December 22, 2024

Irish 1986 World Cup Qualifying Campaign

The Republic of Ireland soccer team was drawn in World Cup Group 6 that also included Denmark, Soviet Union, Switzerland, and Norway. The group winners and the runners-up would qualify automatically. Eoin Hand was the Republic of Ireland soccer manager for this campaign.

Early Irish World Cup Qualifier Optimism Evaporates

The 1986 World Cup qualification campaign for Ireland began with a home match at Lansdowne Road (now Aviva Stadium). The Irish soccer team got off to very satisfactory start in September 1984 with a 1-0 win and Mickey Walsh of Porto scored the winning goal in the 64th minute.

Following this optimistic beginning the Irish qualifying campaign was derailed in the next three matches by the twin Scandinavian challenge posed by Norway and Denmark. In the home and away matches against Norway Ireland failed to score, losing 1-0 in Oslo, and scraping a 0-0 draw at Lansdowne Road. In between these two matches the Ireland team was crushed 3-0 in Copenhagen by the emerging Danes.

Renewed Irish Hopes Fade Quickly

In June 1985 the Irish team restored a modicum of respectability with a comprehensive defeat of Switzerland in Dublin. First half goals by Frank Stapleton and Tony Grealish were added to by a Kevin Sheedy strike in the 57th minute. Following a scoreless draw in Berne in the return match the Republic lost 2-0 away to the Soviet Union in Moscow.

With nothing to play for when Denmark came to Lansdowne Road for the last Group 6 match of Ireland’s 1986 World Cup qualifying campaign, a dispirited Irish team capitulated to the marauding Danes. Despite an early goal from Frank Stapleton the Danes went on to give the Republic of Ireland a soccer lesson. The Irish suffered their heaviest home defeat since May 1971 in the 1972 European Football Championship qualification match against Austria. This result signalled the end of Eoin Hand’s tenure as manager of the Irish soccer team and presaged a new golden era for Irish football with Jack Charlton as manager of the Republic of Ireland.

Irish World Cup 1986 Qualifying Campaign – Group Table

World Cup 1986 – Qualifying Group 6

Nation
Played
Won
Drew
Lost
Goals F
Goals A
Points
Denmark
8
5
1
2
17
6
11
Soviet Union
8
4
2
2
13
8
10
Switzerland
8
2
4
2
5
10
8
Ireland
8
2
2
4
5
10
6
Norway
8
1
3
4
4
10
5

Republic of Ireland World Cup 1986 Qualifying Campaign – Match Results

12/09/84: Lansdowne Rd, Dublin: Ireland 1-0 Soviet Union
Mickey Walsh 64
12/09/84: Oslo: Norway 0-1 Switzerland26/09/84: Copenhagen: Denmark 1-0 Norway10/10/84: Oslo: Norway 1-1 Soviet Union

17/10/84: Berne: Switzerland 1-0 Denmark
17/10/84: Oslo: Norway 1-0 Ireland
Jacobsen 42

14/11/84: Copenhagen: Denmark 3-0 Ireland
Elkjær 30, 46, Lerby 55

17/04/85: Berne: Switzerland 2-2 Soviet Union

01/05/85: Lansdowne Road, Dublin: Ireland 0-0 Norway

02/05/85: Moscow: Soviet Union 4-0 Switzerland

02/06/85: Lansdowne Rd, Dublin: Ireland 3-0 Switzerland
Frank Stapleton 7, Tony Grealish 33, Kevin Sheedy 57

05/06/85: Copenhagen: Denmark 4-2 Soviet Union

11/09/85: Berne: Switzerland 0-0 Ireland

25/09/85: Moscow: Soviet Union 1-0 Denmark

09/10/85: Copenhagen: Denmark 0-0 Switzerland

16/10/85: Oslo: Norway 1-5 Denmark
16/10/85: Moscow: Soviet Union 2-0 Ireland
Cherenkov 61, Protasov 90

30/10/85: Moscow: Soviet Union 1-0 Norway

13/11/85: Lansdowne Road, Dublin: Ireland 1-4 Denmark
Frank Stapleton 6 / Elkjaer 7, 76, Laudrup 49, Sivebaek 57
13/11/85: Lucerne: Switzerland 1-1 Norway

Irish World Cup Qualifying Group Results

World Cup 1950 Qualification
World Cup 1954 Qualification
World Cup 1958 Qualification
1962 World Cup Qualifying
1966 World Cup Qualifying
1970 World Cup Qualifying
1974 World Cup Qualifiers
1978 World Cup Qualifiers
1982 World Cup Qualifiers
1986 World Cup Qualification
1990 World Cup Qualification
1994 World Cup Qualification
1998 World Cup Qualifiers
2002 World Cup Qualifiers
2006 World Cup Qualifiers
World Cup 2010 Qualification
World Cup 2014 Qualifiers
World Cup 2018 Qualifiers

Number of Appearances and Goals Scored in Irish World Cup Qualifying Campaigns

World Cup 1938 Appearances
World Cup 1950 Appearances
World Cup 1954 Appearances
1958 World Cup Appearances
1962 World Cup Appearances
1966 World Cup Appearances
1970 World Cup Appearances
1974 World Cup Appearances
1978 World Cup Appearances
1982 World Cup Appearances
1986 World Cup Appearances
1990 World Cup Appearances
1994 World Cup Appearances
1998 World Cup Appearances
2002 World Cup Appearances
World Cup 2006 Appearances
World Cup 2010 Appearances
World Cup 2014 Appearances
World Cup 2018 Appearances

Irish European Championship Qualifying Group Results

European Nations Cup 1960
European Nations Cup 1964
European Nations Cup 1968
European Championship 1972
Euro Championship 1976
Euro Championship 1980
European Championship 1984
Euro 1988
Euro 1992
Euro 1996 Qualifiers
Euro 2000 Qualifiers
2004 Euro Qualifiers
Euro 2008 Qualifiers
Euro 2012 Qualifiers
Irish Euro 2012 Play Offs
Euro 2016 Qualifiers
Euro 2020 Qualifiers
Euro 2024 Qualifiers

Number of Appearances and Goals Scored in Irish Euro Championship Finals Qualifying Campaigns

Euro 1960 Appearances
Euro 1964 Appearances
World Cup 1968 Appearances
Euro 1972 Appearances
Euro 1976 Appearances
Euro 1980 Appearances
Euro 1984 Appearances
Euro 1988 Appearances
Euro 1992 Appearances
Euro 1996 Appearances
Euro 2000 Appearances
Euro 2004 Appearances
Euro 2008 Appearances
Euro 2012 Appearances
Euro 2016 Appearances

 

Ireland Euro 88
Irish Squad Euro 88
Ireland v England Euro 88
Ireland v Soviet Union Euro 88
Ireland v Holland Euro 88
Ireland & 1990 World Cup Finals
Irish Squad World Cup 1990
Ireland V England 1990
Ireland V Egypt 1990
Ireland V Holland 1990
Ireland V Romania 1990
Ireland V Italy 1990
Ireland & 2002 World Cup Finals
2002 World Cup Irish Squad
2002 World Cup Irish Group Matches
Ireland V Cameroon 2002
Ireland V Germany 2002
Ireland V Saudi Arabia 2002
Ireland V Spain 2002

 

Ireland & 1994 World Cup Finals
Irish Squad World Cup 1994
Ireland V Italy 1994
Ireland V Mexico 1994
Ireland V Norway 1994
Ireland V Netherlands 1994
Ireland Euro 2012
Euro 2012 Fixture List
Ireland Euro 2012 Squad
Euro 2012 Warm-up Matches
Ireland V Croatia 2012
Ireland V Spain 2012
Ireland V Italy 2012
Fields of Athenry at Euro 2012
Ireland’s Play Off Matches
Ireland Spain Play Off
Ireland Holland Play Off
Ireland Belgium Play Off
Ireland Turkey Play Off
Ireland Iran Play Off
Ireland France Play Off
Ireland Estonia Play Off
Ireland Bosnia Herzegovina Play Off

 

Ireland Euro 2016 – Irish Squad Euro 2016 – Ireland V Sweden Euro 2016
Ireland V Belgium Euro 2016 -Ireland V Italy Euro 2016 – Ireland V France Euro 2016

 

All Irish Football Results
Ireland Austria Football Results
Ireland Bosnia & Herzegovina Football Results
Ireland Croatia Football Results
Ireland England Football Results
Ireland Faroe Islands Football Results
Ireland Germany Football Results
Ireland Georgia Football Results
Ireland Gibraltar Football Results
Ireland Italy Football Results
Ireland Kazakhstan Football Results
Ireland Moldova Football Results
Ireland Holland Football Results
Ireland Poland Football Results
Ireland Scotland Football Results
Ireland Serbia Football Results
Ireland Spain Football Results
Ireland Sweden Football Results
Ireland Wales Football Results

Irish International Match Results 1924 – 1939
Ireland Soccer Results 1940 – 1959
Republic of Ireland Results 1960 – 1969
Irish International Soccer Results 1970 – 1979
Republic of Ireland Soccer Results 1980 – 1984
Irish International Soccer Results 1985 – 1989
Irish Soccer Team Results 1990 – 1994
Republic of Ireland Football Results 1995 – 1999
Irish International Football Results 2000 – 2004
Republic of Ireland Soccer Results 2005 – 2009
Republic of Ireland Football Fixtures & Results 2010
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2011
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2012
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2013
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2014
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2015
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2016
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2017

Irish International Soccer Results Index Page

Irish Soccer Information
Irish Football Club Directory Irish Soccer Leagues Women’s Soccer in Ireland
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