HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON SAYS Ireland’s prospective group at the 2026 World Cup is “beatable”, though he would have preferred if all of Ireland’s games were fixed for the United States.
Should Ireland beat Czechia and Denmark/North Macedonia in the play-offs next March, they will face hosts Mexico along with South Africa and South Korea in Group A. Their first game would be against South Korea in Guadalajara on 11 June, the opening day of the World Cup. They would then face South Africa in Atlanta, Georgia on 18 June and hosts Mexico at the famed Azteca in Mexico City on 24 June.
“We were hoping to be in the US, with the Irish diaspora in the US”, Hallgrimsson told reporters from the draw hall at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC. “I played on a couple of occasions in Mexico, big stadiums, so hopefully if we get there we will have a lot of Irish fans coming.
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“I think it’s a quite equal group in a way, it’s not like a Brazil or Argentina that are normally favourites in the group. I think it was good to be in a host nation’s group. Playing in Mexico will always be a challenging match, but then again, very demanding fans in Mexico: sometimes they turn on their team if it’s not going well.
“It’s a beatable group, it is a group we would fancy qualifying from but we know we have to focus on what’s ahead, and our eye on the next opponent which is Czech Republic.”
Hallgrimsson admitted that it was a curious feeling attending a draw for an event for which Ireland had yet to qualify, though cited his old team Jamaica – who must navigate the interconfederation play-offs to qualify – in saying it was better to be happier with the backdoor route than otherwise.
“We are not celebrating being here, but at least we met some of the nations like Jamaica, who are disappointed to be in the play offs, where we are happy to be in the play offs”, said Hallgrimsson.
Hallgrimsson confirmed the FAI will be preparing to attend the World Cup, and thus will attend all of the various Fifa workshops around ticketing and logistics.
“Normally I am confident”, said the Ireland boss. “I am a positive realist. I have said from the beginning we are going to qualify and I am not going to change that, but obviously it’s a little disrespectful to the other opponents we play until then to say ‘when’ we qualify.
“But that is how we have worked since day one and that is how we can keep on working. We are going to prepare to be here.”
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'It's a beatable group' - Hallgrimsson reacts to Ireland's potential World Cup draw
HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON SAYS Ireland’s prospective group at the 2026 World Cup is “beatable”, though he would have preferred if all of Ireland’s games were fixed for the United States.
Should Ireland beat Czechia and Denmark/North Macedonia in the play-offs next March, they will face hosts Mexico along with South Africa and South Korea in Group A. Their first game would be against South Korea in Guadalajara on 11 June, the opening day of the World Cup. They would then face South Africa in Atlanta, Georgia on 18 June and hosts Mexico at the famed Azteca in Mexico City on 24 June.
“We were hoping to be in the US, with the Irish diaspora in the US”, Hallgrimsson told reporters from the draw hall at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC. “I played on a couple of occasions in Mexico, big stadiums, so hopefully if we get there we will have a lot of Irish fans coming.
“I think it’s a quite equal group in a way, it’s not like a Brazil or Argentina that are normally favourites in the group. I think it was good to be in a host nation’s group. Playing in Mexico will always be a challenging match, but then again, very demanding fans in Mexico: sometimes they turn on their team if it’s not going well.
“It’s a beatable group, it is a group we would fancy qualifying from but we know we have to focus on what’s ahead, and our eye on the next opponent which is Czech Republic.”
Hallgrimsson admitted that it was a curious feeling attending a draw for an event for which Ireland had yet to qualify, though cited his old team Jamaica – who must navigate the interconfederation play-offs to qualify – in saying it was better to be happier with the backdoor route than otherwise.
“We are not celebrating being here, but at least we met some of the nations like Jamaica, who are disappointed to be in the play offs, where we are happy to be in the play offs”, said Hallgrimsson.
Hallgrimsson confirmed the FAI will be preparing to attend the World Cup, and thus will attend all of the various Fifa workshops around ticketing and logistics.
“Normally I am confident”, said the Ireland boss. “I am a positive realist. I have said from the beginning we are going to qualify and I am not going to change that, but obviously it’s a little disrespectful to the other opponents we play until then to say ‘when’ we qualify.
“But that is how we have worked since day one and that is how we can keep on working. We are going to prepare to be here.”
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2026 world cup forecasting Heimir Hallgrímsson Republic Of Ireland