Five Cork players in Ireland squad but Alan Browne unlucky to miss out
Sheffield Wednesday's Svante Ingelsson and Middlesbrough's Alan Browne battle for the ball. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire.
Five Cork players are in the Ireland squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Portugal on Thursday at Lansdowne Road and away to Hungary in Budapest.
Caoimhín Kelleher, Jake O'Brien, John Egan, Adam Idah and Chiedozie Ogbene have been included for the concluding games in the qualifiers, which are likely to be the last of Heimir Hallgrímsson's reign, unless Ireland overtake Hungary for a playoff spot.
Alan Browne is very unlucky not to have made the cut. The 30-year-old Ringmahon Rangers and Cork graduate is motoring very well for Middlesbrough in the Championship, where he moved on a season-long loan from Sunderland.
Browne has 37 caps for Ireland and spent the bulk of his career with Preston North End but has excelled for promotion-chasing Boro, including a Man of the Match display against Sheffield Wednesday.
New York City midfielder Kevin O’Toole has received his first call-up after the New Jersey-born midfielder declared through his grandfather.
Your Ireland squad for the final two FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers 🙌
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) November 6, 2025
New York City FC’s Kevin O’Toole recieves a first Ireland call-up with Mark Sykes & Andrew Moran both returning to the set up 🤝
Thu 13 Nov | 🇮🇪🇵🇹
Sun 16 Nov | 🇭🇺🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/3XxYzA5aaF
Evan Ferguson is included despite the striker sustaining an ankle injury recently while playing for AS Roma.
Should Hungary see off Armenia earlier in the day, Ireland will need to avoid defeat to against the group leaders to avoid elimination. Even with a draw, Ireland will need to win by more than one goal in Budapest on November 16.
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