
Sporting Lisbon's Estádio José Alvalade to host Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Portugal
Sporting Lisbon's Estádio José Alvalade will host the Republic of Ireland's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification tie away to Portugal on October 11.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal were confirmed as the top seeds in Ireland's group, alongside Hungary and Armenia last March.
The fixture will kick-off at 7.45pm Irish time, with the FAI noting ticket details will follow in due course.
Heimir Hallgrimsson's men will begin their campaign with the visit of Dominik Szoboszlai's Hungary to the Aviva Stadium on September 6.
The winner of the group will qualify automatically for next year's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, while the runner-up will need to navigate their way through the play-off route next year.
Fixtures:
September 6 – Ireland v Hungary, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm
September 9 – Armenia v Ireland, Republic Stadium, 5pm (Irish Time)
October 11 – Portugal v Ireland, Estádio José Alvalade 7.45pm (Irish Time)
October 14 – Ireland v Armenia, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm
November 13 – Ireland v Portugal, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm
November 16 – Hungary v Ireland, TBC, 2pm (Irish Time)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Daily Mirror
21 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Cristiano Ronaldo transfer news as legend pens mega two-year deal
Cristiano Ronaldo has renewed his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. The Portuguese forward has extended his stay in Saudi Arabia by two years, with a league title proving elusive since he joined the side in December 2022. His trophy cabinet is certainly large enough however, having claimed five Ballons D'Or, five Champions Leagues, seven league titles across England, Spain and Italy, in addition to many more domestic cups. Ronaldo, formerly of Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, was allegedly courted by sides competing at this summer's Club World Cup, with rumours abounding that he would join Lionel Messi's Inter Miami so that the two stars of their generation could finally take the pitch on the same side. He joined Al-Nassr after an acrimonious departure from Erik ten Hag's United side after falling out of favour with the Dutch coach, who is now set to become manager of Bayer Leverkusen. The Saudi announced the extension on Thursday, releasing a video captioned, "The story continues." The 40-year-old posted on X soon after the official announcment, saying: "A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let's make history together." Ronaldo took the Golden Boot in the Saudi Pro League last season and will line up alongside former Premier League stars like Jhon Duran, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte. He has undergone scrutiny in recent years for his performances at international level, with his lack of defensive work-rate increasingly apparent as Portugal have improved in recent years.


Irish Daily Mirror
21 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dan Sheehan expecting Western Force to bring the heat against the Lions
Dan Sheehan has asserted that his British and Irish Lions will draw on their pride in the jersey to match the determination of a Western Force side aiming for a notable win in Perth. With Lions captain Maro Itoje sitting out the first fixture on Australian soil, Ireland hooker Sheehan will lead Andy Farrell's squad at Optus Stadium this Saturday. Henry Pollock is set to make his debut start for the cream of British and Irish rugby, having been selected as number eight, while Finn Russell, the early favourite for the playmaking role against the Wallabies, is set for his first appearance of the tour as fly-half. The Lions know they are being targeted by Super Rugby teams eager to make history but Sheehan, who skippered Ireland against Wales in the Six Nations, declares they will not have a monopoly on passion. 'It's important to know where the opposition's mindset is and how they approach a game that only comes around every 12 years, like it does for the Western Force,' said the 26-year-old, who is one of nine players in the matchday 23 set to make their Lions debuts. 'I'm sure the Force will be 150 per cent of what they usually are. They will be flying into it and that bit of extra hunger can produce some powerful things. 'They would have been eyeing this game up since they probably first stepped into that Western Force change room. It'll mean an awful lot to them. 'But I don't want them to think that they're going to be hungrier than us. We have to demonstrate back our own mindset because this will be the first time I will be putting on the jersey, along with a few other lads.' The Force is the second game of a tour that began with a 28-24 defeat by Argentina in Dublin and while matches will soon come thick and fast, chances to impress Lions boss Andy Farrell will be limited. Farrell, however, has cautioned over the danger of players wanting a Test place too much. 'That's desperation and that's what we don't want because desperation leads to people being distorted in the way they go about the game,' he said. There are two survivors from the side that faced the Pumas in Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne, although they have been switched to inside centre and blindside flanker respectively. Three-time Lions tourist Tadhg Furlong is given the chance to improve his match fitness with a start at tighthead prop following a season that has been heavily interrupted by calf injuries. 'There wasn't a big bang moment when you're out for six months and you're trying to scramble back, they were all short-term injuries,' Furlong said. 'It was tough because as the weeks went on we still thought we had a fighting chance for getting back for Leinster at the end of the season, but it just wasn't right. It would have been very risky to chance something. 'As desperate as you are to get on to the pitch, you also have a situation where you can't push. 'In some ways you can live with yourself because you're doing everything you can to get out there. When you can't, you can't.'


The Irish Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
‘World's greatest stadium' which was left abandoned for 16 years finally gets opening date as club secure £275m funding
A STADIUM dubbed the 'world's greatest' has finally got an opening date after being left abandoned for 16 years. 6 Valencia have secured £275million of funding to build the Nou Mestalla Credit: Valencia CF 6 The incredible stadium has even been given a completion date Credit: YouTube It was meant to open in time for the 2009/10 LaLiga season as the club, then a national powerhouse, looked to take advantage of global stars including David Silva, Juan Mata and David Villa. However, The club also failed to find a buy for their old Mestalla stadium, which holds 50,000 seats and continues to serve as their home to this day. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL And even a £90m bank loan was denied to Valencia's owners at the time, thwarting their stadium plans altogether. It saw But now, Valencia have announced they've secured funding worth £275m which will finally see construction completed. The club are aiming to kick things off at the Nou Mestalla in 2027 and are confident it will greatly increase revenue streams, thereby returning Valencia to their rightful place in the LaLiga title race. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS And the Nou Mestalla could now be included as one of the host stadiums when Spain, Portugal and Morocco hold the World Cup in 2030. Work restarts on 'world's greatest football stadium' that had been abandoned for 16 years as £250m revamp is agreed 6 The Nou Mestalla had previously been abandoned for 16 years Credit: Getty 6 Building work stopped when Valencia racked up huge debts Credit: Getty Images - Getty Valencia president Kiat Lim beamed: 'This marks a historic milestone for Valencia. Securing this landmark financing gives us the green light to deliver a Nou Mestalla — a world-class stadium that will power the Club's growth for generations. 'It is the clearest expression of our long-term commitment to Valencia, and a reflection of the trust and confidence the Club now commands in global financial markets. 'With this agreement, we are building more than a stadium — we are building the future of Valencia.' 6 The Nou Mestalla had originally been billed to open in 2009 Credit: Getty 6 It could now host a World Cup match in 2030 Credit: YouTube