2026 World Cup draw: Ireland to face Portugal/Denmark, Hungary and Armenia

While there will be relief in the Irish camp at having avoided a five-team group, which would have complicated the calendar planned for 2025 by manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, the prospect of facing either Portugal or Denmark, two sides Ireland have struggled to beat at competitive level in decades, will be daunting although with that comes some hope that results could be managed against Hungary and Armenia.

There is familiarity with the Hungarians as Ireland have played them twice in the last four years, albeit in friendlies, and some of the current squad have memories of clashes with Armenia in 2022 in the Nations League, a bruising defeat in Yerevan for Stephen Kenny’s side and a narrow 3-2 win in Dublin.

As Ireland are not in a five-team group, the June window can now be used for friendly games and the qualifiers will begin in September, but awaiting the outcome of that Portugal-Denmark playoff means fans have to wait before making any travel plans.

The top seeds in Ireland’s group will be the winners of the Portugal-Denmark tie in the Nations League playoff. Portugal are a tricky foe as Ireland have lost nine of their 16 meetings at senior level since 1946 and lost three of the four clashes since 2014.

Ireland and the Danes have played out 10 draws in their 19 meetings at senior level and since that 5-1 thrashing of Martin O’Neill’s side by Denmark in a playoff for the 2018 World Cup, all four clashes ended in a draw.

Ireland have not played Hungary in a competitive game since the sides met in the qualifiers for the 1990 World Cup, two clean sheets for Jack Charlton’s side with a 0-0 draw in Budapest and then a 2-0 home win. Since then the teams have met four times in friendly games where Ireland are unbeaten, with wins in 1991 and 2024 and scoreless draws in 2012 and 2021.

An Ireland team managed by Giovanni Trapattoni earned wins over Armenia in the qualifiers for Euro 2012 but the last group involving the Armenians was more tricky.

World Cup qualifier draw

Group A: Winner of Germany/Italy, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg

Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo

Group C: Loser of Portugal/Denmark, Greece, Scotland, Belarus

Group D: Winner of France/Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan

Group E: Winner of Spain/Netherlands, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria

Group F: Winner of Portugal/Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Armenia

Group G: Loser of Spain/Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta

Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino

Group I: Loser of Germany/Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova

Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein

Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra

Group L: Loser of France/Croatia, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar