Dentist Ireland coach Hallgrimsson will test Austria in Dublin

The dentist Irish coach Heimir Hallgrimsson leads the Irish national team in Dublin, where the Austrian FA team is considered the favorite. Austria is ranked 22nd in the world rankings, the Irish are 55th, and the Austrians are aiming for the next three points in the Nations League.

Record and long drought

The overall record of the Austrians in the Nations League works in their favour: out of 16 encounters they have recorded nine wins. Nevertheless history warns: the last victory on Irish soil was over 31 years ago.

Previous encounters in Dublin

On 11 June 1995 Austria beat the Irish 3–1, with Toni Polster scoring twice and Andreas Ogris adding the third goal, under the management of the then team chief Herbert Prohaska.

On the same day the Austrian Thomas Muster triumphed in Paris at the French Open. Since then the teams have met twice at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, most recently on Thursday.

In 2013 David Alaba scored a late goal that led to a 2–2 draw, and in June 2017 the duel ended 1–1.

Hallgrimsson: Background and current statements

The Irish side began the Nations League with a 0–1 defeat to Kosovo, but recently secured a clear 3–0 win over Israel. Against Austria the “Boys in Green” still have a joker on the bench.

Heimir Hallgrimsson, Irish coach since summer 2024, has already beaten Austria once, when in 2016 he, together with Lars Lagerbäck, led the Icelandic team to a 2–1 victory over the Austrians. The trained dentist had previously been a coach in Qatar and team chief of Jamaica.

Last week Hallgrimsson said before the 3–0 success against Israel: “We do not play with genocide, we play against genocide.” Among the best‑known Irish are goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, now at Brentford alongside Jannik Schuster, defenders Dara O'Shea (Ipswich Town) and Jake O'Brien (Everton) as well as striker Troy Parrott, who has been playing for Betis Sevilla since the summer.

Much is at stake for Ireland: since Euro 2016 they have not qualified for any major tournament, and as co‑host of Euro 2028 their ticket is not yet secured. All four hosts – Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales – will take part in the upcoming Euro qualifying cycle; should not all automatically qualify, the two highest‑placed non‑qualified hosts will receive up to two replacement spots.