Still aiming to move on from the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup, the Republic of Ireland will host Qatar in an international friendly at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday.
The match will serve as valuable preparation for the visitors ahead of this summer’s tournament in North America, while Ireland will be playing their second fixture of the month.
Ireland claimed an emphatic 5-0 victory over Grenada on May 16, despite being frustrated in the first half and going into the break without a goal.
While the result did little to ease the disappointment of their World Cup 2026 qualifying exit to the Czech Republic in March, it did extend the nation’s unbeaten run in 90 minutes to six matches.
Under manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, Ireland have recorded four wins during that stretch, scoring at least twice in four of their last five outings — a notable improvement after managing two or more goals in only four of their previous 16 games.
The Boys in Green are also becoming increasingly formidable at the Aviva Stadium, where they are unbeaten in eight matches, with the victory over Grenada marking their fifth win in that run.
Thursday’s encounter will be the third meeting between Ireland and the visitors. Ireland cruised to a 4-0 win when the sides met in October 2021, although their earlier clash that year ended in a 1-1 draw.
Republic of Ireland possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; O’Brien, Collins, Scales; Coleman, Molumby, Hodge, Murphy; Ogbene, Moylan; Parrott
Qatar possible starting lineup:
Barsham; Al Aloui, Khoukhi, Al Hussain, Junior; Boudiaf, Madibo; Afif, Hatem, El Amin; Alaa
