USA ’94
Ireland finished Group 3 level with Denmark on 18 points and the same goal difference, and went through on goals scored, 19 to 15. Spain won the group. Ireland’s last game was in Belfast on 17 November 1993: Northern Ireland led through Jimmy Quinn, and Alan McLoughlin equalised soon after.
At the finals Ray Houghton scored the only goal against Italy at Giants Stadium. Mexico won 2–1 in Orlando, and a goalless draw with Norway left all four teams in Group E on four points. Ireland finished second; Norway went out on goals scored. The Netherlands won the last-16 game 2–0 in Orlando.
Qualifying Group 3, final table
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 4 | 19 |
| Ireland | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 18 |
| Denmark | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 18 |
| Northern Ireland | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| Lithuania | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 21 | 7 |
| Latvia | 12 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 5 |
| Albania | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 26 | 4 |
Two points for a win. Ireland and Denmark were level on points and goal difference; Ireland scored more goals. The top two qualified.
Ireland’s qualifying games
| Date | Game |
|---|---|
| 26 May 1992 | Ireland 2–0 AlbaniaDublin · Ireland: John Aldridge 60′, Paul McGrath 80′ |
| 9 Sep 1992 | Ireland 4–0 LatviaDublin · Ireland: Kevin Sheedy 31′, John Aldridge 59′, John Aldridge 81′ (pen), John Aldridge 88′ |
| 14 Oct 1992 | Denmark 0–0 IrelandCopenhagen |
| 18 Nov 1992 | Spain 0–0 IrelandSeville |
| 31 Mar 1993 | Ireland 3–0 Northern IrelandDublin · Ireland: Andy Townsend 20′, Niall Quinn 22′, Steve Staunton 28′ |
| 28 Apr 1993 | Ireland 1–1 DenmarkDublin · Ireland: Niall Quinn 75′ · Denmark: Kim Vilfort 27′ |
| 26 May 1993 | Albania 1–2 IrelandTirana · Ireland: Steve Staunton 12′, Tony Cascarino 77′ |
| 9 Jun 1993 | Latvia 0–2 IrelandRiga · Ireland: John Aldridge 14′, Paul McGrath 43′ |
| 16 Jun 1993 | Lithuania 0–1 IrelandVilnius · Ireland: Steve Staunton 40′ |
| 8 Sep 1993 | Ireland 2–0 LithuaniaDublin · Ireland: John Aldridge 5′, Alan Kernaghan 26′ |
| 13 Oct 1993 | Ireland 1–3 SpainDublin · Ireland: John Sheridan 72′ · Spain: Jose Luis Caminero 11′, Julio Salinas 14′, Julio Salinas 26′ |
| 17 Nov 1993 | Northern Ireland 1–1 IrelandBelfast · Ireland: Alan McLoughlin 76′ · Northern Ireland: Jimmy Quinn 73′ |
The finals, United States
| Date | Game |
|---|---|
| 18 Jun 1994 | Ireland 1–0 ItalyEast Rutherford · Ireland: Ray Houghton 11′ |
| 24 Jun 1994 | Ireland 1–2 MexicoOrlando · Ireland: John Aldridge 84′ · Mexico: Luis García Postigo 42′, Luis García Postigo 65′ |
| 28 Jun 1994 | Ireland 0–0 NorwayEast Rutherford |
| 4 Jul 1994 | Ireland 0–2 NetherlandsOrlando · Netherlands: Dennis Bergkamp 11′, Wim Jonk 41′ |
Group E, final table
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Ireland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Italy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Norway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Three points for a win, the first World Cup to use them. All four teams finished on four points and a goal difference of zero. Ireland were placed above Italy because they won the game between them.
The squad
| No. | Pos | Player | Club | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Packie Bonner | Celtic | 73 |
| 2 | DF | Denis Irwin | Manchester United | 26 |
| 3 | DF | Terry Phelan | Manchester City | 22 |
| 4 | DF | Kevin Moran | Blackburn Rovers | 71 |
| 5 | DF | Paul McGrath | Aston Villa | 65 |
| 6 | MF | Roy Keane | Manchester United | 22 |
| 7 | MF | Andy Townsend (captain) | Aston Villa | 45 |
| 8 | MF | Ray Houghton | Aston Villa | 58 |
| 9 | FW | John Aldridge | Tranmere Rovers | 57 |
| 10 | MF | John Sheridan | Sheffield Wednesday | 20 |
| 11 | DF | Steve Staunton | Aston Villa | 47 |
| 12 | DF | Gary Kelly | Leeds United | 5 |
| 13 | DF | Alan Kernaghan | Manchester City | 11 |
| 14 | DF | Phil Babb | Coventry City | 5 |
| 15 | FW | Tommy Coyne | Motherwell | 14 |
| 16 | FW | Tony Cascarino | Chelsea | 50 |
| 17 | FW | Eddie McGoldrick | Arsenal | 12 |
| 18 | MF | Ronnie Whelan | Liverpool | 50 |
| 19 | MF | Alan McLoughlin | Portsmouth | 17 |
| 20 | FW | David Kelly | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 16 |
| 21 | MF | Jason McAteer | Bolton Wanderers | 5 |
| 22 | GK | Alan Kelly | Sheffield United | 3 |
Caps as they stood when the tournament began. Manager: Jack Charlton.