McCabe urges a packed Aviva Stadium as Ireland chase World Cup spot

Katie McCabe said securing qualification for another World Cup is her main priority and urged a big crowd to descend on Aviva Stadium for the pivotal second leg against Poland in December. She added, "If there's ever a game to come to this year, it's this one," before the match began.

First‑leg dominance and second‑leg expectations

In the first leg, Ireland thrashed Kazakhstan 8‑0 in Astana last Friday, prompting predictions of double‑digit margins for the return. However, the Cork crowd could only celebrate a four‑goal win, with Jessie Stapleton, Lucy Quinn and local hero Denise O'Sullivan adding the other goals.

Key moments in the second leg

McCabe drilled home the second goal on the night as Carla Ward’s side completed their business against a weak Kazakhstan outfit, which showed more resistance than in Astana. The goal helped seal a comfortable aggregate victory.

Ward’s tenure began with a rocky 4‑0 defeat to Slovenia, but the team rebounded, turning around a failed Euro qualification campaign to stay in League A and now eye a World Cup place.

Ireland's World Cup hopes surge as McCabe fires Cork win

Poland as the final hurdle

Poland recently eliminated Belgium on penalties in Gdansk, leaving them as the only obstacle to a successive World Cup appearance for Ireland, who have already beaten Poland twice in 2026 – 3‑2 in Gdansk and 1‑0 at Aviva Stadium.

After the match, McCabe told the RTÉ panel, "I just heard it [the Poland‑Belgium result] there at the end of the game. There's a World Cup place at stake, so we know they'll be giving it everything." She highlighted the December 5 kick‑off at 5 o’clock, urging families and children to attend.

McCabe, now 31, reflected on her own transition after moving from Arsenal to Chelsea in the off‑season. She praised her new club, noting Chelsea sit second in the Women’s Super League after four wins from five, but stressed that Ireland’s World Cup qualification remains her top focus.

Ward pushes for record Aviva crowd as Poland looms in LOI showdown

Ward added, "Once Carla came in, it's always a bit of a transition period… we learned our lesson with that heavy defeat against Slovenia and have built momentum since." The manager emphasized the need to lock in for the next six weeks.