Two November games in the space of four days catapulted the Republic of Ireland men’s football team to the top of the Teneo Sport and Sponsorship Index for 2025.
For the first time since the index started 16 years ago, the Republic of Ireland was named Team of the Year, securing 25 per cent of the vote after lifting the nation with wins against Portugal and Hungary to secure a place in the World Cup playoffs this coming March.
Troy Parrott’s 95th-minute winner against Hungary was also voted the Most Memorable Sporting Moment of 2025, with 37 per cent of the vote, while Katie Taylor remains Ireland’s most admired athlete for the ninth successive year.
Taylor retained that status with 14 per cent of the vote, helped by her third successive victory over Amanda Serrano in their trilogy fight at Madison Square Garden in July. Parrott was the second most admired athlete for 2025 (10 per cent), just ahead of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, who were both on 7 per cent.
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Gaelic games (grouped as Gaelic football, ladies Gaelic football, hurling and camogie) was Ireland’s favourite sport for the eighth consecutive year, receiving 21 per cent of the vote.
The World Cup is the most anticipated sporting event of 2026, with 21 per cent of the vote, ahead of the Six Nations on 18 per cent. The World Cup playoffs in March, where Ireland still have a chance of qualifying for the tournament, rank third on 16 per cent.
The Teneo Sport and Sponsorship Index involved a 1,000-person public representative survey (26 counties) with quotas across gender, region, age and social class. The research was carried out between December 3rd and December 11th and examines the Irish public’s attitudes towards sport and their sporting heroes.
Parrott’s last-minute winner trick in Budapest, sealing a famous 3-2 win that kept alive Ireland’s World Cup dreams, was voted the Most Memorable Sporting Moment ahead of Taylor’s victory over Serrano (12 per cent), her only fight of the year.
Two golfing moments share third place on 10 per cent each; McIlroy’s Grand Slam clinching putt to win the Masters at Augusta and Lowry’s celebrations after holing a pressure seven-foot putt on the 18th at Bethpage to secure Ryder Cup victory for Europe both captured the public imagination.
In fifth place with 6 per cent was Kate O’Connor embracing her father and coach Michael after winning silver in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
“The heroics of the Ireland men’s football team have lit up the country,” said Kelli O’Keeffe, managing director of Teneo Sports Advisory. “Troy Parrott’s incredible goals have shot him straight into second place in our most admired athlete list, right behind Katie Taylor, who holds on to the top spot for an incredible ninth year in a row.
“Amongst the exciting fresh talent we are seeing for the first time in our research is heptathlete Kate O’Connor whose world-class performances in 2025 have really made an impact on the Irish public, and Kate winning a silver medal at the World Athletics championships features as part of our most memorable moments of the year.”
Parrott debuted on the list of the Most Admired Athlete in second place on 10 per cent. McIlroy took third place (7 per cent) after completing the career Grand Slam at Augusta, followed by Lowry in fourth (6 per cent).
Bundee Aki, the Ireland, Connacht and British and Irish Lions centre, shared fifth place (4 per cent) along with double Olympic boxing champion Kellie Harrington, recently retired jockey Rachael Blackmore, and Republic of Ireland men’s internationals Caoimhín Kelleher and Séamus Coleman.
Football/soccer (men’s and women’s) rose to 20 per cent and remains Ireland’s second favourite sport behind Gaelic games, followed by rugby (men’s, women’s and Sevens) in third place on 15 per cent. Athletics and tennis share fourth place with 5 per cent each, while golf sits in sixth place on 4 per cent.
The Triple Crown-winning Ireland men’s rugby team took second place on the Team of The Year for the second year running on 14 per cent, while the Republic of Ireland women’s football team finished third with 12 per cent following their promotion in the Nations League.
GAA teams rounded out the top five with All-Ireland men’s senior football champions Kerry in fourth on 10 per cent, and the Tipperary senior hurlers in fifth place on 8 per cent after winning the Liam MacCarthy trophy for the first time since 2019.
