FULL FOCUS REMAINS on the imminent Euro 2025 play-off, but Ireland now know their Women’s Nations League path for next year.
Eileen Gleeson’s side were pitted against Türkiye, Slovenia and Greece in League B, Group B2, in today’s widely apathetic draw.
There wasn’t quite the same excitement — or dread — following proceedings in Nyon, as after the Euro 2025 qualifying lottery when Ireland found themselves in the so-called Group of Death.
They have yo-yo’d between League A and B, and are now back in the second tier as top seeds facing significantly lesser opposition from February.
In the inaugural Nations League campaign in 2023, Ireland topped their League B group with a 100% record and achieved promotion to League A for the Euro 2025 qualifiers, but a bottom-placed finish in an excruciatingly difficult group spelled relegation.
Gleeson’s side ran riot against Northern Ireland, Hungary and Albania previously in the Nations League, scoring 20 goals and conceding just twice across six wins, and similar dominance is expected against Türkiye, Slovenia and Greece.
Türkiye were by and far the lowest-ranked opposition possible in Pot 2. They sit 58th in the Fifa World Rankings — Ireland are 24th in comparison — but they were seeded 24th for this draw after recent improvements in Europe (Ireland were 19th).
They won all of their League C games in the last Nations League, and finished second to Switzerland in League B of the Euro qualifiers. A 3-1 aggregate defeat to Ukraine followed in the first round of the play-offs.
Ireland have never played Türkiye at senior international, so this is a novel pairing.
Slovenia, meanwhile, were the team with the highest world ranking in Pot 3 — they sit 40th, 16 places below Ireland. That said, they had the lowest European seeding. They also bowed out of the Euro 2025 play-offs following defeat to Austria.
Ireland played Slovenia twice before, securing 3-0 and 2-0 wins in the 2015 World Cup qualifiers. Lara Prašnikar is their standout player, her goalscoring exploits lighting up League C.
Greece are the fourth seeds, ranked 61st in the world and 31st in Europe. Only Albania were listed lower, while Belgium recently ended their play-off bid — emphatically so.
Greeks are familiar foes for Ireland, not just in the men’s game: they have played seven times, with the Girls In Green winning four and drawing three. They met most recently in the Euro 2022 qualifiers, a 1-1 away draw proving costly before a 1-0 rematch win at Tallaght Stadium.
That Athens draw came early in Vera Pauw’s tenure, with the former Ireland manager labelling Greece as a “a bunch of street fighters” afterwards. They will again make life difficult for Gleeson’s side, with Türkiye and Slovenia also out to frustrate them.
But Ireland will be targetting another resounding group win and a return to League A, with 2027 World Cup qualifying implications likely thereafter.
“Promotion to League A is the overall aim for the upcoming Nations League campaign to ensure we compete at the highest level and maximise opportunities to qualify for major tournaments,” as Gleeson said earlier.
“For now, our focus remains on the Euro 2025 play-off.”
A decisive double-header against Wales is on the horizon, with the winner progressing to their first European Championships next summer.
Cardiff City Stadium hosts the opening leg on Friday 29 December, before a potentially historic night at the Aviva on Tuesday 3 December. Ireland go in as favourites, but two tight encounters lie ahead.
Should they qualify for Euro 2025, League B of the Nations League doesn’t appear to be perfect preparation.
Wales, on the contrary, have been drawn against Sweden, Italy and Denmark in League A. Scotland — who Ireland defeated in the 2023 World Cup play-offs — will test themselves against Germany, Netherlands and Austria, while England will face world champions Spain as they ready themselves to defend their European crown:
Ireland prepared for their World Cup debut with a series of competitive friendly games against world-class sides like USA and France. Should they make their first-ever Euros, they will spend much of the build-up playing modest opposition. This would prove a very different challenge.
The Nations League fixtures are yet to be confirmed, but the two-game windows are 19-26 February, 2-8 April and 28 May-3 June.
The 42 understands the FAI will announce their home venues in due course. Perhaps this could be a chance to revisit Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and maybe even play elsewhere.
Today’s draw was apathetic and low-key, but Ireland will be hoping to be involved in a much more exciting one on 16 December for Euro 2025.
The year ahead will be crystal clear by then.
Are they for real… He scored possibly the best header you will see at Wembley for a long time AGAINST England a few months ago!!!! Idiots
Our English brethren are a bit thick it seems.
Good on Shane for pulling the pi(s out of them,
Paul sling your hook. What a t#sser. What started off as a lighted hearted piece has turned into a bile laden rant. If you have nothing constructive to say Shane Long is coming into a bit of form and fair play to him. Did well with West Brom last year and is showing signs that he has that bit of drive needed if he is given the chance, a chance that sadly was never afforded to him by Trap and his cohorts with Mr Liam Brady included. Hopefully he can continue to score some goals as it will be of immense benefit to the Irish set up.
The best way is to flat out ignore these people, so no replies and no thumbs down or up. No reaction and they’ll go away. I wish everyone would learn that.
And to think there was a time when these guys practically took over the world….scary….
Eh….. I think the vast majority of them were on a wind up. No doubt 1 or 2 were serious but a lot of fishing involved i suspect
Ah Paul got caught out, we know he is Irish, though he proclaims he is from Chelski and English.
Paul is Mitch, Steo, John, the same troll from Finglas who supports a league of IReland team and Liverpool.
Lads just don’t answer her, spends her time trolling on all the soccer topics with no knowledge and no discussion. As has been proved by her posts above.
BLANK THE TROLL.
How does he remember all them passwords? Gotta be a commitment or the gobsheens accounts will be easy hacked.
Ah sure give Shay Given a shout while you’re at it. He can give Hart a hand :-)
hEART IS SHIT ENGLAND B OUT AFTER2GAMES MUST CHECK D ODDS ON TA
This is a regular twitter fish and reel gag. It’s been done with Ramsey(England) & Lewandowski(Germany) recently, can’t believe Long bit the bait.
Can’t understand how you’re not allowed to use every day words like ‘sh!t’ on the comments pages, yet imbeciles like pauljohnson are able to spread their own trolling sh!t across them!
Don’t reply anyway, he/she will go away eventually.
There must have been 60 or 70 Englishmen at least by now who have played for Ireland, about time England got 1 Irishman in return. And doesn’t the typical soccer ‘fan’ in this country only care about English teams anyway and couldn’t give a fiddlers about any Irish clubs, so one would think they would have no problem with any Irish fella playing for England.
“accounts”… so you accept that you have more than one account on here. Good to know.
If you haven’t been in this country in a month, so where are you now? You are in a country or are you hovering above a country?
You have commented on GAA stories, Dublin related ones, in the past and were passionate about Dublin then… so fail there.
You only said last week that your Chelsea through and through, but you support Liverpool as well… any real Chelsea fans I know wouldn’t give 2 fks who else was playing and only concerned with their own team. So you think United fans support Chelsea against Liverpool!!!!
Your found out, everyone on here knows it.
Steo is gone, the other 3 plums will be too. At least the Journal will be troll free then and we can have right discussions on here.
Agree hes in great form and its great to see and great for irish football. My only issue is R Keane. As long as he is there he will countinue to take th spot of an possible younger contender. Dont get me wrong keane has done more than enough for his country obiviously wit his record but its time to hang up th boots. Just my personal opinion. !
Good comment Katrina, I wouldn’t yet like Robbie to see hang up the shoes because I think he can help the like of Long with his experience.
Jrbmc. Your just a Clown bandwagoner.
@David. Is the article about Long coming into form? No it isn’t, it’s about people on twitter thinking he is English and saying he should get a call up to the English national team. I merely stated England have several better options.
TBH, Shane Longs record for West Brom hasn’t been that good since he joined them and made the step up the premier league from Reading. The fact that we’re more reliant on a 33yo Robbie Keane over a 26yo Shane Long is very telling for Ireland. Maybe Conor Sammon can step up under the new Manager IDK.
I don’t care about it. Doesn’t mean I don’t watch it. I watch all football nearly. Even when that foreign supported kip is playing (MANCHESTER) I will watch them. And to answer other questions, Crouch and Defoe don’t get into England as there is better options there, but if Shane Long was English he be behind them in pecking order. And Danny Welbeck is world class??? Haha, I never even suggested that, he is just like Long. Hard working headless chicken. And in answer to that other bloke, Berbatov scored most goals in premerleague one season, Rob Keane scored all them goals against the likes of the Faroe Islands.
Does Long play for Shitski ? NO ! Does he play for Engerrrrrrland ? NO ! So go away you FOOL !!!!
62 goals against Faroe Island.
D overrated shower of English players play d same teams and don’t exactly tot up d goals against them.
We see how well berbatov does without keane…
Saying crouch is better than long then your just another cocky English follower who doesn’t understand why they do shit at every major competition. It’s not rocket science it’s cos your shit
Yes in a friendly if I remember correctly. What he do to get you all to the world cup.?????
Trap rarely started him
English striker’s in a different league of talent to Shane long. 1, Wanye Rooney.2, Defoe.3, Sturridge. 4, Lambert.5, Peter crouch. If he was English he wouldn’t stand a chance getting into the England squad. He can’t get a start for Ireland when poor mans Berbatov is playing (Rob Keane).
Long scored against England at Wembley in a 1-1 draw that England was lucky to get!!!
Defoe? Peter Crouch? Two men that have rarely played in the PL this season for their teams. Pull your head out of your behind there Paul!!!
Crouch? When is the last time he lined up for England? Give your head a wobble there Paul, next you’ll be telling us Wellbeck is world class
Berbatov 48 international goals
“Poor mans” berbetov 62 international goals
I know who did rather have.
Need any help finding the plot there Paul?
Welbeck is world class!!!
Go home your drunk
Like the knowledgble England ‘fans’ in that tweet thread, we’re dealing with a clown here.
Talking about Roy Keane!
Excuse yourself old Lady. I have only Paul Johnson accounts. I haven’t being in this country in over a month. When I came back yesterday you all were talking about me more than the story. And why would I support a l.o.i team. Im from England, I am not like you, I wont support foreign citys football teams. It makes no sense to me, my family and my friends. And Liverpool is also a kip. The only time I ever support Liverpool is when there playing against that trash heap out of MANCHESTER.
You poor mixed up, misguided, mysoginist child. As Maris always says, “A good liar needs a good memory”. It appears your different “aliases” are overlapping and you have lost all sense of time and perspective. I can help you out son with some excellent Freudian based therapy, all you have to do is ask…..
Can somebody please send Paul for spelling and grammar lessons, whilst also performing his brain transplant, thanks
I forgot to mention I love men. I would love Shane long to touch me inappropriately . All he has to is ask…..
And last week I wasn’t in the country. I haven’t being in Ireland since middle of October. This is my work phone. I leave it in Ireland when I go home. Don’t come onto your site when not in your country. Clown!!!
I don’t care about Steo/Tom/Jack, any of your mates you keep talking about. Are you slow? Can you not read. I have other Paul Johnson accounts you clown. I had a Kerry jersey as my avatar commenting on g.a.a. I was pretending to be Kerry supporter, not Dublin, as there Irelands most successful team. I was jumping on the bandwagon and supporting a team of a city that has nothing to do with me. Kinda like every single MANCHESTER fan. And the only Chelsea fans you know are ones that have never being to the bridge, not from England and only start supporting Chelsea around 2006. Jump on the wagon there fast, its getting away. And you seem to think real fans don’t look at other team’s snd don’t care about other team’s? ??????? Clown!!! Stop watching football because you know little about it.
Quick Quick Paul the most interesting Chelsea story in months has been out up and it’s about,’Mourinho’s Hair cut’
Quick here’s your chance to post more fraud Moyes rubbish nonsense that Steo and his ‘buddies’ can respond to
LOL, thinkk Paul Johnson is getting frazzled,
It is interesting the fact I didn’t mention “jack” yet he is one of the accounts linked to Paul Johnson, so again it proves that he is.
Why would you have 2 accounts? Because you were shut down is it?
ANYWAY, as I have said to others, time to ignore the trolls like Paul, Steo, John and Jack. These stories would be about 1/2 the size less all the trolling.
Yes Y.A.L. he seems to be having a nervous breakdown, it is common among people with multiple personality syndrome. I have offered on numerous occasions to help him, all he has to do is ask….
Trap rarely started him because even Ireland has better options. Last night was one of the only times I seen him score in a competitive fixture. Hes not a striker. Other than last night he rarely finishes.
Paul you’ve said many times you don’t care about international football so why now ??? Did you forget ??? Or just get caught out again ???
How many times has crouch scored in past 2 years? Defoe?? Do you even watch football.
Did you forget he scored against Chelsea? Idiot
You mean you don’t remember his goal against Chelsea a few weeks ago?
Don’t want to enter the football debate, no real knowledge.
Also, the troll accusations, can’t be entirely sure.
But Paul, for a self proclaimed English man, you’re not very good at english.