It felt like every football fan in the world saw the goal and the celebration. Good advice, which the FAI will surely ignore if some exciting potential granny-rulers suddenly feel the stirrings of a long-forgotten Irishness as the World Cup draws near. It was this team’s finest moment since that Amber Barrett goal in Glasgow, a whole three years before, qualified them for the World Cup. It earned them promotion to the A division of the Nations League and a guaranteed play-off for the 2027 World Cup. And Scales strained every sinew as he leapt over Orbán and Varga to reignite dormant dreams of Ireland at the World Cup.

Source: The Irish Times December 26, 2025 17:16 UTC