# Republic of Ireland at the FIFA World Cup

The Republic of Ireland have appeared in the Men's FIFA World Cup on three occasions, in 1990, 1994, and 2002. They have always advanced from the group stage but have never advanced beyond the quarter-finals.
Their first appearance was in Italy at the 1990 Men's FIFA World Cup. 1990 was also their best performance in a major championship, where they reached the quarter-finals, despite not winning a single match in 90 minutes.

## Overall record

| FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Position |
| 1930 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Declined participation | Declined participation | Declined participation | Declined participation | Declined participation | Declined participation | Declined participation |
| 1934 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 3/3 |
| 1938 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2/2 |
| 1950 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 2/3 |
| 1954 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2/3 |
| 1958 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2/3 |
| 1962 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 3/3 |
| 1966 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Lost Play-off |
| 1970 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 4/4 |
| 1974 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2/3 |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3/3 |
| 1982 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 3/5 |
| 1986 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4/5 |
| 1990 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 2/5 |
| 1994 | Round of 16 | 15th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 2/7 |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 11 | 2/6; Lost Play-off |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | 12th | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 6 | 2/6; Won Play-off |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 4/6 |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 2/6; Lost Play-off |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 4/6 |
| 2018 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2/6; Lost Play-off |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 3/5 |
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2034 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | Quarter-finals | 3/25 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 149 | 58 | 46 | 45 | 210 | 177 | — |
    *Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
List of FIFA World Cup matches :
| Year | Round | Score | Result | Republic of Ireland scorers |
| 1990 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 1–1 England | Draw | Kevin Sheedy 73' |
| 1990 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 1–1 Netherlands | Draw | Niall Quinn 71' |
| 1990 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 0–0 Egypt | Draw | — |
| 1990 | Round of 16 | Republic of Ireland 0–0 (5–4 p) Romania | Draw | — |
| 1990 | Quarter-finals | Republic of Ireland 0–1 Italy | Loss | — |
| 1994 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 1–0 Italy | Win | Ray Houghton 11' |
| 1994 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 1–2 Mexico | Loss | John Aldridge 84' |
| 1994 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 0–0 Norway | Draw | — |
| 1994 | Round of 16 | Republic of Ireland 0–2 Netherlands | Loss | — |
| 2002 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 1–1 Cameroon | Draw | Matt Holland 52' |
| 2002 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 1–1 Germany | Draw | Robbie Keane 90+2' |
| 2002 | Group stage | Republic of Ireland 3–0 Saudi Arabia | Win | Robbie Keane 7' Gary Breen 61' Damien Duff 87' |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | Republic of Ireland 1–1 (2–3 p) Spain | Draw | Robbie Keane 90' (pen.) |

## 1990 World Cup
### Group F

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| England | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
| Republic of Ireland | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Egypt | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 |
Note: Republic of Ireland awarded second place by drawing of lots

### Knockout phase
## 1994 World Cup
### Group E

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Mexico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Republic of Ireland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Italy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Norway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |

### Knockout phase
## 2002 World Cup
### Group E

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 | 7 |
| Republic of Ireland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 5 |
| Cameroon | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |

### Knockout phase
## Record players

Defender Steve Staunton has represented the Irish team in all of their thirteen World Cup matches, captaining the side in 2002.
| Rank | Player | Matches | Tournaments |
| 1 | Steve Staunton | 13 | 1990, 1994, 2002 |
| 2 | Pat Bonner | 9 | 1990, 1994 |
| 2 | Ray Houghton | 9 | 1990, 1994 |
| 2 | Paul McGrath | 9 | 1990, 1994 |
| 2 | Andy Townsend | 9 | 1990, 1994 |
| 6 | John Aldridge | 8 | 1990, 1994 |
| 7 | Niall Quinn | 7 | 1990, 2002 |
| 8 | Tony Cascarino | 6 | 1990, 1994 |
| 8 | Gary Kelly | 6 | 1994, 2002 |
| 8 | Jason McAteer | 6 | 1994, 2002 |

## Goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Goals | Tournaments |
| 1 | Robbie Keane | 3 | 2002 |
| 2 | Niall Quinn | 1 | 1990 |
| 2 | Kevin Sheedy | 1 | 1990 |
| 2 | John Aldridge | 1 | 1994 |
| 2 | Ray Houghton | 1 | 1994 |
| 2 | Gary Breen | 1 | 2002 |
| 2 | Damien Duff | 1 | 2002 |
| 2 | Matt Holland | 1 | 2002 |