November 2025: Ireland 2 Portugal 0 (World Cup 2026 Qualifier)
With the obvious caveat of recency bias, this one had an extra sprinkling of magic dust. The game delivered one of those rare, captivating sporting soap operas where the underdog comes out on top and the pantomime villain gets jeered off the stage in disgrace long before the end of the show. So many of Ireland’s famous wins have been single goal victories. This was different. Portugal, ranked fifth in the world, couldn’t find a way through the green wall while at the other end of pitch. Ireland created enough chances that 3-0 wouldn’t have flattered them. Some of the Portuguese players ended the night arguing with travelling fans while all around them the stadium bounced to Freed From Desire. Nobody wanted to leave. Glorious.
October 2015: Ireland 1 Germany 0 (Euro 2016 Qualifier)
Shane Long’s 70th minute strike was the difference between Ireland the then reigning world champions. Germany, who had beaten Ireland 6-1 in Dublin three years earlier, arrived to the Aviva with a squad that included Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil, Marco Reus, Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer. Ireland had to soak up a lot of pressure but with 20 minutes remaining goalkeeper Darren Randolph, who had come on earlier in the game to replace the injured Shay Given, went route one with a long ball over the top of the German rearguard. Long used all of his pace to outrace three German defenders, took a neat touch, never broke stride and unleashed a thunderous right-footed shot across Neuer to the far corner.
September 2001: Ireland 1 Netherlands 0 (World Cup 2022 Qualifier)
It started with Roy Keane crashing through Marc Overmars and ended with the infamous handshake/non-handshake photo between Mick McCarthy and a topless Keane. In between, Jason McAteer etched his name in Irish football folklore with a match-winning goal against a star-studded Dutch side. It is occasionally forgotten that Ireland played most of the second half with only 10 men after Gary Kelly had been sent off in the 58th minute. For the goal, Steve Finnan cross found McAteer completely unmarked at the back of the box and he smacked the ball first time beyond Van der Sar.
September 1998: Ireland 2 Croatia 0 (Euro 2000 Qualifier)
Croatia arrived to Dublin on the back of finishing third at the World Cup in France just two months earlier. The visitors had Igor Stimac, Zvonimir Boban and Mario Staníc among their ranks but Ireland got off to the perfect start when Denis Irwin was bundled over in the box after only four minutes. Irwin tucked away the resulting penalty low to his right to give Ireland an early lead. On the quarter hour mark, Roy Keane reacted quickest to head home a deflected Jason McAteer shot, 2-0. Croatia would finish the game with nine men as Stanic and Krunoslav Jurcic were sent off late on.
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April 1995: Ireland 1 Portugal 0 (Euro 1996 Qualifier)
Perhaps as memorable for John Aldridge’s celebration in the face of Fernando Couto after the only goal of the game as anything else, but at the time this felt like a hugely significant victory for Jack Charlton’s side. The goal was a scrappy one, a low cross by Steve Staunton towards Aldridge at the front post was missed by everybody, catching Vítor Baía out as the ball deflected in off the Portuguese goalkeeper. At the final whistle, Ireland’s Euro 96 ambitions looked on but next time out they played a scoreless draw against Liechtenstein.
April 1989: Ireland 1 Spain 0 (World Cup 1990 Qualifier)
This was the game that kick-started Ireland’s qualification to a first World Cup finals appearance. Ireland had picked up only two points from their first three games in the group – draws away to Northern Ireland and Hungary, either side of a 2-0 loss in Spain. Ray Houghton squared a ball across the Spanish box in the 15th minute and after several mishits and miscues the ball ricocheted in off Michel for an own goal. Spain – in splendid vivid red jerseys and bright blue shorts – battled back in what was a fiery contest but Ireland held on for a famous victory. Ireland won all their remaining games in the group to qualify for Italia 90.
October 1989: Ireland 3 Northern Ireland 0 (World Cup 1990 Qualifier)
For a certain generation, this game might be remembered for their teachers rolling televisions into classrooms on a Wednesday afternoon in October. As Lansdowne Road had no floodlights, games had to be played in daylight hours and with the country in the grip of World Cup qualification fever, many of the nation’s educators allowed their students (and themselves) to watch it live. After a tense and combative opening, the home side broke the deadlock two minutes before the interval through Ronnie Whelan. Tony Cascarino and Ray Houghton added second-half goals, and Ireland were all but on their way to a maiden World Cup finals appearance.
May 1987: Ireland 1 Brazil 0 (Friendly)
This is the only friendly included on the list but beating Brazil was and is a milestone moment for any Irish football team. The quality of Liam Brady’s goal added some real class to a standout result. Brady collected the ball on the edge of the box, cut back inside with his right foot and lined up to strike with his left to the far post but wonderfully disguised his intentions, instead pulling it back with his left to the near post. Samba soccer from the boys in green.
October 1981: Ireland 3 France 2 (World Cup 1982 Qualifier)
Eoin Hand’s Ireland took the lead early after an exceptional run down the right wing by Michael Robinson. Having left a trail of French players on the ground behind him, Robinson fired the ball across the box where Mahut, desperately trying to stop Frank Stapleton from scoring, knocked in an own goal. France equalised shortly after before Stapleton made it 2-1 in the 21st minute. Just before the break, Robinson extended Ireland’s lead. Michel Platini, the French captain, pulled one back for the visitors late on but Ireland held out for the victory.
