The Republic of Ireland will bid to end a 24-year World Cup exile at the end of the month, when they take on the Czech Republic in their play-off semi-final.
After a challenging start to the 2026 qualification programme, Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side were able to turn it around and now stand just 180 minutes from the tournament.
Should make it past the Czech Republic, then either Denmark or North Macedonia will stand in the way of them reaching their first finals since the 2002 World Cup.
Terry Phelan on Ireland's World Cup hopes
That tournament saw Ireland embroiled in the infamous Saipan incident, where captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy infamously clashed and has recently been immortalised on the silver screen. The team would go on to lose to Spain in the last-16.
That added to their World Cup heritage which had seen Jack Charlton lead them to the Italia 90 quarter-finals and then the round of 16 four years later in the USA.
Terry Phelan played at left-back for Ireland at the 1994 World Cup and he believes that after a slow start, manager Hallgrimsson can start to build momentum.
“The manager was under the cosh after early results didn’t go well, but it takes time,” Phelan tells FourFourTwo. “He’ll be a national hero if they qualify.”
And as Hallgrimsson prepares for the Czech Republic, Phelan is confident that the Ireland boss will get the job done.
“I think they can win both games,” he asserts. “I can’t see the teams they’d have to face beating us, they’re not as good as Ireland on our day.
“Ireland have had to work hard to get into this position, they had a fantastic result in Hungary, and at home, I’d give them an 85 or 90 per cent chance of going to the World Cup.”
The one-legged semi-final in Prague takes place on Thursday, March 26, with the final set for Tuesday, March 31.
