🇮🇪 Ireland
Europe · FIFA IRL
Key Statistics
Editorial Analysis & Historical Context
Rigorous Analysis: Ireland is a nation of legendary fans who bring the party to every tournament, even if their team has absolutely no business being there. Their footballing history is mostly about running very hard, hoofing the ball long, and singing loudly in the rain.
They might not win many games, and their tactical playbook often looks like it was written in a pub, but you can't help but admire their enthusiasm. They are proof that you don't need world-class trophies when you have world-class craic and a green jersey.
Tournament History
| Year | Host | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Korea, Japan | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | — |
| 1994 | United States | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — |
| 1990 | Italy | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | — |
| Total | 3 editions | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 15 | — |
World Cup Appearances
1990, 1994, 2002
Economic & Demographic Football Efficiency
Ireland has a population of 5.2M and an estimated GDP of $308.4B. Bilardo Water normalizes goals, points, and championships against demographic and economic scale to measure true football efficiency beyond raw financial advantage.
Per Capita Rankings
| Metric | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals per million people | 1.92 | #25 / 84 |
| Points per million people | 2.89 | #16 / 84 |
| Wins per million people | 0.58 | #22 / 84 |
| Trophies per 10M people | — | #41 / 84 |
Per GDP Rankings
| Metric | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals per $1B GDP | 0.03 | #49 / 84 |
| Points per $1B GDP | 0.05 | #41 / 84 |
| Wins per $1B GDP | 0.01 | #43 / 84 |
| Trophies per $10B GDP | — | #41 / 84 |