Republic of Ireland national football team

Republic of Ireland

Nickname(s)	The Boys in Green (Irish: Na buachaillí i nglas)
Association	Football Association of Ireland (FAI)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Vacant
Captain	Séamus Coleman
Most caps	Robbie Keane (146)
Top scorer	Robbie Keane (68)
Home stadium	Aviva Stadium
FIFA code	IRL
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	60 2 (4 April 2024)[1]
Highest	6 (August 1993)
Lowest	70 (June–July 2014)
First international
Irish Free State 1–0 Bulgaria  (Colombes, France; 28 May 1924)
Biggest win
Republic of Ireland 8–0 Malta  (Dublin, Ireland; 16 November 1983)
Biggest defeat
Brazil 7–0 Republic of Ireland  (Uberlândia, Brazil; 27 May 1982)
World Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 1990)
Best result	Quarter-finals (1990)
European Championship
Appearances	3 (first in 1988)
Best result	Round of 16 (2016)
Website	fai.ie

The Republic of Ireland national football team (Irish: Foireann peile náisiúnta Phoblacht na hÉireann) represents the Republic of Ireland in men's international football. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

The team made their debut at the 1924 Summer Olympics, reaching the quarter-finals. Between 1924 and 1936, the team competed as the Irish Free State and from then until 1950, it was referred to by the FAI as Éire or Ireland. During the same period, another Ireland team also existed; this was overseen by the Irish Football Association (IFA) and had previously been the sole national team for the entire island of Ireland. In 1953, FIFA decreed that for competitive matches in tournaments that both Irish teams could enter, the FAI team would be officially called Republic of Ireland while the IFA team was to be named Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland was allowed to keep using the title Ireland by FIFA in the British Home Championship (which was discontinued in 1984). The Republic of Ireland was the first nation from outside the United Kingdom to defeat England at home, in a fixture played at Goodison Park, Liverpool, in 1949. The team reached the quarter-final stage of the 1964 European Nations' Cup, where they lost to the eventual champions Spain.

Under the guidance of Jack Charlton, the team enjoyed their most successful era, reaching their highest FIFA world ranking ever at sixth in August 1993, and qualifying for UEFA Euro 1988 in their first appearance at the UEFA European Championship, reaching the quarter-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in their first ever appearance at the finals, as well as making the last 16 at the 1994 edition. Charlton's successor Mick McCarthy lost out on the next two major tournaments but ultimately qualified for the 2002 World Cup, making it to the last 16, a feat repeated at the 2016 Euros by manager Martin O'Neill.

The team's home stadium is the Aviva Stadium, in Dublin, although some of their home games have been played in other stadiums across the country. Their traditional colours are green shirts and white shorts. The position of manager is currently vacant after the contract of Stephen Kenny was not renewed at the end of 2023; former Irish international John O'Shea is coaching the team currently on an interim basis.^[3][4] Séamus Coleman has served as team captain since 2016.