Republic of Ireland discover opponents for World Cup qualifiers
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The Republic of Ireland will face the winners of the UEFA Nations League quarter final between Portugal and Denmark, along with Hungary and Armenia in their bid to qualify for the World Cup in 2026.
The Boys in Green haven't competed in the tournament since their memorable run to the last 16 in Japan and South Korea back in 2002.
Given the fact that they were in Pot 3 for the draw on Friday morning, it was always likely they would be paired with tough opponents as they look to end that 24-year gap and reach the finals to be played across the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.
It has now been confirmed that they will take on Portugal or Denmark, Hungary, and Armenia home and away with dates and kick-off times for each fixture to be confirmed in due course.
Despite the expanded 48-team showpiece offering 16 instead of the previous 13 places for European teams, only the winners across the 12 groups are guaranteed direct tickets.
The remaining four are to be derived through a convoluted playoff system, in which the runners-up are joined by four teams from the Nations League series recently completed to generate four separate semi-final and final paths.
Northern Ireland have been drawn in Group A, alongside the winners of the Germany v Italy UEFA Nations League quarter-final, Slovakia and Luxembourg.