Be warned, lightning can strike twice and will do so again at this World Cup as Philly game descends into farce

Cathal Dervan, Editor

A day when we waited for history and a day when history was made at the FIFA World Cup but ultimately a day that ended in farce as the RTE pundits were left to fill air time with chats about everything from horse sales to robot footballers.

France against Iraq kicked off just an hour or so after Lionel Messi rewrote history with the goals that confirmed his standing as the World Cup’s leading scorer of all time, goals against Ireland’s upcoming Nations League opponents Austria by the way.

As Messi overtook Miroslav Klose in the scoring charts so Kylian Mbappe served notice of his intentions to eventually overtake the Argentinean in that regard with a quite stunning opener against the Iraqis.

Then the rain and the lightning hit Philly as the players made their way to the dressing-rooms for the half-time cup of tea. And the farce descended on this World Cup as quickly as the rain fell on the home of the Eagles.

The RTE pundits - Kevin Doyle, Aine Gorman and Stephen Kelly - did their best to fill in under the watchful eye of Clare McNamara. Over on the BBC, Kelly Cates did her best to keep Gael Clichy, Olivier Giroud and Joe Hart on script.

Between them, the pundits in Dublin and London tried hard to stay relevant. As part of his self confessed waffling, Kevin Doyle leaned on his horse breeding experience to explain that Lionel Messi is not your typical footballer. At a horse fair, he told us, the Lionel Messi types would be left behind in favour of the thoroughbred specimens.

Stephen Kelly expanded on the Messi debate during a discussion on Ronaldo’s World Cup failings to date. A football robot, Kelly suggested, would be more Ronaldo than Messi.

Fair enough, even if Messi is more likely to stay longer in this tournament and score more goals than the divisive Ronaldo. See, even this viewer joined the irrelevant conversation as we waited to see if it would ever be sunny again in Philadelphia.

At least Joe Hart did give me some ammunition over on the BBC. As you will see from our World Cup podcast today with Rob Shepherd, I have fears over the ability of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to keep his team in this tournament when it comes under real pressure.

Turns out, according to Hart, the ball is the problem. Once it goes at any height there is no spin and the ‘keepers are struggling to cope with it.

So the weather break did some good. I might have learned more than that only for the fact that I went to bed at midnight - two hours after kick-off and an hour or so after the half-time break.

At that time, there was no solid news on when the game would resume. And by then I’d lost the interest to wait or listen to any more waffle on RTE or the BBC.

It was all very farcical. Like so many other things that have gone wrong in this tournament. And it is bound to happen again.

At least, we all know who to blame - Gianni Infantino for awarding the tournament to the United States and Donald Trump for not ensuring the torrential rain and the lightning was kept away from the Philadelphia Stadium. It’s their fault.

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It’s World Cup time again as tournament dinosaurs Rob Shepherd and Cathal Dervan discuss everything from England’s game against Ghana, Terry Venables, Alan Shearer, Jimmy Greaves and Harry Kane…

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The key stories developing today

England midfielder Declan Rice has revealed how Arsenal’s ‘chronic’ fixture schedule forced him to play through injury ahead of the World Cup finals.

Rice revealed to Talksport ahead of Tuesday’s game against Ghana that he has been battling nerve pain in his hamstring since December,

The injury flared up against Croatia in England’s opening game but the Arsenal man insisted he will be fit to face Ghana. Rice said: “I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time.

“Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that, it was all behind-the-scenes stuff, but it was a smart decision. In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70‑minute match.

“But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it, and I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.

“It’s an obscene amount of games, the schedule was crazy, but what can we do about it? You can’t sit and complain. We have to just get on with it for the moments like I had winning that Premier League.

“You’d play as many games as possible to have that ­feeling again and knowing that there’s a World Cup at the end of it as well.

“You know, you’d put your body on the line to be always in to play, it’s a lot of games, but we’ll get our break at the end.”

Read the full story on talksport here.

Roy Keane has urged NFL superstar Tom Brady to get back to Cork as soon as possible according to a report in the Irish Sun but admitted he won’t be joining him for a game of golf at the Old Head.

The pair shared some onscreen banter during a World Cup edition of The Overlap podcast when Brady revealed he is due to visit Ireland soon for golf at Royal County Down, Portmarnock, and Adare Manor.

Leesider Keane advised: “Tom, you have to get to Cork. Have you heard of the golf course in Kinsale? The Old Head it’s called.”

Brady then disclosed: “The Old Head, of course. I played there a while ago. Loved it.” Keane then confessed: “I’m not into golf of course, but I know the courses and like watching it.”

Brady responded: “How is an Irishman not into golf?”. Roy answered: “I didn’t have the patience for it, Tom.”

Read the story on the irish sun here.

Harry Vaughan showed once again why Bohs want to sign him on a permanent deal as he scored after just 27 seconds of Monday night’s 3-0 hammering of Shelbourne at Tolka Park.

Vaughan’s goal sent Bohs on their way to a much needed win with Colm Whelan and Ross Tierney also on target in a game that saw Shels finish with 10 men after a late red card for Sean Boyd.

League leaders Shamrock Rovers were held to a 1-1 draw in Tallaght by Derry City in the night’s other Premier Division game.

Read the story on the rte sport here.

Former Irish international Derrick Williams has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 33 after a career that saw him play across the divisions in England and in the MLS.

The Irish Independent reports from a statement issued by Reading on behalf of Williams which said: “After much consideration across the off-season, I have decided to call time on my playing career. I feel as though now is the right time to move on and look ahead to what’s next for myself and my family.”

Read the full article on the irish independent here.

Northern Ireland captain Shea Charles looks set to move back to the Premier League as Leeds United step up their bid to sign the Southampton midfielder.

The Athletic is reporting that Leeds have had an initial £20million bid for Charles turned down but are expected to improve the offer in the coming days.

Leeds are also looking at free-agent deals for Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt and Fulham’s Harry Wilson.

Read the full story on the athletic here.

The call was set-up five days out from Cape Verde’s debut in the World Cup finals and all bar one of those dialled in from Dublin and beyond can be seen most Friday nights at League of Ireland grounds across the country.

They were, by and large, faces familiar to the man preparing to make his own World Cup debut against the European champions Spain but this time they weren’t asking about the Greatest League In The World.

Instead, their questions to the Shamrock Rovers captain were all about the Greatest Tournament In The World - the one where dreams come true and heroes are made.

As he sat down, digitally speaking, with the Irish football media two Thursdays ago, Pico Lopes was asked for his own World Cup highlights. They were all traced back to 2002 and a tournament in Japan and South Korea that was won by Brazil and the scene of the odd Irish story or two.

Just shy of his 10th birthday, Pico wasn’t really immersed in the story from Saipan that preceded the tournament. Instead his eyes were ultimately focussed on the football on the pitch and the Brazilian team that won the tournament, a team blessed with the talents of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo to name just three of their Galacticos.

Those superstars in the most famous national jersey in the world inspired the defender in waiting as he watched back home in Crumlin but it was Ireland’s own Galacticos who provided the highlights that come to his mind instantly when such a question is asked.

He spoke from Tampa of the goal that Robbie Keane scored against Germany in Ibaraki. He remembered the noise of the trolley being dragged across the classroom floor as the TV set was dragged in for the final group game against Saudi Arabia.

And he can still recall, vividly in fact, the little bow that Duffer made in honour of his surroundings when he scored the third and final goal in that 3-0 win against the Saudis in Yokohama.

That goal and the win secured Ireland’s qualification for stage two of the tournament and a game against Spain in Suwon that ended in defeat via a penalty shoot-out, a defeat that broke the hearts of Pico and so many more in Crumlin and beyond.

And why am I telling you all this over a week after Pico outlined his World Cup highlights with the Irish media via a Zoom call?

Because life throws up coincidences every now and then - although the fact that both young Pico and now 34-year-old Pico have Spanish World Cup stories to share is stretching it a little.

Instead, let’s concentrate on the fact that a game against Saudi Arabia again holds the key to Pico’s World Cup knock-out phase dreams, on the pitch this time and not on a big, ugly television sitting on top of a classroom trolley.

Pico and Cape Verde will play against the Saudis in the final game of Group H of the 2026 World Cup finals in Houston on Friday night local time, 1am Irish time.

And the outcome of this game will decide if Cape Verde can extend their World Cup odyssey. On the basis of their heroics against Uruguay on Sunday night, a five minute spell of madness before half-time aside, they deserve to carry on in America past Houston.

Up against the Bielsa bop and the constant bombardment of their box, the archipelago side were brilliant, none better than Lopes and his central defence partner Diney Borges in the eye of a constant Uruguayan storm.

Calm and resilient throughout, Lopes should have got the player of the match award as Tony O’Donoghue said on RTE afterwards but he won’t care that he didn’t. Nor will he be too upset by Stephen Bradley’s assertion on the same RTE panel that he should have scored with that chance from a late corner.

All that mattered to Pico Lopes going to America was that Cape Verde would rise to the challenge of a first World Cup finals, and that as the third smallest country ever to qualify.

When they spoke pre-tournament of progressing to the second round of the tournament, Cape Verde will always have marked the Saudi game as the one to get them there as it always looked likely that one win could seal one of the 32 spots to be shared out after phase one.

Now, thanks to those heroic draws against Spain and Uruguay, a win against Saudis will guarantee Pico’s team safe passage to round two. And you wouldn’t bet against them this weekend or against a Pico goal and a little Duffer style bow from the man flying the flag for Ireland in this World Cup.

The schools in Crumlin will be off on their summer holidays by kick-off time on Saturday morning then so there will be no need to wheel the big screens into the classrooms this time around.

But they might just keep the pubs open in Tallaght and Dublin 12 instead - and roll out the champagne if Cape Verde do get through. They already deserve to be toasted but I suspect there’s more to come from Team Pico.

The key stories developing today

Pico Lopes not looking too far ahead as next up could be Messi matchup: ‘We know what happens if we win, we are in the next round’

World Cup hero Pico Lopes will continue to take it one game at a time as Cape Verde edge ever closer to the second phase of the World Cup - and a possible date with the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina.

Speaking to Macdara Ferris from Extratime.ie in the mixed zone after Sunday’s superb 2-2 draw with two timer world champions Uruguay, Shamrock Rovers captain Lopes reflected on another big result for his national team.

A win against Saudi Arabia in Houston on Friday night - 1am Irish time Saturday morning - will guarantee Cape Verde emerge from their group after the draws against Spain and Uruguay while a draw might be enough to send them through.

“We won’t get too far ahead of who we will be playing,” said Lopes. “We have to respect Saudi Arabia. They are a really strong team. We have to try and win the game. That has to be the goal. We won’t get ahead of ourselves. It is all about recovering now. Working hard towards that game.

“We know what happens if we win, we are in the next round. It doesn’t matter what position you finish in the group, once you are there (in the knockout phase), that is the main thing.”

“Since we arrived, that was our goal,” said the Shamrock Rovers skipper about looking to make it out of the group. We got here on merit.

“You don’t win a prize to get to the World Cup. You have to compete, you have to qualify and it is difficult to get here. Now you are mixing it with some of the best teams in the world.

“Our goal was to attack the first game and show that we belong here. Nothing changed for the second game. We wanted to try and get three points. We got a point and it is another point nearer where we want to be. We have a good opportunity to reach the next phase which would be amazing for our group.

“It is something that we want, it is part of our goals, just to show we deserve to be at this level.”

Read the full story on extratime.ie here.

Eoin Kenny’s brilliant performance and match winning goal in Friday night’s 2-1 win over Bohemians at Dalymount Park has reinforced his manager Ciaran Kilduff’s view that the striker will play senior international football.

Kenny, son of former Irish boss Stephen and born in Derry when his dad was manager at City, has already won eight Under 21 caps for Northern Ireland and Kilduff told the Irish Independent there is more to come from the 20-year-old.

Asked if Kenny and other young players in his squad will play international football, Kilduff said: “Without a doubt, I can see a lot of them [get capped], I’m telling you now. Sometimes it’s who shouts the loudest.

“I think for a newly promoted team, for what we’re doing here, it can’t go unnoticed. I don’t want to be the one coming out going ‘my players have to be picked’. But we’re at the top end of the table, we’re on a great run, we’re competing and playing to that level there.”

Read the story on the irish independent here.

Nottingham Forest have joined the chase for Shamrock Rovers striker Michael Noonan but the youngster is expected to move to Dutch football with Ajax when he turns 18 at the end of July.

John Fallon reports in the Irish Examiner that Forest have made a late bid to entice Noonan to the Premier League.

Former Irish midfielder Andy Reid is on the coaching staff at Forest and could be a factor in the final decision by Noonan who has already played at every age level for Ireland up to Under 21.

Read the story on the irish examiner here.

Finn Harps are in talks with a foreign based investor who is proposing to take financial control of the club and fund their share of the new stadium development in Stranorlar.

Donegal Daily’s Chris McNulty filed an exclusive report at the weekend which confirmed that a formal expression of interest from the investor has been received by the First Division club.

McNulty reports that shareholders of the Finn Harps Co-Operative Society Ltd will be asked to vote on the proposal next month.

Read the full article on the donegal daily here.

Ireland international Lily Agg made the perfect start to her managerial career as Athlone Town defeated Shamrock Rovers 3-1 in the Women’s Premier Division game.

Agg is currently recovering from a ruptured achilles and is some way off a playing debut for Town in her first management role but will be happy with the win which moves her side within one point of league leaders Galway United.

Read the full story on rte sport here.

Pico Lopes, the television in the classroom, Saudi Arabia and the World Cup dream

Cathal Dervan, Editor

Pico Lopes sat comfortably in a Tampa hotel room, laptop logged on to the conference call and his mind ready for questions from the journalists he sees regularly back home, all familiar faces now poised on the grid down the side of his screen.

The call was set-up five days out from Cape Verde’s debut in the World Cup finals and all bar one of those dialled in from Dublin and beyond can be seen most Friday nights at League of Ireland grounds across the country.

They were, by and large, faces familiar to the man preparing to make his own World Cup debut against the European champions Spain but this time they weren’t asking about the Greatest League In The World.

Instead, their questions to the Shamrock Rovers captain were all about the Greatest Tournament In The World - the one where dreams come true and heroes are made.

As he sat down, digitally speaking, with the Irish football media two Thursdays ago, Pico Lopes was asked for his own World Cup highlights. They were all traced back to 2002 and a tournament in Japan and South Korea that was won by Brazil and the scene of the odd Irish story or two.

Just shy of his 10th birthday, Pico wasn’t really immersed in the story from Saipan that preceded the tournament. Instead his eyes were ultimately focussed on the football on the pitch and the Brazilian team that won the tournament, a team blessed with the talents of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo to name just three of their Galacticos.

Those superstars in the most famous national jersey in the world inspired the defender in waiting as he watched back home in Crumlin but it was Ireland’s own Galacticos who provided the highlights that come to his mind instantly when such a question is asked.

He spoke from Tampa of the goal that Robbie Keane scored against Germany in Ibaraki. He remembered the noise of the trolley being dragged across the classroom floor as the TV set was dragged in for the final group game against Saudi Arabia.

And he can still recall, vividly in fact, the little bow that Duffer made in honour of his surroundings when he scored the third and final goal in that 3-0 win against the Saudis in Yokohama.

That goal and the win secured Ireland’s qualification for stage two of the tournament and a game against Spain in Suwon that ended in defeat via a penalty shoot-out, a defeat that broke the hearts of Pico and so many more in Crumlin and beyond.

And why am I telling you all this over a week after Pico outlined his World Cup highlights with the Irish media via a Zoom call?

Because life throws up coincidences every now and then - although the fact that both young Pico and now 34-year-old Pico have Spanish World Cup stories to share is stretching it a little.

Instead, let’s concentrate on the fact that a game against Saudi Arabia again holds the key to Pico’s World Cup knock-out phase dreams, on the pitch this time and not on a big, ugly television sitting on top of a classroom trolley.

Pico and Cape Verde will play against the Saudis in the final game of Group H of the 2026 World Cup finals in Houston on Friday night local time, 1am Irish time.

And the outcome of this game will decide if Cape Verde can extend their World Cup odyssey. On the basis of their heroics against Uruguay on Sunday night, a five minute spell of madness before half-time aside, they deserve to carry on in America past Houston.

Up against the Bielsa bop and the constant bombardment of their box, the archipelago side were brilliant, none better than Lopes and his central defence partner Diney Borges in the eye of a constant Uruguayan storm.

Calm and resilient throughout, Lopes should have got the player of the match award as Tony O’Donoghue said on RTE afterwards but he won’t care that he didn’t. Nor will he be too upset by Stephen Bradley’s assertion on the same RTE panel that he should have scored with that chance from a late corner.

All that mattered to Pico Lopes going to America was that Cape Verde would rise to the challenge of a first World Cup finals, and that as the third smallest country ever to qualify.

When they spoke pre-tournament of progressing to the second round of the tournament, Cape Verde will always have marked the Saudi game as the one to get them there as it always looked likely that one win could seal one of the 32 spots to be shared out after phase one.

Now, thanks to those heroic draws against Spain and Uruguay, a win against Saudis will guarantee Pico’s team safe passage to round two. And you wouldn’t bet against them this weekend or against a Pico goal and a little Duffer style bow from the man flying the flag for Ireland in this World Cup.

The schools in Crumlin will be off on their summer holidays by kick-off time on Saturday morning then so there will be no need to wheel the big screens into the classrooms this time around.

But they might just keep the pubs open in Tallaght and Dublin 12 instead - and roll out the champagne if Cape Verde do get through. They already deserve to be toasted but I suspect there’s more to come from Team Pico.

No noise, just the news & views that matters. The Sports Hacks is a reader supported publication - if you like what you read, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber and sharing our work.

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As the World Cup waits to see how Roberto Martinez will respond to Ronaldo’s woeful performance against DC Congo, leading coach Larry Mahony from Big Picture Coaching talks with Cathal Dervan about the lessons for all coaches in how to deal with an under performing star player.

Watch the full episode now on TheSportsHacks.com

or listen to the full episode on our Spotify channel

Follow us on socials (X here or insta here) to get the latest from the World Cup giraffes!

The key stories developing today

Pico Lopes not looking too far ahead as next up could be Messi matchup: ‘We know what happens if we win, we are in the next round’

World Cup hero Pico Lopes will continue to take it one game at a time as Cape Verde edge ever closer to the second phase of the World Cup - and a possible date with the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina.

Speaking to Macdara Ferris from Extratime.ie in the mixed zone after Sunday’s superb 2-2 draw with two timer world champions Uruguay, Shamrock Rovers captain Lopes reflected on another big result for his national team.

A win against Saudi Arabia in Houston on Friday night - 1am Irish time Saturday morning - will guarantee Cape Verde emerge from their group after the draws against Spain and Uruguay while a draw might be enough to send them through.

“We won’t get too far ahead of who we will be playing,” said Lopes. “We have to respect Saudi Arabia. They are a really strong team. We have to try and win the game. That has to be the goal. We won’t get ahead of ourselves. It is all about recovering now. Working hard towards that game.

“We know what happens if we win, we are in the next round. It doesn’t matter what position you finish in the group, once you are there (in the knockout phase), that is the main thing.”

“Since we arrived, that was our goal,” said the Shamrock Rovers skipper about looking to make it out of the group. We got here on merit.

“You don’t win a prize to get to the World Cup. You have to compete, you have to qualify and it is difficult to get here. Now you are mixing it with some of the best teams in the world.

“Our goal was to attack the first game and show that we belong here. Nothing changed for the second game. We wanted to try and get three points. We got a point and it is another point nearer where we want to be. We have a good opportunity to reach the next phase which would be amazing for our group.

“It is something that we want, it is part of our goals, just to show we deserve to be at this level.”

Read the full story on extratime.ie here.

Eoin Kenny’s brilliant performance and match winning goal in Friday night’s 2-1 win over Bohemians at Dalymount Park has reinforced his manager Ciaran Kilduff’s view that the striker will play senior international football.

Kenny, son of former Irish boss Stephen and born in Derry when his dad was manager at City, has already won eight Under 21 caps for Northern Ireland and Kilduff told the Irish Independent there is more to come from the 20-year-old.

Asked if Kenny and other young players in his squad will play international football, Kilduff said: “Without a doubt, I can see a lot of them [get capped], I’m telling you now. Sometimes it’s who shouts the loudest.

“I think for a newly promoted team, for what we’re doing here, it can’t go unnoticed. I don’t want to be the one coming out going ‘my players have to be picked’. But we’re at the top end of the table, we’re on a great run, we’re competing and playing to that level there.”

Read the story on the irish independent here.

Nottingham Forest have joined the chase for Shamrock Rovers striker Michael Noonan but the youngster is expected to move to Dutch football with Ajax when he turns 18 at the end of July.

John Fallon reports in the Irish Examiner that Forest have made a late bid to entice Noonan to the Premier League.

Former Irish midfielder Andy Reid is on the coaching staff at Forest and could be a factor in the final decision by Noonan who has already played at every age level for Ireland up to Under 21.

Read the story on the irish examiner here.

Finn Harps are in talks with a foreign based investor who is proposing to take financial control of the club and fund their share of the new stadium development in Stranorlar.

Donegal Daily’s Chris McNulty filed an exclusive report at the weekend which confirmed that a formal expression of interest from the investor has been received by the First Division club.

McNulty reports that shareholders of the Finn Harps Co-Operative Society Ltd will be asked to vote on the proposal next month.

Read the full article on the donegal daily here.

Ireland international Lily Agg made the perfect start to her managerial career as Athlone Town defeated Shamrock Rovers 3-1 in the Women’s Premier Division game.

Agg is currently recovering from a ruptured achilles and is some way off a playing debut for Town in her first management role but will be happy with the win which moves her side within one point of league leaders Galway United.

Read the full story on rte sport here.

A decade after the famous Wembley win over Germany, Geoff Hurst scored on his debut for Cork’s Celtic as they beat Shamrock Rovers 3-1 in the FAI Cup. That same year Bobby Charlton wore the Waterford jersey while a year later Gordon Banks signed for St Pats, four years before ‘66 squad member Ian Callaghan signed for Cork United.

All four didn’t stay long and they aren’t the only ones with World Cup histories to feature in the Greatest League In The World. Paul McGrath, Steve Staunton, David Kelly, Felix Healy and Peter McPartland all played in the LOI before or after their World Cup involvements.

So did Uwe Seeler, Bobby Collins, Jimmy Johnstone, Peter Lorimer, Trevor Brooking and Terry McDermott who all came and went and picked up a few bob or two for their troubles along the way.

This World Cup is different though. Never before has a player been active in the League of Ireland at the time of his appearance at the greatest tournament of them all. Never before has a player who has spent his entire playing career in the League started a World Cup game on the pitch.

Never before has a player gone from Shamrock Rovers or St Patrick’s Athletic to a World Cup finals as Pico Lopes and Joseph Anang have done this month.

Hoops defender Lopes started and starred for Cape Verde against Spain on Monday night. Saints ‘keeper Anang was on the bench for Ghana’s 1-0 win over Panama in the early hours of Wednesday and may now be second choice stopper after an injury to starter Lawrence Zigi.

Tonight both players will be watching LOI TV from America as Shamrock Rovers go to Waterford and Pats entertain Sligo Rovers. Both will be missed by their teams at the RSC and Richmond Park respectively but you can guarantee their World cup achievements will be discussed before, during and after every Premier Division game in Ireland tonight.

As well they should. Pico Lopes won’t just be representing Cape Verde against Uruguay late on Sunday night. Joseph Anang won’t just fly the flag for Ghana when they take on England on Tuesday evening.

They will, personally and collectively, represent their clubs and their workplace in front of millions of TV viewers this week, all the time selling the League of Ireland and not just to prospective fans.

Yes, the sight of Pico stopping Spain in their tracks on RTE television will inspire future generations of Irish footballers. To see one of their own tackle the World Cup stage with such grace and confidence will prove to young players that Ireland’s national league can offer a route to international football from within.

For Joseph Anang to sit on the bench for Ghana and be prepared to face the likes of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham if called upon will prove to young goalkeepers that a LOI club can offer access to the highest levels of professional football.

The achievements of this pair will also send a message to young professional players abroad that a move to the LOI, on loan or permanently, is something to take seriously now, something that can enhance and develop your career.

Young players with big clubs abroad and their coaches will see now that they can benefit from playing regular men’s football in our League. An influx of young players looking to follow the Lopes and Anang pathway to the top via Irish football can only improve the game here.

A rising tide brings every boat to the top, as the old saying goes. Pico Lopes and Joseph Anang are powering World Cup storms and rising tides as we speak - they should be celebrated at every League of Ireland ground tonight and given a heroes welcome whenever they return next month.

This pair have put Irish football on the map - again.

There will be mixed feelings from both the Ireland camp and their fans alike following a FIFA World Cup Qualifying Play-Off draw that has thrown up Kazakhstan, Belgium and Poland for Carla Ward’s side.

While there would have been relief at drawing the weakest possible opposition for the semi-final in Kazakhstan, a potential final against familiar opposition in Belgium or Poland will provide a real test for the Girls in Green.

An impressive third-place finish in a very difficult qualifying group provided Ireland with a seeded play-off ahead of the draw on Thursday. This ensured that Ireland would face, on paper, easier opposition in the semi-final.

Going by FIFA rankings, Hungary represented the toughest possible semi-final draw while Kazakhstan, ranked 100th in the world and 79 places below Ireland, were the most favourable opponent available.

Given the gap in rankings and Ireland’s impressive recent form, they will be strong favourites to progress to the final. However, logistics may cause unwanted issues, as over 5000km and an eight-hour direct flight separates Dublin from Astana, venue for the first leg while a five-hour time difference will challenge Ireland’s ability to adapt.

Led by former captain Begaim Kirgizbaeva, Kazakhstan are an unknown quantity for the Girls in Green. The two sides have never met before and the majority of their players ply their trade in the Kazakhstan Women’s Football Championship, meaning they are relatively unknown outside of their home country.

Kazakhstan secured a play-off spot due to their second-place finish in a League C group consisting of Belarus and Armenia. They recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat in the process, an improvement on their previous World Cup qualifying campaign that saw them lose every match and concede 34 goals.

Scoring five goals across their four qualification matches, Kazakhstan don’t appear to have one lone goal threat, instead sharing the goals across the squad.

Kazakhstan are aiming to qualify for their first major tournament since the 1999 AFC Women’s Championship, prior to their move from the AFC to UEFA.

If Ireland are successful over the two legs against Kazakhstan, they will progress to the two-legged play-off final against the winner of the semi-final between Belgium and Poland.

Belgium will be favourites for the tie, going unbeaten in their qualifying group and scoring an impressive 22 goals across the campaign.

That being said, Poland shouldn’t be underestimated. Barcelona star Ewa Pajor is a threat to even the top defences in Europe, this being highlighted with her two goals in the UWCL final against an extremely strong Lyon side.

The play-off final legs will take place in the final week of November and the first week of December, with Ireland once again away in the first leg. Both opponents are extremely familiar to the Girls in Green. Poland finished fourth in Ireland’s qualifying group, with Ireland winning both meetings between the sides on their way to a third-place finish.

Meanwhile, Ireland were victorious over Belgium in last year’s Nations League play-off, overcoming the Red Flames 5-4 on aggregate.

For Poland, much of the attacking threat comes through Barcelona Pajor. Belgium also boast a lethal forward in their captain and Inter Milan star Tessa Wullaert.

The 31-year-old is no stranger to finding the back of the net for her country, amassing a monumental 105 goals throughout her international career, three of which were against Ireland in the previously mentioned Nations League play-off.

Both sides would provide a tough test but Ireland may quietly prefer a meeting with Poland. Ward’s side won both encounters during qualifying and will draw confidence from those performances, while Belgium’s attacking quality makes them a particularly dangerous prospect.

That being said, the Girls in Green will fear nobody in this play-off campaign after a narrow 1-0 loss against France in Grenoble denied them a historic automatic qualification.

Under Ward, the squad has gone from strength to strength throughout the qualifiers. A last-gasp 3-2 victory over the Netherlands showed that they can go toe-to-toe with the world’s strongest teams.

Perhaps the biggest decision to be made surrounding the play-offs will be the choice of where Ireland will call home for the semi-final, and if they are successful, the final.

Tallaght Stadium has been the primary venue in recent years. The Aviva Stadium is also on the cards, especially for the final. But you couldn’t blame Ward and her players for wanting to return to the ever-fruitful Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork for either of the ties.

Ideally, one game would be played in Dublin, and the other in Cork, something that would be the ‘ultimate dream’ according to Ward.

The venue for the second leg of the Kazakhstan tie must be confirmed by the FAI by next Friday, June 26th, while the venue for the final does not have to be decided until October.

Ireland’s route to Brazil could hardly present a greater contrast. First comes a long trip into the unknown against Kazakhstan, before a final battle against opposition they know all too well.

With home advantage in both decisive second legs and confidence growing under Carla Ward, the Girls in Green will believe another World Cup appearance is within reach.

The rising tide inspired by Pico Lopes and Joseph Anang will only improve League of Ireland football

Cathal Dervan, Editor

There’s nothing new about World Cup heroes playing in the League of Ireland and adding crowds to the gate at the likes of Cork Celtic, Waterford, Cork United and St Patrick’s Athletic. And that’s just the clubs where World Cup winners from 1966 were paid to play.

A decade after the famous Wembley win over Germany, Geoff Hurst scored on his debut for Cork’s Celtic as they beat Shamrock Rovers 3-1 in the FAI Cup. That same year Bobby Charlton wore the Waterford jersey while a year later Gordon Banks signed for St Pats, four years before ‘66 squad member Ian Callaghan signed for Cork United.

All four didn’t stay long and they aren’t the only ones with World Cup histories to feature in the Greatest League In The World. Paul McGrath, Steve Staunton, David Kelly, Felix Healy and Peter McPartland all played in the LOI before or after their World Cup involvements.

So did Uwe Seeler, Bobby Collins, Jimmy Johnstone, Peter Lorimer, Trevor Brooking and Terry McDermott who all came and went and picked up a few bob or two for their troubles along the way.

This World Cup is different though. Never before has a player been active in the League of Ireland at the time of his appearance at the greatest tournament of them all. Never before has a player who has spent his entire playing career in the League started a World Cup game on the pitch.

Never before has a player gone from Shamrock Rovers or St Patrick’s Athletic to a World Cup finals as Pico Lopes and Joseph Anang have done this month.

Hoops defender Lopes started and starred for Cape Verde against Spain on Monday night. Saints ‘keeper Anang was on the bench for Ghana’s 1-0 win over Panama in the early hours of Wednesday and may now be second choice stopper after an injury to starter Lawrence Zigi.

Tonight both players will be watching LOI TV from America as Shamrock Rovers go to Waterford and Pats entertain Sligo Rovers. Both will be missed by their teams at the RSC and Richmond Park respectively but you can guarantee their World cup achievements will be discussed before, during and after every Premier Division game in Ireland tonight.

As well they should. Pico Lopes won’t just be representing Cape Verde against Uruguay late on Sunday night. Joseph Anang won’t just fly the flag for Ghana when they take on England on Tuesday evening.

They will, personally and collectively, represent their clubs and their workplace in front of millions of TV viewers this week, all the time selling the League of Ireland and not just to prospective fans.

Yes, the sight of Pico stopping Spain in their tracks on RTE television will inspire future generations of Irish footballers. To see one of their own tackle the World Cup stage with such grace and confidence will prove to young players that Ireland’s national league can offer a route to international football from within.

For Joseph Anang to sit on the bench for Ghana and be prepared to face the likes of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham if called upon will prove to young goalkeepers that a LOI club can offer access to the highest levels of professional football.

The achievements of this pair will also send a message to young professional players abroad that a move to the LOI, on loan or permanently, is something to take seriously now, something that can enhance and develop your career.

Young players with big clubs abroad and their coaches will see now that they can benefit from playing regular men’s football in our League. An influx of young players looking to follow the Lopes and Anang pathway to the top via Irish football can only improve the game here.

A rising tide brings every boat to the top, as the old saying goes. Pico Lopes and Joseph Anang are powering World Cup storms and rising tides as we speak - they should be celebrated at every League of Ireland ground tonight and given a heroes welcome whenever they return next month.

This pair have put Irish football on the map - again.

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Another World Cup finals appearance looks well within reach for Carla Ward’s Girls In Green

Cara Conboy, Guest Columnist

There will be mixed feelings from both the Ireland camp and their fans alike following a FIFA World Cup Qualifying Play-Off draw that has thrown up Kazakhstan, Belgium and Poland for Carla Ward’s side.

While there would have been relief at drawing the weakest possible opposition for the semi-final in Kazakhstan, a potential final against familiar opposition in Belgium or Poland will provide a real test for the Girls in Green.

An impressive third-place finish in a very difficult qualifying group provided Ireland with a seeded play-off ahead of the draw on Thursday. This ensured that Ireland would face, on paper, easier opposition in the semi-final.

Going by FIFA rankings, Hungary represented the toughest possible semi-final draw while Kazakhstan, ranked 100th in the world and 79 places below Ireland, were the most favourable opponent available.

Given the gap in rankings and Ireland’s impressive recent form, they will be strong favourites to progress to the final. However, logistics may cause unwanted issues, as over 5000km and an eight-hour direct flight separates Dublin from Astana, venue for the first leg while a five-hour time difference will challenge Ireland’s ability to adapt.

Led by former captain Begaim Kirgizbaeva, Kazakhstan are an unknown quantity for the Girls in Green. The two sides have never met before and the majority of their players ply their trade in the Kazakhstan Women’s Football Championship, meaning they are relatively unknown outside of their home country.

Kazakhstan secured a play-off spot due to their second-place finish in a League C group consisting of Belarus and Armenia. They recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat in the process, an improvement on their previous World Cup qualifying campaign that saw them lose every match and concede 34 goals.

Scoring five goals across their four qualification matches, Kazakhstan don’t appear to have one lone goal threat, instead sharing the goals across the squad.

Kazakhstan are aiming to qualify for their first major tournament since the 1999 AFC Women’s Championship, prior to their move from the AFC to UEFA.

If Ireland are successful over the two legs against Kazakhstan, they will progress to the two-legged play-off final against the winner of the semi-final between Belgium and Poland.

Belgium will be favourites for the tie, going unbeaten in their qualifying group and scoring an impressive 22 goals across the campaign.

That being said, Poland shouldn’t be underestimated. Barcelona star Ewa Pajor is a threat to even the top defences in Europe, this being highlighted with her two goals in the UWCL final against an extremely strong Lyon side.

The play-off final legs will take place in the final week of November and the first week of December, with Ireland once again away in the first leg. Both opponents are extremely familiar to the Girls in Green. Poland finished fourth in Ireland’s qualifying group, with Ireland winning both meetings between the sides on their way to a third-place finish.

Meanwhile, Ireland were victorious over Belgium in last year’s Nations League play-off, overcoming the Red Flames 5-4 on aggregate.

For Poland, much of the attacking threat comes through Barcelona Pajor. Belgium also boast a lethal forward in their captain and Inter Milan star Tessa Wullaert.

The 31-year-old is no stranger to finding the back of the net for her country, amassing a monumental 105 goals throughout her international career, three of which were against Ireland in the previously mentioned Nations League play-off.

Both sides would provide a tough test but Ireland may quietly prefer a meeting with Poland. Ward’s side won both encounters during qualifying and will draw confidence from those performances, while Belgium’s attacking quality makes them a particularly dangerous prospect.

That being said, the Girls in Green will fear nobody in this play-off campaign after a narrow 1-0 loss against France in Grenoble denied them a historic automatic qualification.

Under Ward, the squad has gone from strength to strength throughout the qualifiers. A last-gasp 3-2 victory over the Netherlands showed that they can go toe-to-toe with the world’s strongest teams.

Perhaps the biggest decision to be made surrounding the play-offs will be the choice of where Ireland will call home for the semi-final, and if they are successful, the final.

Tallaght Stadium has been the primary venue in recent years. The Aviva Stadium is also on the cards, especially for the final. But you couldn’t blame Ward and her players for wanting to return to the ever-fruitful Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork for either of the ties.

Ideally, one game would be played in Dublin, and the other in Cork, something that would be the ‘ultimate dream’ according to Ward.

The venue for the second leg of the Kazakhstan tie must be confirmed by the FAI by next Friday, June 26th, while the venue for the final does not have to be decided until October.

Ireland’s route to Brazil could hardly present a greater contrast. First comes a long trip into the unknown against Kazakhstan, before a final battle against opposition they know all too well.

With home advantage in both decisive second legs and confidence growing under Carla Ward, the Girls in Green will believe another World Cup appearance is within reach.

Darryl Geraghty and Cathal Dervan reflect on the League of Ireland’s impact at the World Cup, look forward to this weekend’s fixtures in the Premier Division, chat about the return to action for the Women’s Premier Division and discuss hydration breaks!

Watch the full episode now on TheSportsHacks.com

or listen to the full episode on our Spotify channel

Follow us on socials (X here or insta here) to get the latest from the World Cup giraffes!

The key stories developing today

Ireland manager Carla Ward got the trip to Kazakhstan and the tie she doesn’t want in the semi-finals of the World Cup play-offs in October - but a return to Cork is on the cards for a winner takes all clash with recent foes Belgium or Poland.

A place at next year’s finals in Brazil is at stake when Ireland go to Kazakhstan for the first left of the semi-finals against the side ranked 100th in the world.

Belgium or Poland will meet in the other semi-final - Ireland beat Poland home and away in the Nations League recently and defeated Belgium 5-4 on aggregate in the NL play-offs last year.

RTE Sport reports on Ward’s reaction to the draw when she said: “When you want to get to Brazil it’s going to be a difficult route and I think there’s a couple of bits in both rounds that will naturally cause us some difficulties.

“We’ve been in tremendous form and confidence is high. We have to keep believing that we can get there, and we’ll do everything we can to do that.

“I think everybody in the room would probably say that it was the one that everyone wanted to avoid, Belgium and Poland are top sides.

“First of all we’ve got to get past Kazakhstan, it’s not easy, it’s a logistical nightmare. Kazakhstan, Poland and Belgium are all going to be difficult. So look, we’ll do everything we can to get over that first hurdle and then obviously try and navigate that final round if and when we get there.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice about Cork. I absolutely love it down there and I think the players do too. It’s not been confirmed where we’ll play, but we would love to have one in Dublin and one in Cork. I think that would be the ultimate dream. We’ll have to wait and see and let the powers that be look after that side of it.”

Read the full story on rte sport here.

Ireland’s Nations League clash with Israel has hit the headlines again after the Palestine Football Association distanced itself from the FAI statement confirming that the ‘home’ game will now be played at a neutral venue.

The FAI had quoted support from the PLA when they made their original announcement but a new statement has confirmed the PLA’s objections to any Israeli involvement in sport.

The Irish Sun reports that a PFA spokesperson said: “The PFA has not issued any statement endorsing, approving, or supporting the decision to proceed with the match. Any interpretation suggesting that the PFA has given its blessing to the fixture does not accurately reflect our position.

“The PFA also wishes to reiterate its deep appreciation for the historic solidarity shown by the Irish people and for the principled positions repeatedly expressed by the Football Association of Ireland, Irish clubs, supporters, players, trade unions, civil society organisations, and public representatives in the support of Palestinian rights and human dignity.

“At the same time, our position regarding Israeli football remains unchanged and unequivocal. Palestinian football is enduring one of the darkest periods in its history.

“For this reason, the PFA rejects any characterisation that could be interpreted as providing political or moral cover for Israel’s continued participation in international football while these grave violations persist.

“The PFA would not, and will not, be party to any effort that normalises these realities or contributes to the sportwashing of crimes committed against the Palestinian people.”

Read the story on the irish sun here.

The Board of the FAI is now expected to call an EGM to discuss the decision to move the Israel game to a neutral venue after rejecting a call for such a meeting because not enough delegates had formally put their names to the request.

The request was made by 14 parties but the FAI has confirmed in a letter to AGM members that two of those were not from FAI members and thus the call for an EGM was invalid.

The Irish Independent reports that the FAI told members: “Only letters from members of the FAI can be counted for the purposes of the constitutional requisition threshold.

“Accordingly, the requisition received on or around 29 May 2026 is invalid and does not require the board to convene an extraordinary general meeting.

“The board is considering how best to facilitate appropriate discussion of the issues raised, including the possibility of the board itself convening an extraordinary general meeting of the general assembly.”

Read the story on the irish independent here.

Celtic will have to wait to commence their defence of the Scottish Premiership title defence due to a combination of the Commonwealth Games and two Calvin Harris concerts - and the BBC reports that club officials are not best pleased.

Derek McInnes will start his new life as Rangers boss on Friday July 31st at Dundee United but Celtic won’t play Dundee until the Monday evening.

“We feel strongly a weekend timing should have been facilitated in the interests of both teams, both sets of supporters and the status of the fixture,” said a statement from Celtic who will play Rangers for the first time next season on September 20th.

Read the full article on bbc sport here.

Bohemians manager Alan Reynolds wants to sign on-loan midfielder Harry Vaughan on a permanent deal when his Hull City contract expires at the end of the month.

The Irish Mirror reports that Reynolds wants the deal wrapped up before the Europa Conference League game against St Joseph’s of Gibraltar next month.

Reynolds said: “There’s talks going on at the minute. He’s enjoying it, obviously looking at the European football and so on. So, we should know more in the next... Look, he’s out of contract so, the ball’s in his court, really, isn’t it? We’d like to keep him.”

Read the full story on the irish mirror here.

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The key stories developing today

Ireland manager Carla Ward got the trip to Kazakhstan and the tie she doesn’t want in the semi-finals of the World Cup play-offs next month - but a return to Cork is on the cards for a winner takes all clash with recent foes Belgium or Poland.

A place at next year’s finals in Brazil is at stake when Ireland go to Kazakhstan for the first left of the semi-finals against the side ranked 100th in the world.

Belgium or Poland will meet in the other semi-final - Ireland beat Poland home and away in the Nations League recently and defeated Belgium 5-4 on aggregate in the NL play-offs last year.

RTE Sport reports on Ward’s reaction to the draw when she said: “When you want to get to Brazil it’s going to be a difficult route and I think there’s a couple of bits in both rounds that will naturally cause us some difficulties.

“We’ve been in tremendous form and confidence is high. We have to keep believing that we can get there, and we’ll do everything we can to do that.

“I think everybody in the room would probably say that it was the one that everyone wanted to avoid, Belgium and Poland are top sides.

“First of all we’ve got to get past Kazakhstan, it’s not easy, it’s a logistical nightmare. Kazakhstan, Poland and Belgium are all going to be difficult. So look, we’ll do everything we can to get over that first hurdle and then obviously try and navigate that final round if and when we get there.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice about Cork. I absolutely love it down there and I think the players do too. It’s not been confirmed where we’ll play, but we would love to have one in Dublin and one in Cork. I think that would be the ultimate dream. We’ll have to wait and see and let the powers that be look after that side of it.”

Read the full story on rte sport here.

Ireland’s Nations League clash with Israel has hit the headlines again after the Palestine Football Association distanced itself from the FAI statement confirming that the ‘home’ game will now be played at a neutral venue.

The FAI had quoted support from the PLA when they made their original announcement but a new statement has confirmed the PLA’s objections to any Israeli involvement in sport.

The Irish Sun reports that a PFA spokesperson said: “The PFA has not issued any statement endorsing, approving, or supporting the decision to proceed with the match. Any interpretation suggesting that the PFA has given its blessing to the fixture does not accurately reflect our position.

“The PFA also wishes to reiterate its deep appreciation for the historic solidarity shown by the Irish people and for the principled positions repeatedly expressed by the Football Association of Ireland, Irish clubs, supporters, players, trade unions, civil society organisations, and public representatives in the support of Palestinian rights and human dignity.

“At the same time, our position regarding Israeli football remains unchanged and unequivocal. Palestinian football is enduring one of the darkest periods in its history.

“For this reason, the PFA rejects any characterisation that could be interpreted as providing political or moral cover for Israel’s continued participation in international football while these grave violations persist.

“The PFA would not, and will not, be party to any effort that normalises these realities or contributes to the sportwashing of crimes committed against the Palestinian people.”

Read the story on the irish sun here.

The Board of the FAI is now expected to call an EGM to discuss the decision to move the Israel game to a neutral venue after rejecting a call for such a meeting because not enough delegates had formally put their names to the request.

The request was made by 14 parties but the FAI has confirmed in a letter to AGM members that two of those were not from FAI members and thus the call for an EGM was invalid.

The Irish Independent reports that the FAI told members: “Only letters from members of the FAI can be counted for the purposes of the constitutional requisition threshold.

“Accordingly, the requisition received on or around 29 May 2026 is invalid and does not require the board to convene an extraordinary general meeting.

“The board is considering how best to facilitate appropriate discussion of the issues raised, including the possibility of the board itself convening an extraordinary general meeting of the general assembly.”

Read the story on the irish independent here.

Celtic will have to wait to commence their defence of the Scottish Premiership title defence due to a combination of the Commonwealth Games and two Calvin Harris concerts - and the BBC reports that club officials are not best pleased.

Derek McInnes will start his new life as Rangers boss on Friday July 31st at Dundee United but Celtic won’t play Dundee until the Monday evening.

“We feel strongly a weekend timing should have been facilitated in the interests of both teams, both sets of supporters and the status of the fixture,” said a statement from Celtic who will play Rangers for the first time next season on September 20th.

Read the full article on bbc sport here.

Bohemians manager Alan Reynolds wants to sign on-loan midfielder Harry Vaughan on a permanent deal when his Hull City contract expires at the end of the month.

The Irish Mirror reports that Reynolds wants the deal wrapped up before the Europa Conference League game against St Joseph’s of Gibraltar next month.

Reynolds said: “There’s talks going on at the minute. He’s enjoying it, obviously looking at the European football and so on. So, we should know more in the next... Look, he’s out of contract so, the ball’s in his court, really, isn’t it? We’d like to keep him.”

Read the full story on the irish mirror here.

Ronaldo, then just 40 and playing in his 225th game for his country, was sent-off for an elbow into the back of Dara O’Shea in a game when Troy Parrott announced his intentions to come with both the goals in a brilliant 2-0 win for Ireland.

Little went right for Ronaldo and Portugal that night, Roberto Martinez’s side stung by the aggressive front foot approach from an Irish team in the World Cup’s last chance saloon.

And things went from bad to worse when Ronaldo saw red in the 59th minute as his side struggled to counteract those two first-half goals from the Troy wonder.

Many observers that night felt the referee did Martinez a favour when he sent a disbelieving Ronaldo for an early bath and the RTE cameras caught one fan mimicking the great one crying his eyes out.

A red card of that nature carries a three game suspension and sure enough, Ronaldo sat out the next match when Portugal confirmed World Cup qualification with a 9-1 hammering of Armenia and a display of quite brilliant attacking football - without their talisman.

Therein lies the clue. As the world awaited a three match ban for Ronaldo so FIFA took the laws of the game into their own hands, not the first time they have bent the rules to protect big stars and, more importantly I suspect, commercial opportunities.

Thus they took us all by surprise (sort of) on November 25th when they announced that Ronaldo would serve a three match ban but the final two games of the suspension would be suspended for a year, freeing him up to play in the United States.

It was quite a preposterous decision, based apparently on the fact that he had never been sent off previously in any of his 224 international appearances before Dublin.

Here’s what the Fifa statement said: “If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately.”

We were amazed at that statement but Roberto Martinez must have been disgusted. Throughout his time with Portugal, which will end after this tournament, Martinez has never shown any inclination to take a hard line with Ronaldo and drop him from the team or the squad.

He’s been slow to take him off in games as well although, to be fair, Ronaldo can turn it on in an instant as Stephen Kenny fans will tell you.

There was never any suggestion on Wednesday night that Ronaldo would turn it on, never mind turn the game around for Portugal yet he was still on the pitch at the final whistle, trudging down the tunnel with barely a glance at his team-mates or their opponents never mind a hand shake.

That reaction and his poor performance has prompted another debate on Ronaldo’s role as a World Cup untouchable.

Tony Cascarino, live on Talksport, even claimed Martinez is afraid to leave Ronaldo out of a game yet alone his team.

Cas would know what it feels like when a manager makes a hard World Cup decision by the way. He made way for Niall Quinn for the 1990 game against Holland and Niall scored the goal that sent Jack Charlton’s team into the second phase and justified the decision to drop him. So his opinion counts here.

And we all have to wonder what disservice FIFA did to Martinez now when they suspended the Ronaldo suspension for a year. They did warn that any misdemeanour would see the full suspension reimposed with immediate effect - does being crap count as a misdemeanour?

It should when you’re old and past it, even if your name is Ronaldo. Martinez must be glad it won’t be his problem anymore when this World Cup ends.

The key stories developing today

Robbie Keane has revealed he lasted 10 minutes more than Mick McCarthy watching the movie Saipan and has branded it as rubbish.

In Los Angeles for the World Cup, Keane told the Rio Ferdinand podcast that he only watched 20 minutes of the Steve Coogan movie before leaving the cinema.

McCarthy walked out of a London screening of the movie about the 2002 World Cup row after just 10 minutes and Keane stayed for just 10 minutes more when he went to see it.

Now he has urged Ireland fans not to bother with the movie, available online after a cinema run earlier this year.

“Whatever you do, don’t watch the movie Saipan and think that’s what happened. It’s absolutely a load of crap. I watched 20 minutes and I walked out. Just make sure, clear that,” said Keane, as reported by Balls.ie.

“Myself and Damien Duff played at a high level, we were more professional than anyone. That movie doesn’t give that to the players, all the players.

“It was two minutes, 90 seconds maybe, that Roy and Mick went back at each other, and that was it, Roy left. That was all that happened.

“I’ve been in dressing rooms where players argue with the manager, it happens all the time. I would just say, both of them, I’m sure they’re sick of it after 24 years. They’re still talking about it every time the World Cup comes up. Come on, let’s move on from this.

“I don’t even think there was a sauna in the hotel, there was a scene in the steam room. It also takes away from how well we did in the tournament.”

Keane added: “Me and Damien Duff were kids! We didn’t know what was going on.

“Me and Duffer, a lot of young lads in the squad, we were just ecstatic to be there at the World Cup. Of course, this happened. I still can’t believe that that Saipan thing is going on after 24 years.”

Read the full story on balls.ie here.

Former Ireland striker Tony Cascarino has hit out at Portugal striker Ronaldo and his manager Roberto Martinez after the legend’s poor showing against DC Congo in Wednesday’s World Cup opener.

Ronaldo has been roundly criticised for his poor performance as Portugal struggled against the African side in the 1-1 draw while Cascarino has rounded on Martinez for lacking the bottle to take the 41-year-old off.

Speaking live on talkSPORT 2’s coverage, Cas said: “I’m trying to be as kind as I can… but he [Ronaldo] was really off it. And he just looks like time has caught up with him.

“He hasn’t got the pace. He’s not even got the energy to pick up the ball. I remember Ronaldo as that winger that just got the ball and drove at people. Ok, he’s aged, he’s not that type of player anymore, but he offered nothing to the Portuguese team.

“I can’t believe Martinez has kept him on. I’m thinking, ‘This is your job - does he just want to keep friends with Ronaldo? Do you want to stay on his side?’

“You’ve got to take people off. If that’s the decision that improves the team and gives the best chance of winning, you’ve got to make it as a manager.

“And I know he’s going to leave at the end of this term. This felt like it is a manager just going, ‘I’m gonna stay pals with my mate Ronaldo’.”

Read the story on talksport here.

The American authorities have sorted a World Cup visa for the mother Cape Verde hero Vozinha who will now be in the stands when they face Uruguay in Miami on Sunday.

Vozinha was in tears after his outstanding performance against Spain in the scoreless draw when he revealed his mum couldn’t afford the price of the visa and the flights to America for his World Cup bow.

But now mum Ana Evora has confirmed to the BBC that she will attend Sunday’s game. “I’m very happy,” she said.

“This is happening so fast, but I’m quite happy anyway. I’m going to see my son playing in the World Cup, God willing. I’m going there to support him, to give him strength and courage. I’m going to give him a hug after the game.”

Read the story on bbc sport here.

Shane Long has spoken of his regret at not reaching 100 caps for Ireland after retiring in 2021 with 88 appearances for his country.

Speaking at a Movember launch, Long told the Irish Mirror: “It would have been amazing to get to the 100 caps, but I suppose I’m getting greedy now …to get 88 caps is amazing, but yeah, it would have been nice to get that 100.

“You ask any players if there are any moments they’d like to get back to it. There is. One-on-one chances I’d missed, or penalties or taps in or whatever, but that’s part of football, that’s part of me growing as a player and learning.

“But yeah, if I could change one thing, it would be to get to that hundred caps.”

Read the full article on the irish mirror here.

Irish midfielder Connor Ronan has swapped Denver for Aberdeen and signed for the Scottish Premier League side after three years in the MLS with the Colorado Rapids according to the Irish Sun.

Former Irish under 21 winger Ronan said: “Aberdeen is a huge football club with big ambitions and that’s difficult to turn down. I want to be part of helping the Club compete at the top end of the table, return to Europe and challenge for trophies.”

Read the full story on the irish sun here.

FIFA let Ronaldo off the hook last November, Martinez should have given him the hook on Wednesday

Cathal Dervan, Editor

You’ll remember well the night an Ireland fan told Cristiano Ronaldo to cry his eyes out live on RTE as the Portuguese legend made his way to the Aviva Stadium dressing room after the first red card of his international career last November.

Ronaldo, then just 40 and playing in his 225th game for his country, was sent-off for an elbow into the back of Dara O’Shea in a game when Troy Parrott announced his intentions to come with both the goals in a brilliant 2-0 win for Ireland.

Little went right for Ronaldo and Portugal that night, Roberto Martinez’s side stung by the aggressive front foot approach from an Irish team in the World Cup’s last chance saloon.

And things went from bad to worse when Ronaldo saw red in the 59th minute as his side struggled to counteract those two first-half goals from the Troy wonder.

Many observers that night felt the referee did Martinez a favour when he sent a disbelieving Ronaldo for an early bath and the RTE cameras caught one fan mimicking the great one crying his eyes out.

A red card of that nature carries a three game suspension and sure enough, Ronaldo sat out the next match when Portugal confirmed World Cup qualification with a 9-1 hammering of Armenia and a display of quite brilliant attacking football - without their talisman.

Therein lies the clue. As the world awaited a three match ban for Ronaldo so FIFA took the laws of the game into their own hands, not the first time they have bent the rules to protect big stars and, more importantly I suspect, commercial opportunities.

Thus they took us all by surprise (sort of) on November 25th when they announced that Ronaldo would serve a three match ban but the final two games of the suspension would be suspended for a year, freeing him up to play in the United States.

It was quite a preposterous decision, based apparently on the fact that he had never been sent off previously in any of his 224 international appearances before Dublin.

Here’s what the Fifa statement said: “If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately.”

We were amazed at that statement but Roberto Martinez must have been disgusted. Throughout his time with Portugal, which will end after this tournament, Martinez has never shown any inclination to take a hard line with Ronaldo and drop him from the team or the squad.

He’s been slow to take him off in games as well although, to be fair, Ronaldo can turn it on in an instant as Stephen Kenny fans will tell you.

There was never any suggestion on Wednesday night that Ronaldo would turn it on, never mind turn the game around for Portugal yet he was still on the pitch at the final whistle, trudging down the tunnel with barely a glance at his team-mates or their opponents never mind a hand shake.

That reaction and his poor performance has prompted another debate on Ronaldo’s role as a World Cup untouchable.

Tony Cascarino, live on Talksport, even claimed Martinez is afraid to leave Ronaldo out of a game yet alone his team.

Cas would know what it feels like when a manager makes a hard World Cup decision by the way. He made way for Niall Quinn for the 1990 game against Holland and Niall scored the goal that sent Jack Charlton’s team into the second phase and justified the decision to drop him. So his opinion counts here.

And we all have to wonder what disservice FIFA did to Martinez now when they suspended the Ronaldo suspension for a year. They did warn that any misdemeanour would see the full suspension reimposed with immediate effect - does being crap count as a misdemeanour?

It should when you’re old and past it, even if your name is Ronaldo. Martinez must be glad it won’t be his problem anymore when this World Cup ends.

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The key stories developing today

Robbie Keane has revealed he lasted 10 minutes more than Mick McCarthy watching the movie Saipan and has branded it as rubbish.

In Los Angeles for the World Cup, Keane told the Rio Ferdinand podcast that he only watched 20 minutes of the Steve Coogan movie before leaving the cinema.

McCarthy walked out of a London screening of the movie about the 2002 World Cup row after just 10 minutes and Keane stayed for just 10 minutes more when he went to see it.

Now he has urged Ireland fans not to bother with the movie, available online after a cinema run earlier this year.

“Whatever you do, don’t watch the movie Saipan and think that’s what happened. It’s absolutely a load of crap. I watched 20 minutes and I walked out. Just make sure, clear that,” said Keane, as reported by Balls.ie.

“Myself and Damien Duff played at a high level, we were more professional than anyone. That movie doesn’t give that to the players, all the players.

“It was two minutes, 90 seconds maybe, that Roy and Mick went back at each other, and that was it, Roy left. That was all that happened.

“I’ve been in dressing rooms where players argue with the manager, it happens all the time. I would just say, both of them, I’m sure they’re sick of it after 24 years. They’re still talking about it every time the World Cup comes up. Come on, let’s move on from this.

“I don’t even think there was a sauna in the hotel, there was a scene in the steam room. It also takes away from how well we did in the tournament.”

Keane added: “Me and Damien Duff were kids! We didn’t know what was going on.

“Me and Duffer, a lot of young lads in the squad, we were just ecstatic to be there at the World Cup. Of course, this happened. I still can’t believe that that Saipan thing is going on after 24 years.”

Read the full story on balls.ie here.

Former Ireland striker Tony Cascarino has hit out at Portugal striker Ronaldo and his manager Roberto Martinez after the legend’s poor showing against DC Congo in Wednesday’s World Cup opener.

Ronaldo has been roundly criticised for his poor performance as Portugal struggled against the African side in the 1-1 draw while Cascarino has rounded on Martinez for lacking the bottle to take the 41-year-old off.

Speaking live on talkSPORT 2’s coverage, Cas said: “I’m trying to be as kind as I can… but he [Ronaldo] was really off it. And he just looks like time has caught up with him.

“He hasn’t got the pace. He’s not even got the energy to pick up the ball. I remember Ronaldo as that winger that just got the ball and drove at people. Ok, he’s aged, he’s not that type of player anymore, but he offered nothing to the Portuguese team.

“I can’t believe Martinez has kept him on. I’m thinking, ‘This is your job - does he just want to keep friends with Ronaldo? Do you want to stay on his side?’

“You’ve got to take people off. If that’s the decision that improves the team and gives the best chance of winning, you’ve got to make it as a manager.

“And I know he’s going to leave at the end of this term. This felt like it is a manager just going, ‘I’m gonna stay pals with my mate Ronaldo’.”

Read the story on talksport here.

The American authorities have sorted a World Cup visa for the mother Cape Verde hero Vozinha who will now be in the stands when they face Uruguay in Miami on Sunday.

Vozinha was in tears after his outstanding performance against Spain in the scoreless draw when he revealed his mum couldn’t afford the price of the visa and the flights to America for his World Cup bow.

But now mum Ana Evora has confirmed to the BBC that she will attend Sunday’s game. “I’m very happy,” she said.

“This is happening so fast, but I’m quite happy anyway. I’m going to see my son playing in the World Cup, God willing. I’m going there to support him, to give him strength and courage. I’m going to give him a hug after the game.”

Read the story on bbc sport here.

Shane Long has spoken of his regret at not reaching 100 caps for Ireland after retiring in 2021 with 88 appearances for his country.

Speaking at a Movember launch, Long told the Irish Mirror: “It would have been amazing to get to the 100 caps, but I suppose I’m getting greedy now …to get 88 caps is amazing, but yeah, it would have been nice to get that 100.

“You ask any players if there are any moments they’d like to get back to it. There is. One-on-one chances I’d missed, or penalties or taps in or whatever, but that’s part of football, that’s part of me growing as a player and learning.

“But yeah, if I could change one thing, it would be to get to that hundred caps.”

Read the full article on the irish mirror here.

Irish midfielder Connor Ronan has swapped Denver for Aberdeen and signed for the Scottish Premier League side after three years in the MLS with the Colorado Rapids according to the Irish Sun.

Former Irish under 21 winger Ronan said: “Aberdeen is a huge football club with big ambitions and that’s difficult to turn down. I want to be part of helping the Club compete at the top end of the table, return to Europe and challenge for trophies.”

Read the full story on the irish sun here.

On Monday evening, Irish time, the Shamrock Rovers captain was one of the stars of the show as Cape Verde marked their World Cup debut with a backs to the wall scoreless draw against European champions Spain.

It was a brilliant performance from the Crumlin native and his team-mates from the Atlantic ocean archipelago, the sort of story that separates the World Cup from your regular big sports events.

And he made headlines across the world, did our Pico with everyone from James Corden to Gary Lineker discussing how he became a Cape Verde international from Dublin 12.

Pico even drew the attention of Waterford Whispers News, the irreverent social media phenomenon that likes to take the piss out of Irish life.

Like the Phoenix magazine, Ireland’s Private Eye which sadly announced its closure this week after 43 years keeping solicitors business, WWN takes no prisoners on one hand. On the other hand, if you make it onto their feed then you can rightly claim to have made it in Irish life.

So well done Pico for your WWN arrival on Monday night, two days before your 34th birthday which will be celebrated on the seashore in Tampa with a squad who will never have heard of Waterford never mind this online satire outlet.

They won’t know that WWN are taking the mickey with their photo, attached, and the headline: ‘Ireland (Specifically Pico Lopes) Secure Historic Draw Against Spain’, in honour of that 0-0 draw with one of the tournament favourites on Monday.

Any Irishman or woman with half a football bone in their body will laugh at the humour, all the time aware that we are more than happy to claim Pico as Ireland’s World Cup representative this summer.

What else can we do? Prague ended our interest in the tournament so we can follow Cape Verde, adopt the Scots as our team and enrol in the ABE club one again - with membership of ABR thrown in for good measure.

That’s Anyone But England. And Anyone But Rice. Declan Rice. Once of this parish but dead to us now ever since he told Mick McCarthy to stick his Ireland shirt up his jumper and jumped ship to England.

Declan is a regular on WWN. We like to laugh at him and we like to laugh at his team. We will be smiling smugly on Wednesday evening when they begin their World Cup adventure against Croatia in Dallas.

And we will be wishing Croatia well, hoping that a 40-year-old Luka Modric can extend the 60 years of hurt for at least another 90 minutes. The Dublin Airport social media crew will probably even get in a dig or two at England if they lose tonight or, God forbid, miss another World Cup penalty.

To be honest, I’m starting to wonder if it is time to relax on the ABE stuff? Sure it’s fun, but I’m two years older than their World Cup anguish and it is starting to feel a bit dated seeing as how every single one of us in Ireland has a relation who is working or has worked in England, who is living or has lived in England. I’ve done it myself on at least three occasions for reasons of employment and they were always nice to me.

Yes, we have 800 reasons to hate the English but that is well and truly history now, just like their World Cup failures.

Maybe we should cut them some slack today - or at least try to even briefly before their big kick-off in Texas.

So let’s adopt an Englishman for a day. Or 11 of them. And let’s wish them well on their World Cup journey and acknowledge that they got there on merit - we couldn’t even get there on penalties!

Let’s make England our third team at the World Cup - after Cape Verde and Scotland! for!!!!!!