ONE WAY OR another, history will be made by the Republic of Ireland when they begin their U17 World Cup campaign tomorrow.
It is the first time the Boys in Green have qualified for the tournament at that age group.
Brian Kerr’s Malaysian Marvels finished third in the U20 World Cup in 1997.
Almost 30 years on and head coach Colin O’Brien leads the Class of 2025 into action in Qatar.
Who do they play?
Ireland’s campaign begins against Panama on Wednesday morning. Before you reckon this should be a handy way to start, just consider this: their senior team are ranked 31 places higher than their Irish equivalent and qualified for the 2018 World Cup.
While this is the Boys in Green’s first appearance at U17 level, it will be the fourth time in seven editions that Panama’s youngsters have made it. They have also become regulars at U20 level.
Although baseball has deeper, more historical roots, the Central American country has seen the popularity of soccer explode due to the success of its national teams. Given our own sporting history with the GAA, we might be seen as kindred spirits in that regard.
Game two is a clash with Uzbekistan, another country whose underage systems are thriving and have seen investment with state support.
Their U17s are the reigning Asian Cup winners and they reached the quarter-finals in 2023.
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Ireland then finish the group stage the following Tuesday against Paraguay, who qualified for this tournament after beating Argentina on penalties to finish fifth in South America.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
This may be Ireland’s first appearance at this level but boss O’Brien has been to five major tournaments throughout his time in charge and he made sure to have his squad well-prepared for the heat and humidity of Qatar.
He previously explained how additional support staff had been added to his backroom team, while the games Ireland played in the build up were all with a view to testing players in uncomfortable conditions.
A summer camp in Croatia in June was not to put the feet up and relax. Ireland played an age grade up against the U18s of Türkiye and Norway, and while they suffered defeats in those games, they finished with an impressive 3-0 win over Croatia.
After that, in September, there was a trip to Czechia, while last month there was a double-header of friendlies in Spain against Poland and Switzerland.
Who to look out for?
A subplot for further assessment in this tournament will be how the Irish players stand up technically, tactically and physically to their rivals.
That is because 16 of the 21 in the squad were developed by League of Ireland academies. There are 12 still currently on the books of clubs here.
A detailed analysis by RTÉ Sport also highlighted how, of the 10 European countries to qualify, 14 players in O’Brien’s squad have a combined 13,392 minutes of senior, first-team action – that’s the equivalent of 148 games.
Striker Michael Noonan is one of those who has benefitted from exposure with Shamrock Rovers. He only turned 17 in July but has already pocketed a Premier Division winners’ medal as an important member of Stephen Bradley’s squad, and has been capped – and scored – for Ireland U21s.
He also found the net in the Uefa Conference League knockout phase playoff back in February, becoming the youngest scorer in the modern era of European club competition.
Direct, composed and a clinical finisher, Noonan attracted high-level suitors in England earlier in his teens and this tournament will afford him the stage to shine further.
Captain Rory Finneran is another who earned himself a place in the record books, becoming Blackburn Rovers’ youngest-ever player in January 2024 at the age of just 15.
The midfielder would have added to that tally of senior minutes had he remained at the Championship club but a transfer to Newcastle United followed. The fee will be determined by a tribunal.
His situation also adds more context to the weight of those senior minutes and illustrates the varied challenges it takes for some of Europe’s elite youngsters to breakthrough.
Forward-cum-winger Jaden Umeh is a case in point. The Cork City academy graduate had featured 15 times in the club’s 2024 First Division season before Benfica came calling. He had yet to sign a professional contract, and so a deal – for training compensation and future add-ons – was quickly agreed with the Portuguese giants.
He has been embedded in their youth system for over a year and while he would have earned more senior minutes in the top flight this season, O’Brien says he has seen the benefits of making that switch.
Umeh scored twice against both Iceland and Poland in March’s qualifiers and is set to play a crucial rule this month.
Where can I watch?
All games will be broadcast on RTÉ and RTÉ Player, and will be streamed on Fifa Plus.
Fixtures (Irish time)
Wednesday, 5 November: Ireland v Panama (12.30pm)
Saturday, 8 November: Ireland v Uzbekistan (3.45pm)
Tuesday, 11 November: Ireland v Paraguay (1.3pm)
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Who to watch - and where to watch - as Ireland's trailblazers look to make history at U17 World Cup
ONE WAY OR another, history will be made by the Republic of Ireland when they begin their U17 World Cup campaign tomorrow.
It is the first time the Boys in Green have qualified for the tournament at that age group.
Brian Kerr’s Malaysian Marvels finished third in the U20 World Cup in 1997.
Almost 30 years on and head coach Colin O’Brien leads the Class of 2025 into action in Qatar.
Who do they play?
Ireland’s campaign begins against Panama on Wednesday morning. Before you reckon this should be a handy way to start, just consider this: their senior team are ranked 31 places higher than their Irish equivalent and qualified for the 2018 World Cup.
While this is the Boys in Green’s first appearance at U17 level, it will be the fourth time in seven editions that Panama’s youngsters have made it. They have also become regulars at U20 level.
Although baseball has deeper, more historical roots, the Central American country has seen the popularity of soccer explode due to the success of its national teams. Given our own sporting history with the GAA, we might be seen as kindred spirits in that regard.
Game two is a clash with Uzbekistan, another country whose underage systems are thriving and have seen investment with state support.
Their U17s are the reigning Asian Cup winners and they reached the quarter-finals in 2023.
Ireland then finish the group stage the following Tuesday against Paraguay, who qualified for this tournament after beating Argentina on penalties to finish fifth in South America.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
This may be Ireland’s first appearance at this level but boss O’Brien has been to five major tournaments throughout his time in charge and he made sure to have his squad well-prepared for the heat and humidity of Qatar.
He previously explained how additional support staff had been added to his backroom team, while the games Ireland played in the build up were all with a view to testing players in uncomfortable conditions.
A summer camp in Croatia in June was not to put the feet up and relax. Ireland played an age grade up against the U18s of Türkiye and Norway, and while they suffered defeats in those games, they finished with an impressive 3-0 win over Croatia.
After that, in September, there was a trip to Czechia, while last month there was a double-header of friendlies in Spain against Poland and Switzerland.
Who to look out for?
A subplot for further assessment in this tournament will be how the Irish players stand up technically, tactically and physically to their rivals.
That is because 16 of the 21 in the squad were developed by League of Ireland academies. There are 12 still currently on the books of clubs here.
A detailed analysis by RTÉ Sport also highlighted how, of the 10 European countries to qualify, 14 players in O’Brien’s squad have a combined 13,392 minutes of senior, first-team action – that’s the equivalent of 148 games.
Striker Michael Noonan is one of those who has benefitted from exposure with Shamrock Rovers. He only turned 17 in July but has already pocketed a Premier Division winners’ medal as an important member of Stephen Bradley’s squad, and has been capped – and scored – for Ireland U21s.
He also found the net in the Uefa Conference League knockout phase playoff back in February, becoming the youngest scorer in the modern era of European club competition.
Direct, composed and a clinical finisher, Noonan attracted high-level suitors in England earlier in his teens and this tournament will afford him the stage to shine further.
Captain Rory Finneran is another who earned himself a place in the record books, becoming Blackburn Rovers’ youngest-ever player in January 2024 at the age of just 15.
The midfielder would have added to that tally of senior minutes had he remained at the Championship club but a transfer to Newcastle United followed. The fee will be determined by a tribunal.
His situation also adds more context to the weight of those senior minutes and illustrates the varied challenges it takes for some of Europe’s elite youngsters to breakthrough.
Forward-cum-winger Jaden Umeh is a case in point. The Cork City academy graduate had featured 15 times in the club’s 2024 First Division season before Benfica came calling. He had yet to sign a professional contract, and so a deal – for training compensation and future add-ons – was quickly agreed with the Portuguese giants.
He has been embedded in their youth system for over a year and while he would have earned more senior minutes in the top flight this season, O’Brien says he has seen the benefits of making that switch.
Umeh scored twice against both Iceland and Poland in March’s qualifiers and is set to play a crucial rule this month.
Where can I watch?
All games will be broadcast on RTÉ and RTÉ Player, and will be streamed on Fifa Plus.
Fixtures (Irish time)
Wednesday, 5 November: Ireland v Panama (12.30pm)
Saturday, 8 November: Ireland v Uzbekistan (3.45pm)
Tuesday, 11 November: Ireland v Paraguay (1.3pm)
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Explainer League of Ireland LOI republic of ireland u17 Soccer U17 World Cup