Scouting Series 6 Week 4: 20 Talents to Watch in the FAI National League! 🇮🇪👀 15 clubs. A brand new third tier. A pathway Irish football has long been missing. Academy products, underage internationals, a dual athlete and a 16 year old starter. At least one per club 🧵👇

Our friends at @HeadInTheGameIE are doing a survey on mental health in football Would really appreciate if you could take the time to fill it out 💜 headinthegame.ie/general-5?f…

📺 INTRODUCING: IRISH ON TV 🇮🇪 Your one-stop guide to every Irish footballer you can watch live this weekend, and exactly where to find them. League of Ireland, the EFL, the WSL, Scotland, Europe and beyond. 🍀 We’ve hired a personal assistant to dig through every TV guide, team sheet and streaming service, so you don’t have to. They start bright and early every Friday morning, have never once asked for a tea break, and are already tired of hearing about 3pm blackouts. ☕️😅 It’s a work in progress, so expect tweaks and improvements as we go. Spot something we’ve missed? Let us know below 👇 Swipe for this weekend’s guide 👉

🇮🇪 Wexford CBS beat England in China! The lads have picked up their first win at the ISF World Cup in Suzhou, and it came against the country every Irish side wants to beat the most. The result sees them finish third in their group and move on to the Shield stage. Adam Codd opened the scoring with a superb effort, and Charlie Mullan doubled the lead shortly after to seal a 2-0 victory. It’s a result that means even more given the challenges the squad have faced, with injuries and suspensions mounting over a demanding few days. Their campaign began with a 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria, in a game where the lads more than held their own for long spells. Next came a tough test against a strong Thailand side. Aaron O’Leary and Darragh Buttle both found the net, but two red cards left the team short and they went down 5-2. To bounce back and beat England says plenty about the character within this group. It hasn’t all been about football either. The squad took part in the Opening Ceremony and also enjoyed a visit to a local high school, where they were warmly welcomed by their hosts 🇮🇪🇨🇳 The families who travelled out deserve a mention too for their support throughout the trip 💚 Next up for Wexford CBS is a Shield clash with Nepal tomorrow ⚽ 📸: @wexfordcbs

ICYMI Gavin Bazunu after Bolton’s win over Wolves on Tuesday Night. Where he made a match-winning save that was nothing short of World Class! 🤯 Absolutely brilliant to see him enjoying his football with his new club💚 People forget that he’s only 24

1998. The year that changed Irish football. Could 2026 be the next? In May, Brian Kerr's U16s won the European Championships in Scotland. Keith Foy and David McMahon scored in a 2-1 final win over Italy. That Irish Team had a young John O’Shea, Andy Reid and Liam Miller in amongst others. Two months later, Kerr did it again. Our U18s drew 1-1 with Germany in Cyprus, Alan Quinn on target, before winning 4-3 on penalties. Two European titles in one summer. Our U18s had Richard Dunne, a certain Robbie Keane and Gary Doherty et al. One of Irelands greatest ever defender, our greatest ever goalscorer and someone who was capped over 30 times for the Senior Team. Even those who didn’t reach those lofty heights many of those went on to shape Irish Football in their own ways, even extending to today. I don’t think it can be overplayed how important Tournament Football can be to building teams, knockout competition, elite opposition. It all plays a role. The closest example today in the modern game is when Stephen Kenny took our U21s to the Toulon Tournament in 2019. Finishing 4th with a squad including: Caoimhin Kelleher, Dara O’Shea, Conor Coventry, Jayson Molumby, Adam Idah, Liam Scales, Jason Knight, Etc Now in 2026. Our U15s head into the first ever FIFA U15 World Cup later this month. Our U17s reached the last 16 in Qatar last year and are back, with Brazil up first on November 21st. Our U21s have never played at a Euros. A 3-1 win over England in Cork has them two games away. The Seniors are three behind Austria with two to play. Top spot means Nations League A and second could bring a playoff. Competing against the best and higher future seeding. The Girls in Green made their World Cup debut in 2023. Now a 12-0 aggregate win over Kazakhstan has them in a playoff final vs Poland, one tie from Brazil 2027. 1998 didn't just win two trophies. It shaped a decade of Irish football. 2026 has the chance to do the same, but it all hinges on how we end it. A World Cup run in Qatar. Two ties for the U21s. Two Nations League games. One final for the Girls in Green. Get those right, and we'll look back on this year the way we look back on 1998.

🇮🇪 Wexford CBS are going to flying the flag for Ireland in China! The senior team at Wexford CBS are set to represent Ireland at the 2026 International School Sport Federation (ISF) Football World Cup in Suzhou, China. They earned their invite after winning the FAI Under-17 National Junior Cup in 2025, and they'll become the first Irish team to compete in the tournament since St Benildus College went to Sardinia in 1999. That's 27 years! The squad leave for Shanghai on October 14th before travelling to Suzhou, where the tournament kicks off on October 18th. 38 teams from 31 different countries will take part over eight days, with the Opening Ceremony at Suzhou Sports Centre expected to draw a crowd of upwards of 40,000 people 👀 In the group stage draw, Wexford CBS were drawn alongside Bulgaria, Mali and, to the great anticipation of the students, England. Germany, France and Brazil will also have school representatives out there. But with China and Uganda reaching the final in 2024, there's hope within the school of a deep run. The side is littered with young League of Ireland players with promising careers, and leading them out as captain will be Wexford FC's Alex Norval. "It's the stuff you dream of as a kid, something you can't even imagine." "We're like a big family. It's the closest team I've ever been on, we are all best friends, I think that can help. Teams with individuals don't win much." Defender Daragh Rogan summed up what it means to the group: "It's not every day you get to represent your country... Getting to wear the crest, it's something special. Soccer is a big part of the culture at this school, here it's serious." School principal John Hegarty said the lads have trained all summer while also fundraising to cover the huge expense of the trip. "The lads have done all of the work both on and off the field, so it's great for them." Best of luck to the lads and staff out in Suzhou 💚

🇮🇪 Ireland's Cerebral Palsy squads are set for World Cup kick-off! Both our Men's and Women's CP squads get their 2026 IFCPF World Cup campaigns underway this week in Atlanta, Georgia, with the tournament starting this Wednesday, October 14th. With support from the FAI, the two squads made the trip after a preparation camp at the FAI National Training Centre. The Men's squad is led by FAI Coach Development Lead Paul Smyth and has nine players with previous World Cup experience. That includes Dillon Sheridan, who scored five goals as Ireland finished 10th overall. The Women's squad is overseen by FAI Women & Girls' Lead Aisling Conway, with seven players who represented Ireland at the last World Cup in Spain. That team won Bronze on their first ever World Cup appearance 👀 Men's Group C Thu Oct 15 | Ireland v Indonesia Fri Oct 16 | Ireland v Japan Sun Oct 18 | England v Ireland Women's Group B Fri Oct 16 | Australia v Ireland Sat Oct 17 | Netherlands v Ireland Mon Oct 19 | Ireland v Colombia Men's Squad GK: Luke Staunton (Roscommon), Ruadhan Dooley MacDonough (Tipperary) DEF: Conor Halpin (Dublin), Carl McKee (Dublin), Darren Martin (Monaghan) MID: Ryan Nolan (Wicklow), James Bateman (Tipperary), Jake Hannon (Kildare), Eric O'Flaherty (Galway), Aaron Tier (Limerick) FWD: Dillon Sheridan (Dublin), Darryl Fay (Dublin), Jack O'Sullivan (Cork), Warren Morrissey (Dublin) Staff: Paul Smyth (Head Coach), Brian Dorrian (Assistant Coach), Thomas Hughes (Coach), Will Donohoe (Physio), Bobby Moore (Equipment Officer) Women's Squad GK: Reeva Merriman (Kildare) DEF: Casey Heaney (Westmeath), Elsie Friel (Donegal), Isobel Clarke (Dublin), Aisling Duncan (Longford) MID: Katie Finegnan (Dublin), Ella Sherlock (Dublin) FWD: Eva Walsh (Dublin), Kate Connolly (Waterford), Robyn Ennis (Offaly) Staff: Aisling Conway (Head Coach), Conor McKahey (Assistant Coach), Clodagh McGrath (Coach), Andrea McCormack (Physio), Ellen Tinnelly (Equipment Officer) It's so important that we support and get behind all aspects of Irish football. Best of luck to both squads and staff out in Atlanta 💚