Own Goal: Why Irish Football’s Split Is Holding Both Sides Back
Oisín Cheshire
More than a week on and it seems both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland fans are still feeling the dismay and pain from failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The hopes and dreams of potentially flying to North America for a game or heading down to the local pub and enjoying the tournament from the comfort of a beer garden quickly diminished after Northern Ireland’s 2-0 defeat to Italy and the Republic of Ireland’s loss on penalties to Czechia. And yet, as I stood in Lavery’s feeling deflated, surrounded by both sets of fans pushing and shoving, each celebrating the other’s defeat, I couldn’t help but wonder what could have been if both teams played together in a united, whole-island team.
The recent history for both teams has been bleak. For Northern Ireland, the last time they reached the World Cup was back in 1986 when it was held in Mexico. For the Republic of Ireland’s national team, they have failed to qualify for the World Cup since their infamous 2002 Saipan campaign, which saw Roy Keane leave early. In fact, by this summer, it will have been a decade since either side last appeared at a major tournament, the 2016 Euros. Both teams are good enough to reach the World Cup qualifiers, but neither can get over the line. So, the question must be raised, why are both teams falling short of reaching tournaments?
Many place the blame on the GAA. The Teneo Sport and Sponsorship Index for 2025 saw Gaelic games being voted the favourite sport for the 8th consecutive year in the republic [2], and a survey carried out by the Department of Communities saw that 11% of those who played sport in 2024/25 played Gaelic games in Northern Ireland, 3% higher than soccer [3]. Although this would suggest that the GAA take up many potential athletes from both national teams, it is unfair to assume that they are the reason for the absence of both national teams in major tournaments.
The GAA’s popularity doesn’t hinder the success of other sports such as the Irish Rugby team. Even though rugby’s popularity scores lower than Gaelic games in both surveys mentioned above, the Irish Rugby Union Team not only regularly play in World Cup tournaments but are currently ranked 3rd in the world (World Rugby, 2026) [4]. A key difference between the rugby and football teams is that there is only one rugby team, a whole-island team, that plays under the name ‘Ireland’ rather than Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. In a country often defined by division, rugby has shown that a shared team can transcend political identity without erasing it. The rugby team has always been an all-island approach due to historical reasons, but their success is more than enough to open the idea of doing the same with the football teams.
The idea of an all-island approach isn’t one that is revolutionary or new. Countless surveys over the years have asked the very question of this united team. Back in 2015, 54% [5] of people in Northern Ireland were in favour of an all-Ireland football team. But 11 years have passed since then, and little has been done to seriously advance the idea. The obvious hindrance to this happening is the difference in political identities. One must also recognise that if this was to happen, it is likely people will lose power and money in their respective roles. With two football associations, the idea of two CEOs would be unlikely if the two associations merged.
Currently, it’s looking like Troy Parrott and Conor Bradley are unlikely to play together to try and get their team across the line to finally reach a major tournament. An all-Ireland football team may not be simple, but it could be the most realistic path back to major tournaments. It would certainly make watching the game in Lavery’s more enjoyable. However, first we must ask both the fans and those who have roles within their respective football associations a question. Do we want to reach a World Cup, or will we let our pride get in the way?
For now, all we can do is look to the future. Maybe the 2030 World Cup will be the year either team qualify. Or maybe, just maybe, it’ll be ‘our’ year.
References:
[1] IFA. ‘IN PICTURES | Republic of Ireland 0-0 Northern Ireland’. Accessed 3 April 2026. http://www.irishfa.com/news/2018/november/in-pictures-republic-of-ireland-0-0-northern-ireland.
[2] O’Riordan, Ian. ‘Republic of Ireland’s November Heroics Catapult Them to Become Nation’s Most Popular Team’. The Irish Times. Accessed 3 April 2026. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/2025/12/18/republic-of-irelands-november-heroics-catapult-them-to-nations-most-popular-team/.
[3] ‘Experience of Sport by Adults in Northern Ireland 2024/25 | Department for Communities’. 17 November 2025. https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/publications/experience-sport-adults-northern-ireland-202425.
[4] worldrugby.org. ‘Women’s and Men’s Rankings | World Rugby’. Accessed 3 April 2026. https://www.world.rugby/rankings.
[5 ]Neville, Conor. ‘Survey Reveals Majority Of People In Northern Ireland Want United Ireland Soccer Team’. Balls.Ie, 3 December 2015. https://www.balls.ie/football/survey-reveals-slight-majority-of-people-in-northern-ireland-want-united-ireland-soccer-team-318117.
