The latter part of this year will see a women’s Euro 2025 qualifier match being held at the Aviva Stadium in Ireland. The anticipated match featuring England, coached by Sarina Wiegman, is likely to fill the national venue.
Ireland’s team, led by Eileen Gleeson, is grouped with the reigning European champions, France, and Sweden, in the 3A Nations League. The first two teams in this group will advance to the Euros in Switzerland.
On the FIFA ranking scale, England, France, and Sweden rank fourth, third, and fifth respectively. As for the Irish team, they currently rank at 24.
Lauding their position in the group, Denise O’Sullivan asserted, “We’ve accomplished what we set out to do.” Meanwhile, Gleeson from the Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, said, “We are in a challenging group, having drawn with three top five European teams. That’s an exciting prospect for us.”
“They avoided us as well, given that we are the fourth seed. We derive a sense of positivity from this situation as any one of these teams can take points from the others. It may not necessarily be the case that there’s one dominant winner in the group.”
The Irish team usually plays their games at Tallaght Stadium, whose capacity has recently been increased to 10,000, following the completion of the fourth stand by the local council. However, the Aviva stadium was host to a whopping 35,994 spectators in September 2023, when it hosted its first female football international and saw Ireland defeat Northern Ireland 3-0.
The FAI, guided by Jonathan Hill, has expressed intentions to change more women’s matches to the Aviva, located in Dublin 4. However, with capacity at 51,700, there may be issues accommodating the Irish team for the first round of games on Friday, April 5th and Tuesday, April 9th due to a Champions Cup match featuring Leinster versus Leicester the day in between. This will require a swift turnover between events, a feat accomplished in the past.
An additional challenge could arise in the May-June slot already allocated for an international football game at the Aviva on Tuesday, June 4th, for a men’s friendly against Hungary, which conflicts with a women’s qualifier for Ireland.
The possibility of England, France, or Sweden arriving in Dublin on the 31st of May has emerged, only nine days post the Europa League final hosted at the same venue. Furthermore, there seems to be no obstructions for the dates of 12th and 16th of July. This is due to Aviva shows – Pink and Taylor Swift – taking place a few days earlier in June.
“It offers a considerable hurdle for us,” Gleeson stated, referring to decreasing differences between female football teams across Europe on an elite level.
The previous encounter between the neighbouring teams resulted in a 1-0 defeat at Dalymount Park in March of 1987.
“This is just another match we must concentrate on. Granted, our team will recognise the English players more, from prior face-offs in ongoing leagues.”
Facing England at Wembley or in Dublin has always carried heightened significance, hasn’t it? “My approach remains grounded,” responded Gleeson, “I am determined not to overly dramatize one match against another.”
In view of Ireland’s colossal challenge at hand, the Nations League top tier position assures them a playoff slot to attain a second successive big tournament in Switzerland the following year. The third and fourth ranking teams from each Nations League Division A compete in a two-leg playoff against a Division C team on the dates 23rd and 29th October.
Should Ireland emerge victorious in these matches, they might face a Division B opponent, possibly Scotland or Wales, over two legs between the 27th of November and the 3rd of December for a place in the Euros.
In the run-up to the 2023 World Cup, Ireland had a game against Sweden that ended in their 1-0 defeat in Tallaght, followed by a spectacular draw secured by a goal from Katie McCabe in Gothenburg. Their last confrontation with France resulted in a 3-0 loss, also in Tallaght, before their exit to Australia the previous summer. England bested Germany in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley, only to be defeated 1-0 by Spain in the World Cup final last summer.
“There’s no denying it – this is likely the toughest group Irish teams have ever been assigned to. This sentiment resonates throughout the auditorium as well based on the reactions from our fellow associates. Well, it is what it is,” Gleeson acknowledged.
In essence, each game we encounter is like a Euro semi-final to us filled with excitement, challenge, and determination. While we are here, this particular group from Ireland has demonstrated an exceptional ability to exceed expectations. They invariably put their best foot forward, striving to triumph in every match they engage in.
UEFA is set to announce the specifics, including dates and locations, on Wednesday for the Nations League/Euro 2025 qualifiers.
The following are the specifics:
– The first and second round of qualifying matches are slated for Friday, 5th April and Tuesday, 9th April.
– The next two rounds (3rd & 4th) are scheduled for Friday, 31st May and Tuesday, 4th June.
– Qualifying rounds five and six are set for Friday, 12th July and Tuesday, 16th July.
– The Playoff draw is slated for 19th July.
– The first playoff round including two legs is scheduled between 23rd and 29th October.
– The second round is set to be played between 27th November and 3rd December.
– The European Championships are to be held from the 2nd to the 27th of July, 2025 in Switzerland.
For the latest in-depth analysis and conversation, tune in to our Inside Politics Podcast. Instant news, thoughtful analysis, and commentary can be received directly on your mobile device by signing up for push alerts. Stay informed and up-to-date with The Irish Times on WhatsApp.