The Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team stand within 90 minutes of footballing history in Grenoble tonight when they face France in their final UEFA Women’s World Cup qualifier.
Carla Ward’s side go into the game at the Stade des Alpes knowing that a win over one of Europe’s strongest teams would secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
It would be the first time an Irish senior women’s team has qualified directly for a major tournament and would represent one of the greatest achievements in the history of Irish football.
The scale of the opportunity has been earned through a campaign that has already exceeded expectation. Ireland began from Pot Four, with survival in League A viewed as the primary target. Instead, they arrive in France with qualification still in their own hands.
Friday night’s 3-2 win over the Netherlands at Páirc Uí Chaoimh changed the complexion of Group A2 and gave the team the momentum of one of the great Irish sporting nights of recent years.
Kyra Carusa opened the scoring with a sharp first-time finish, before Abbie Larkin restored Ireland’s lead with a superb strike at the front post. When the Dutch drew level again, Amber Barrett delivered another defining moment in green, coming from the bench to score an 89th-minute winner and send the Cork crowd into celebration.
Ireland had pushed France all the way in the opening game of the campaign before falling to a narrow 2-1 defeat. That performance, allied to the win over the Netherlands, has fed the belief that this group can produce one more extraordinary result.
“No matter what happens tomorrow night, this group of players can be incredibly proud of what they have achieved so far,” said Head Coach Carla Ward.
“First and foremost, the development of this group has been outstanding. But if we were to go out and get the win we need, I think everyone would agree it would be one of the biggest sporting stories in world football.”
“By rights, a Pot Four team isn’t expected to even stay in League A, let alone win two or three matches and be on the verge of winning the group. We have already written our own history and broken records along this journey, but tomorrow night represents our biggest opportunity yet.”
Ward was keen to frame the game as one where Ireland can play with freedom, rather than fear.
“The pressure is completely off us,” she said. “There is a real sense of calm and a sharp focus around the squad. We truly have nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. Our processes stay exactly the same; we won’t change how we prepare. It’s another game of football, and we are going out there to try and win it.”
Conditions in Grenoble are expected to be very different from the torrential rain of Cork last Friday, though the later kick-off should ease the impact of the heat.
“We are kicking off at 9pm local time, which will definitely help take the sting out of the heat,” said Ward. “In our last game in Cork, the rain was torrential, and tomorrow will be the opposite, but we will compete in whatever conditions are put in front of us. The girls are highly adaptable and there will be no issues whatsoever.”
Ireland will also be strengthened by the return of Emily Murphy and Denise O’Sullivan, who are back in contention after serving suspensions against the Netherlands. Ward otherwise has a fully fit squad available.
Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, who previously played club football in France, said the squad is embracing the stage.
“It feels amazing,” said Brosnan. “We’ve said it a million times: playing in League A against the very best teams in the world is exactly where we want to be as a squad.”
“To be heading into the final game of the campaign with a genuine chance at automatic qualification is unbelievable. It shows how much we have progressed and grown as a team, and the win against the Netherlands on Friday has given us massive confidence that we belong on this stage.”
Brosnan has been one of Ireland’s most consistent performers over recent campaigns and will again be central to the challenge of containing a French side packed with world-class attacking talent.
“As a goalkeeper, you have to be that calm presence,” she said. “I want to do whatever it takes to help this team succeed, whether that means making no saves, one save, or ten saves in a match.”
“We are such a united, strong squad. When we step over that white line tomorrow night, we are going to give absolutely everything to get the result the country deserves.”
The game will be shown live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with kick-off at 8pm Irish time.
It is a night loaded with possibility. Qualification for the World Cup in Australia was historic in itself, but direct qualification for a World Cup would take the women’s game here to a new level again.
The platform created by Vera Pauw’s World Cup squad in Australia has been built on by a new generation under Ward. The crowd in Cork last Friday showed the connection between team and public remains as powerful as ever.
Now comes France, under the lights in Grenoble, and a chance to turn belief into history.
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Image Credit: FAI
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