The countdown to the 2026 World Cupis on! Each day ahead of the tournament’s return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world’s biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year’s global event.
Ireland's last appearance at a World Cup before USA 1994 was in Italy four years earlier. They managed to reach the quarterfinals following three draws in the group stage and a win over Romania after penalty kicks.
But their run came to an end in Rome at the hands of the hosts via a goal from eventual tournament Golden Boot winner Salvatore Schillaci.
Ireland would be grouped with Italy in 1994 with an opening game scheduled at Giants Stadium. As the June heat baked the stadium filled with Irish fans, Ray Houghton gave them a moment to savor.
In the 11th minute of the match, Houghton intercepted a header outside of the Italian penalty box off his chest, rounded the ball and lofted a shot just outside of the penalty arc catching goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca by surprise.
Ray Houghton's goal vs Italy, 1994. pic.twitter.com/stvG4h1ZFd
— 90s Football (@90sfootball) November 18, 2022
Giants Stadium erupted as those in green couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. Ireland would see out the match for a 1-0 victory, their first-ever in a World Cup.
"We knew it would be a big game. We played Italy in the 1990 World Cup four years earlier and, if you look through their team from that day, there wasn't many who were still playing in 1994,” Houghton said.
“The goal was a long punt up the field. Franco Baresi got his head on it, but it wasn't a great header. I was able to collect it on my chest and I thought, 'Just hit it, why not? It's the World Cup.' I looked at it initially and thought it was going over the bar. Then another look: 'Oh, it's going in…' Next thing, Terry Phelan and Roy Keane are over-celebrating with me. That's the magic of football."
Ireland would lose its next match and draw with Norway in its final group game. Italy would beat Norway and tie Mexico. What resulted was an historic finish as it marked the first time in World Cup history that all four teams finished with the same record and the same number of points. With each team having a 0 goal difference, Mexico, Ireland and Italy went through by virtue of having more goals scored than Norway.
The Irish would not advance as far as they did in 1990, however. The Netherlands knocked them out in the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory.
