Overview

• Ireland must beat Armenia on Tuesday to keep realistic 2026 qualifying hopes alive after defeats in Yerevan and Portugal.
• Heimir Hallgrimsson said the outcome is all that matters and that he would take a "shitty" 1-0, calling it a result game.
• A proactive approach is planned after a containment setup in Lisbon, with emphasis on collective play and game management.
• Josh Cullen is suspended, Conor Coventry has been called up, and Liam Scales remains unavailable for personal reasons.
• Festy Ebosele, Evan Ferguson, and Chiedozie Ogbene were withdrawn early against Portugal to conserve energy as training was tweaked to address second-game fatigue, with Seamus Coleman expected to be tired and Will Smallbone in contention to start.