Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
| Nickname | Boys in Green | |
|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Association of Ireland (FAI) | |
| Head coach | Jim Crawford | |
| Captain | Joe Hodge | |
| Most caps | Conor Coventry (28) | |
| Top scorer | Robbie Brady (7) Kevin Doyle (7) Sinclair Armstrong (7) | |
| ||
| First international | ||
(Dublin; 8 March 1978) | ||
| Biggest win | ||
(Serravalle, San Marino; 22 March 2024) | ||
| Biggest defeat | ||
(Baunatal, Germany; 23 March 1993) | ||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | ||
| Appearances | Have never qualified |
The Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team is a representative team of Irish football players. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland and represents them at Under-21 level against the national teams of other national associations. The team played its first match in 1978 and has competed in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship since 1988.
History
[edit]As a European under-21 team, the Republic of Ireland participates in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, which takes place every two years. There is no Under-21 World Cup, although there is an Under-20 World Cup. Ireland did not enter the first five Under-21 Championships, entering for the first time in 1988 but failing to qualify. Ireland have never qualified for the European Under-21 Championships.
UEFA European Under-21 Championship record
[edit]| UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship record | UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D * | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1978 | did not enter | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
| 1980 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||
| 1982 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||
| 1984 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||
| 1986 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||
| 1988 | did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | |||||||
| 1990 | did not enter | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
| 1992 | did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 14 | |||||||
| 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 20 | |||||||||
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 9 | |||||||||
| 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 7 | |||||||||
| 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 12 | |||||||||
| 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 7 | |||||||||
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | |||||||||
| 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 14 | |||||||||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 14 | |||||||||
| 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 11 | |||||||||
| 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 10 | |||||||||
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 12 | |||||||||
| 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 17 | |||||||||
| 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 15 | |||||||||
| 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 8 | |||||||||
| 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 11 | |||||||||
| 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 12 | |||||||||
| To be determined | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | ||||||||
| Total | - | 147 | 50 | 32 | 65 | 189 | 202 |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
[edit]2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | +16 | 19 | Final tournament | — | 2 Oct | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 25 Sep | ||
| 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 10 | +5 | 16 | Final tournament or Play-offs | 0–4 | — | 25 Sep | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 3 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 11 | 6 Oct | 2–2 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 29 Sep | |||
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 7 | 1–1 | 6 Oct | 4–0 | — | 2 Oct | 1–0 | |||
| 5 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 17 | −8 | 5 | 0–4 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 3–0 | — | 6 Oct | |||
| 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 4 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | — |
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(E) Eliminated
Results and fixtures
[edit]The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2025
[edit]| 21 March Friendly | Republic of Ireland | 0–2 | | San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |
| 19:00 GMT | Joe Gardner |
Report | Bobby Wales Jude Bonnar |
Stadium: Pinatar Arena |
| 24 March Friendly | Republic of Ireland | 3–1 | | San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |
| 19:00 GMT | Mason Melia Conor McManus |
Report | Gábor Jurek |
Stadium: Pinatar Arena |
| 6 June Friendly | Croatia | 1–0 | | Zagreb, Croatia |
| 16:00 GMT | Fabijan Krivak |
Report | Stadium: Gradski Stadion Referee: A. Culina |
| 10 June Friendly | | 0–0 | | Zagreb, Croatia |
| 17:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Gradski Stadion Referee: I. Vuckovic |
| 4 September UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Moldova | 1–2 | | Nisporeni, Moldova |
| 17:00 GMT | Mihai Lupan |
Report | Mason Melia |
Stadium: Nisporeni Central Stadium Attendance: 1,180 Referee: Klym Zabroda |
| 9 September UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Republic of Ireland | 1–0 | | Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
| 19:30 GMT | Michael Noonan |
Report | Stadium: Tallaght Stadium Attendance: 1,387 Referee: Heini Ziskason Viðoy |
| 10 October UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Republic of Ireland | 2–2 | | Cork, Republic of Ireland |
| 19:30 GMT | Jamie Mullins Jad Hakiki |
Report | Mason Melia Nino Marcelli |
Stadium: Turners Cross Attendance: 3,872 Referee: Lionel Tschudi |
| 14 November UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | England | 2–0 | | Birmingham, England |
| 19:45 GMT | Divin Mubama Divin Mubama Tyrique George |
Report | Stadium: St Andrew's Attendance: 9,961 Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu |
| 18 November UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Andorra | 4–0 | | Andorra la Vella, Andorra |
| 18:00 GMT | Gerard Sola Hugo Ferreira Ian Olivera Gerard Sola |
Report | Stadium: Estadi Nacional Attendance: 250 Referee: Anton Lashuk |
2026
[edit]| 26 March UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Republic of Ireland | 1–1 | | Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
| 17:15 GMT | Jamie Mullins |
Report | Vasile Luchița |
Stadium: Tallaght Stadium Attendance: 860 Referee: Walter Altmann |
| 31 March UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Kazakhstan | 0–1 | | Turkistan, Kazakhstan |
| 16:00 GMT | Report | Oisin Gallagher |
Stadium: Turkestan Arena Referee: Karl Koppel |
| 25 September UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Slovakia | v | | TBC, Slovakia |
| TBC GMT | Report | Stadium: TBC |
| 29 September UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Republic of Ireland | v | | TBC, Republic of Ireland |
| TBC GMT | Report | Stadium: TBC |
| 6 October UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | Republic of Ireland | v | | TBC, Republic of Ireland |
| TBC GMT | Report | Stadium: TBC |
Staff
[edit]The Under-21s' management team includes:[1]
| Position | Name | Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | 5 April 2020 | |
| Assistant coach | 28 August 2023 | |
| Goalkeeping coach | 24 April 2020 | |
| Lead Performance Analyst | April 2020 | |
| Sports Scientist | 18 March 2023 | |
| Sports Scientist | 18 March 2025 | |
| Chartered Physiotherapist | 24 April 2019 | |
| Athletic Therapist | 19 March 2022 | |
| Doctor | March 2021 | |
| Kitman | May 2023 |
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]Players born on or after 1 January 2004 are eligible for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
The following players were called up for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification fixtures against Moldova and Kazakhstan on 26 and 31 March 2026.[2]
Caps and goals updated as of 31 March 2026, after the game vs Kazakhstan.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Noah Jauny | 26 August 2004 | 9 | 0 | |
| 16 | GK | Aaron Maguire | 25 July 2004 | 4 | 0 | |
| 23 | GK | Conor Walsh | 17 March 2005 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2 | DF | Sam Curtis | 1 December 2005 | 17 | 1 | |
| 5 | DF | Alex Murphy | 25 June 2004 | 12 | 0 | |
| 4 | DF | David Okagbue | 4 February 2004 | 8 | 0 | |
| 3 | DF | Conor McManus | 16 June 2004 | 5 | 2 | |
| 14 | DF | Cathal McCarthy | 31 August 2006 | 3 | 0 | |
| DF | Gabriel Otegbayo | 11 February 2005 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 12 | DF | Cory O'Sullivan | 2 May 2006 | 1 | 0 | |
| 8 | MF | Jamie Mullins | 29 September 2004 | 13 | 3 | |
| 19 | MF | Darius Lipsiuc | 16 September 2005 | 10 | 0 | |
| 6 | MF | Jacob Devaney | 11 June 2007 | 7 | 0 | |
| 20 | MF | Jack Moorhouse | 29 November 2005 | 5 | 0 | |
| 18 | MF | Romeo Akachukwu | 28 May 2006 | 2 | 0 | |
| 10 | MF | Aarón Ochoa Moloney | 18 April 2007 | 1 | 0 | |
| 22 | MF | Oisin Gallagher | 2 December 2004 | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | FW | Trent Koné-Doherty | 30 June 2006 | 6 | 0 | |
| 17 | FW | Tommy Lonergan | 2 January 2004 | 5 | 0 | |
| 9 | FW | Michael Noonan | 31 July 2008 | 4 | 1 | |
| 11 | FW | Leon Ayinde | 5 September 2004 | 2 | 0 | |
| 21 | FW | Jaden Umeh | 18 March 2008 | 2 | 0 | |
| 13 | FW | Sean Patton | 25 July 2006 | 1 | 0 |
Recent call-ups
[edit]The following players have also been called up to the Republic of Ireland under-21 squad and remain eligible:
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Andrew Wogan | 1 December 2005 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Killian Barrett | 15 March 2004 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Owen Mason | 24 March 2004 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | James AbankwahSEN (captain) | 16 January 2004 | 14 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Seán Grehan | 8 January 2004 | 13 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Jacob Slater | 5 October 2004 | 8 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Freddie Turley | 3 July 2006 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Connor O'Brien | 12 July 2004 | 7 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Connor Barratt | 5 April 2004 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Adam Murphy | 8 April 2005 | 9 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Harry Vaughan | 6 April 2004 | 7 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | James McManus | 16 March 2005 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Ed McJannet | 25 January 2004 | 6 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh | 11 May 2005 | 4 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Cathal O'Sullivan | 5 March 2007 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Ronan Maher | 30 December 2004 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Glory Nzingo | 4 November 2004 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Adam Brennan | 29 May 2007 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Mark O'Mahony | 15 January 2005 | 15 | 1 | v. | |
| FW | Jad Hakiki | 23 June 2004 | 10 | 1 | v. | |
| FW | Mason Melia | 22 September 2007 | 6 | 3 | v. | |
| FW | Cian Dillon | 4 April 2006 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Joe Gardner | 6 June 2005 | 3 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Rocco Vata | 18 April 2005 | 10 | 6 | v. | |
| FW | Warren Davis | 2 April 2005 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Franco Umeh | 26 January 2005 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Sean Moore | 13 August 2005 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Kevin Zefi | 11 February 2005 | 1 | 0 | Free agent | v. |
| FW | Ben Quinn | 11 November 2004 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Adrien Thibaut | 11 July 2004 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
INJ Withdrew from latest squad due to injury |
Note: Names in italics denote players that have been capped for the senior team.