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FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Joe Mewis

‘You walked down the tunnel and saw Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Gianfranco Zola. You asked yourself “Have we got a chance?”’ Terry Phelan on Ireland’s World Cup 94 upset

Jack Charlton and his Ireland staff celebrate victory over Italy at the 1994 World Cup.

The Republic of Ireland made their World Cup debut in 1990 - and they weren’t just there to make up the numbers.

After pipping the Netherlands - who where the reigning European champions - to a place in the last-16, they defeated Gheorghe Hagi’s Romania on penalties, thanks to David O’Leary’s decisive spot kick.

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