Irish Free State national football team
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| Nickname(s) | The Boys in Green (Irish: Na buachaillí i nglas) The Green Army |
|---|---|
| Association | Football Association of Ireland (FAI) |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
| Head coach | Martin O'Neill |
| Captain | Séamus Coleman |
| Most caps | Robbie Keane (146) |
| Top scorer | Robbie Keane (68) |
| Home stadium | Aviva Stadium |
| FIFA code | IRL |
| FIFA ranking | |
| Current | 26  (4 May 2017)
|
| Highest | 6 (August 1993) |
| Lowest | 70 (June–July 2014) |
| Elo ranking | |
| Current | 25 (30 April 2017) |
| Highest | 8 (March–April 1991, April 2002, August 2002) |
| Lowest | 63 (May 1972) |
| First international | |
 Ireland 1–0 Bulgaria  (Stade Colombes, France; 28 May 1924) |
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| Biggest win | |
Republic of Ireland 8–0 Malta  (Dublin, Ireland; 16 November 1983) |
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| Biggest defeat | |
 Brazil 7–0 Republic of Ireland (Uberlândia, Brazil; 27 May 1982) |
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| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1990) |
| Best result | Quarter-finals, 1990 |
| European Championship | |
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1988) |
| Best result | Last 8, 1988, 1964 |
The Republic of Ireland national football team (Irish: Foireann peile náisiúnta Phoblacht na hÉireann) represents Ireland in association football. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and plays its home fixtures at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The team made their debut at the 1924 Summer Olympics, reaching the quarter-finals. Between 1924 and 1936, the team competed as the Irish Free State and from then until 1950, it was referred to by the FAI as Éire or Ireland. In 1953, FIFA decreed that for competitive matches in tournaments that both Irish teams may enter, the FAI team would be officially called the Republic of Ireland while the IFA team was to be named Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland was allowed to use the title Ireland by FIFA in the Home International Competition until it was discontinued in 1984. The Republic of Ireland was the first nation from outside the United Kingdom to defeat England at home at a fixture played at Goodison Park, Liverpool, in 1949. The team also reached the quarter-final stage of the 1964 European Nations' Cup, where they lost to the eventual winners Spain.
Under the guidance of Jack Charlton, the team enjoyed its most successful era, reaching their highest FIFA world ranking ever at sixth in August 1993, and qualifying for UEFA Euro 1988 in their first appearance at the UEFA European Championship, reaching the quarter-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in their first ever appearance at the finals, as well as making the last 16 at the 1994 edition. Charlton's successor Mick McCarthy lost out on the next two major tournaments but ultimately qualified for the 2002 World Cup, making it to the last 16. Under Giovanni Trapattoni, the team narrowly lost out on qualification for the 2010 World Cup during a controversial play-off, but went on to qualify for Euro 2012.
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