Five years of woe: Ireland’s diminished place in international football laid bare

By laying Ireland’s recent record out in black and white, the starkness of where the Boys in Green stand in international football right now hits home like a converted Armenian penalty. From the Meadowlands to the shadowlands in just three decades.

For all the positivity, expectation and hope in the build-up to this World Cup qualifying campaign – reality arrived on a humbling night in Yerevan on Tuesday, having been temporarily put on hold three days earlier in Dublin.

Over the last five years the Republic of Ireland international football team have played a total of 56 matches – with just 16 wins, 25 defeats and 15 draws.

The 16 victories came against 13 different countries – and only two of those are currently ranked inside the top 50 of the Fifa rankings. None are placed inside the top 35. Seven are outside the top 100.

Between 2020 and now, Ireland’s only victories have come against Andorra (current Fifa ranking, 174), Azerbaijan (122), Qatar (53), Luxembourg (92), Lithuania (143), Scotland (47), Armenia (105), Malta (168), Latvia (137), Hungary (38), Gibraltar twice (199), Finland twice (69) and Bulgaria twice (84).

Of the 16 wins, six were achieved in friendlies. Nine of the victories were by single-goal margins.

Ireland have had three managers during that period – Stephen Kenny was in charge for 40 matches, winning 11. John O’Shea was caretaker boss for four games, winning one. Heimir Hallgrímsson has now been at the helm for 12 fixtures, winning four.

Landmark moments such as the Shane Long-inspired Euro qualifier win over Germany in Dublin (2015) and Robbie Brady’s goal that earned Ireland a famous European Championship victory over Italy in Lille (2016) were logged a decade ago at this stage.

So, while Ireland’s performance in Armenia was shocking, results and form lines suggest we shouldn’t actually be surprised to find ourselves once again hoping for a miracle to qualify for a major tournament.

Because the stark reality is that as the team drifted towards the backwaters of international football in recent years, somewhere along the way hope replaced substance as Ireland’s default setting.

Below are Ireland’s only victories from 2020-2025.

Andorra 1 Ireland 4 (Friendly)

Estadi Nacional; June 3rd, 2021

Troy Parrott 58 & 61, Jason Knight 84, Daryl Horgan 90

Ireland’s first win under Stephen Kenny in what was his 12th match at the helm. Ireland fell 1-0 behind in the 52nd minute but Parrott’s brace helped prevent an embarrassing defeat.

Azerbaijan 0 Ireland 3 (World Cup qualifier)

Olympic Stadium, Baku; October 9th, 2021

Callum Robinson 7 & 39, Chiedozie Ogbene 90

This was Kenny’s first competitive victory as Ireland manager. The sides had played out a 1-1 draw in Dublin the previous month.

Ireland 4 Qatar 0 (Friendly)

Aviva Stadium; October 12th, 2021

Callum Robinson 4, 13 (p), 53, Shane Duffy 59

Robinson built on his brace against Azerbaijan by bagging a hat-trick against Qatar. He remains the last Irish player to score a hat-trick at this level.

Luxembourg 0 Ireland 3 (World Cup qualifier)

Stade de Luxembourg; November 14th, 2021

Shane Duffy 67, Chiedozie Ogbene 75, Callum Robinson 88

Three victories in five weeks – plus a draw with Portugal – suggested Ireland had finally found their mojo under Kenny. However, qualification hopes were long gone by then – this was the last game in a group where Ireland (9pts) finished third, well behind Portugal (17pts) and Serbia (20pts).

Ireland 1 Lithuania 0 (Friendly)

Aviva Stadium; March 29th, 2022

Troy Parrott 97

Parrott’s injury-time thunderbolt from outside the box snatched a victory from what was an otherwise humdrum friendly.

Ireland 3 Scotland 0 (Nations League)

Aviva Stadium; June 11th, 2022

Alan Browne 20, Troy Parrott 28, Michael Obafemi 51

Probably the most impressive win of Kenny’s tenure, with Obafemi capping off Ireland’s first Nations League win with a screamer from outside the box.

Ireland 3 Armenia 2 (Nations League)

Aviva Stadium; September 27th, 2022

John Egan 18, Michael Obafemi 52, Robbie Brady 91 (p)

Robbie Brady’s 91st-minute penalty saved Ireland’s blushes after Armenia had clawed back to a two-goal deficit. Ireland had lost in Armenia in June.

Malta 0 Ireland 1 (Friendly)

Ta’ Qali National Stadium; November 20th, 2022

Callum Robinson 55

Robinson’s goal in the second half of this largely forgettable friendly at least ensured Ireland’s year finished with a win.

Ireland 3 Latvia 2 (Friendly)

Aviva Stadium; March 22md, 2023

Callum O’Dowda 6, Evan Ferguson 17, Chiedozie Ogbene 64

Ferguson scored his first senior international goal to put Ireland 2-0 ahead but Latvia fought back to be level at the break. Ogbene’s second-half goal secured a home win.

Ireland 3 Gibraltar 0 (European Championship qualifier)

Aviva Stadium; June 19th, 2023

Mikey Johnston 52, Evan Ferguson 59, Adam Idah 92

There were boos at the half-time whistle as the sides went in scoreless but Ireland finally broke down their lowly ranked opponents during the second half.

Gibraltar 0 Ireland 4 (European Championship qualifier)

Estádio Algarve; October 16th, 2023

Evan Ferguson 8, Mikey Johnston 28, Matt Doherty 61, Callum Robinson 80

Ferguson’s early goal set Ireland on their way to a comfortable win and ended a three-game losing streak. It would prove to be Kenny’s last victory as Ireland manager.

Ireland 2 Hungary 1 (Friendly)

Aviva Stadium; June 4th 2024

Adam Idah 36, Troy Parrot 92

Parrott came off the bench to net a breakaway winner in the second minute of injury-time. It was John O’Shea’s sole win as Ireland manager.

Finland 1 Ireland 2 (Nations League)

Olympic Stadium, Helsinki; October 10th, 2024

Liam Scales 57, Robbie Brady 88

Ireland had to come from behind after conceding in the 17th minute, with Brady scoring a winner late on. Conceding first was about to become a habit for Ireland.

Ireland 1 Finland 0 (Nations League)

Aviva Stadium, November 14th, 2024

Evan Ferguson 45

Ferguson’s headed goal just before the break proved the difference but Ireland did also require Caoimhín Kelleher to save a 77th-minute penalty.

Bulgaria 1 Ireland 2 (Nations League)

Stadion Hristo Botev; March 20th, 2025

Finn Azaz 21, Matt Doherty 42

Goals from Azaz and Doherty helped Ireland overcome the concession of a sixth-minute goal to win in Plovdiv.

Ireland 2 Bulgaria 1 (Nations League)

Aviva Stadium, March 23rd, 2025

Evan Ferguson 63, Adam Idah 84

Ireland again had to come from behind. They trailed 1-0 at the interval but two second-half goals turned the game. It remains Ireland’s last win – three draws and a defeat have since followed.

Click here to read article