For a small Nation that has only qualified for three World Cups in history, the Republic of Ireland has a great history in the competition.
The first of these was Italia '90. Jack Charlton's side brought the entire Nation with their performances throughout the tournament and made it all the way to the quarter-finals before losing to the hosts.
USA 1994 then gave us the magic of Giants Stadium, revenge over the Italians and John Aldridge ranting on the sideline along with a slew of other classic moments.
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And then came 2002 and with it Saipan, penalties and heartbreak. Again, Ireland did brilliantly to reach the knockout stages before Spain dumped them out on penalties.
It's been 20 years since Ireland last played in the World Cup and there have been some near misses in qualifying during that period. A certain Thierry Henry moment springs to mind, as does a Danish demolition job at the Aviva Stadium.
But with the 2022 iteration of the tournament in full swing, now is as good a time as any to take a look back at five of the most famous Irish moments in World Cup history.
5- Ireland v Spain 2002
Ireland’s 2002 World Cup journey began with controversy and ended with despair.
Once all the pre-tournament distractions died down, Mick McCarthy’s men got down to business and performed extremely well. A 1-1 draw with Cameroon on matchday 1 was perhaps most memorable for Eamon Dunphy’s donning of the Cameroon colours on RTE’s coverage of the game in protest over the treatment of Roy Keane.
A couple of weeks later, the mood had lifted somewhat. Ireland snatched a last-gasp draw with Germany when Robbie Keane pounced on a Niall Quinn flick to steal a 1-1 draw with the eventual finalists, while a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia secured Ireland’s place in the last-16.
Awaiting them was a Spanish side full of global superstars such as Raul, Puyol and Hierro. After falling behind in the 8th minute to a Fernando Morientes goal, Ireland seemed destined to go out with a whimper.
But Ireland rallied and bossed the rest of the game. Even Ian Harte’s 62nd-minute missed penalty (And Kevin Kilbane’s missed rebound) didn’t deter the side. They kept going until the end where a 90th-minute Robbie Keane penalty sent the game to extra-time.
Spain eventually won in a shootout, but the common consensus was that the better team had lost. Ireland had more shots on target and had more possession than their opponents, but in the end, Spain marched on while Ireland headed to the departure lounge.
4- Schillaci breaks Irish hearts
Italia ‘90 is rightly remembered as the peak of Irish football. The Jack Charlton's side was in its prime and were one of the most awkward sides to play in the world. On their day, Ireland could get the better of any side and no one, not even the hosts wanted to meet Ireland in a quarter-final.
The run to the last eight was magical. O’Leary’s penalty in the shootout, Sheedy’s equaliser against England, Quinn’s strike against the Dutch and Bonner’s heroics in the last-16 are all etched in eternity.
Every man, woman and child in Ireland was obsessed with the team. Even the bingo halls closed for the game.
On a Saturday night!
But the run had to end at some point, and it was Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci that sent Ireland home.
A poachers goal after Donadoni stung the hands of Bonner. Try as they might, Ireland could muster no response. Charlton and his troops headed for home, where they were greeted as heroes.
3- Ireland v Italy Giants Stadium 1994
Four years on from Quarter-final heartache, Ireland got their revenge over Italy.
The 1994 battle between the two sides has become iconic for a number of reasons. Ray Houghton’s audacious lob is one of the best goals ever scored by an Irish player, while Paul McGrath’s sensational performance at the heart of defence limited the mercurial Roberto Baggio’s impact on the game.
McGrath was the true giant in the stadium that day. That the Dubliner was 34, had dodgy knees and was only half-fit made no difference to the former Manchester United man. McGrath was imperious on this day. And had it not been for his last-gasp tackle on Beppe Signori after a magnificent Baggio pass, who knows how that game might have gone.
That the match was played in New Jersey, a stronghold for Italian Americans makes it even better, and to put the cherry on top, Italy made it all the way to the final of that year’s World Cup.
2- Saipan
Saipan. Two syllables that to this day strike fear into the hearts of Irish people.
We all know the story. Ireland captain Roy Keane enjoyed a cold relationship with manager Mick McCarthy ever since the two shared a dressing room as teammates. In the months leading up to the 2002 World Cup, the relationship continued to deteriorate.
Keane’s decision not to play in Niall Quinn’s testimonial shortly before the tournament began made matters worse. And when the skipper gave an explosive interview to the Irish media slamming the side's preparation for the tournament, all hell broke loose.
To this day, some of the facts of what happened next are still disputed. What we do know is that Keane never played in the 2002 World Cup and McCarthy left the role shortly after the end of the tournament.
This moment helped shape Irish football for the next decade and a half. The Nation was split into ‘pro-Mick’ or ‘pro-Keane’ camps. In the midst of the chaos, John Delaney rose to power and took control of the FAI
The rest, as they say, is history.
1- A Nation holds its breath
Could it have been anything else?
Not only is the 1990 last-16 triumph over Romania on penalties the most iconic Irish World Cup moment ever, but it could well be the most famous moment in Irish soccer history.
In terms of the actual game itself, not much needs to be said. Under the blistering Genoa sun, the sides played out a 0-0 draw that was devoid of action. Ireland just about managed to keep tabs on Real Madrid-bound Gheorghe Hagi, with Pakie Bonner denying him on a couple of occasions, the best the Irish could muster was a half chance for Tony Cacarino in the first half.
But the 120 minutes is inconsequential. What came next lives on to this very day.
The two countries matched each other stride for stride in the shootout until it was 4-4. Romania were the first to slip up when Daniel Timofte’s effort was saved brilliantly by Bonner in goal.
As David O’Leary stepped up to take the final kick of the shootout, George Hamilton uttered the immortal words ‘A Nation holds its breath.’ Moments later, the entire country let out a roar of delight as O’Leary sent the keeper the wrong way.
Genoa went mad, ALF was deferred and the country turned its attention to a World Cup quarter-final with hosts Italy five days later. That’s when the dream came to an end, but for all eternity, June 25th 1990 will be remembered as the day Ireland dared to dream.
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