real Madrid), Gordon (Newcastle United); Kane (Bayern Munich).
IRELAND (possible): Kelleher (Liverpool); Doherty (Wolves), Collins (Brentford), Scales (Celtic), O’Dowda (Cardiff City); Cullen (Burnley), Knight (Bristol City); Ebosele (Watford), Szmodics (Ipswich Town), Johnston (West Brom); Ferguson (Brighton).
