LAST UPDATE | 12 Nov 2025

HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON ADMITS tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier with Portugal could effectively be a dead rubber by kick-off at Aviva Stadium.

The Boys in Green are currently third in Group F but could be four points adrift of Hungary in the play-off spot as they face Armenia away in Thursday’s early game.

Among the numerous permutations, there is also the possibility of Ireland being bottom of the group going into the Portugal clash should Armenia claim their second home victory of the campaign.

A draw in Yerevan would be ideal as that would confirm Portugal’s automatic qualification as group winners while also ensuring second place remains alive regardless of the outcome going to Budapest this weekend.

“It’s probably the one with [the] most is riding on,” Hallgrímsson said of tomorrow’s game. “But like we’ve said before, we don’t know how much is at stake until after the Armenia game against Hungary. Then we can answer that question again, how much importance of this game is.

“It might be relevant, might be irrelevant, but we at least need a point from this game. Of course it’s a World Cup riding on it if that’s the case.”

“Our approach is not going to change, so we need to play a certain style versus Portugal, whether we need a win or a draw. We can’t go all-in against a team like Portugal, it’s not going to be a basketball match. Then we will take calculated risks if we need to score a goal later on in the game. We have a plan for it and the players must be ready psychologically for this encounter.

“The way the players have behaving, knowing them, every true professional wants to play a game like this, there is a lot riding on it and every player wants to play a game like this every week.”

Dara O’Shea was alongside the Ireland boss and insisted the squad believe they are capable of delivering something special.

“Of course, this group and this team are waiting for that special result against a big team. We’ve been working hard towards [it], tomorrow is an opportunity to do that. As the boss has touched on there is massive belief in the squad and you really have to have that.

“We’re going into the game knowing exactly what we need to do. Everyone is well briefed and it’s one-off game against Portugal at the Aviva. There is no better condition for it, to be back in front of our home crowd. What an opportunity for us, everybody is really looking forward to stepping out there tomorrow night to show what they’ve got and fighting for the country.”

The Ireland press conference took place before the final training session but Hallgrímsson has known that top scorer Evan Ferguson will be unavailable due to injury. The Ireland manager said he has been showing his players clips of where they can cause Portugal more problems, drawing on some scenarios from the late defeat in Lisbon last month.

Hallgrímsson believes Ireland’s defensive structure meant they “kind of controlled how they attacked us,” but accepts it’s “impossible” to “defend all of their threats.” Chief among them, of course, is Cristiano Ronaldo who has scored five times so far during this campaign and is most definitely still a threat.

“The statistics speak and answer that question. He is still scoring goals and breaking records, one of the reasons why they are such a unique attacking team is his desire to score goals.

“They will deliver crosses, they will try to find him all of the time. Most teams, when they are winning, they would cool the game down, but Portugal want to score more goals and he is one of the reasons why this Portuguese team is a unique attacking team.”

Written by David Sneyd and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.