AFTER securing their place in the World Cup play-offs in dramatic fashion against Hungary on Sunday, Ireland will find out tomorrow who they will face at the semi-final stage.
Troy Parrott's last-gasp goal in the 3-2 win sealed both his hat-trick and second place in Group F behind Portugal, meaning they advanced to next March's play-off round.
However, to progress from the semi-final stage, the Boys in Green must win away from home against one of four sides ranked above them in FIFA's rankings.
Who could Ireland face?
Sixteen European teams are vying for four spots in the World Cup Finals via the play-offs.
Twelve of the teams will be comprised of the group runners-up from European qualifying, with the remaining four slots taken by the four best-ranked group winners from last year's Nations League who failed to make the top two in their World Cup qualifying groups.
There are four play-off paths, each featuring two single-legged semi-finals and a final, with the winners of the four finals heading to Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The 12 qualifying runners-up will be split into Pots 1, 2 and 3 in order of their FIFA ranking, with the best-ranked teams in Pot 1 and the lowest-ranked teams in Pot 3, while Pot 4 will comprise the Nations League winners.
In the semi-finals, teams from Pot 1 will play teams from Pot 4, while teams in Pot 2 will face off against those in Pot 3.
Teams in Pots 1 and 2 will have home advantage in the single-legged semi-finals.
Ireland (ranked 59th by FIFA) are in Pot 3 of tomorrow's draw, meaning they will travel to face a team from Pot 2, which includes Poland (31st), Wales (32nd), Czechia (44th) and Slovakia (45th).
Should Ireland win their semi-final, they will face a winner of one of the semi-final ties between the Pot 1 and Pot 4 teams.
The host of each of the four finals will be determined by a draw.
Record against potential opponents
Poland lost just once in qualifying, a 2-1 defeat to Finland, but having drawn home and away with Group G winners the Netherlands, will be a tough prospect, especially in their own backyard.
Ireland have only won one of their last nine meetings with Poland stretching back to 1991, that victory coming in a 2-0 friendly in Dublin in 2013.
Wales, despite losing twice in Group J to winners Belgium, finished just two points behind Rudi Garcia's side.
However, from a logistical point of view, a trip to Cardiff would perhaps be preferable for Ireland.
The Boys in Green have won just one of their past seven meetings with Wales, a 1-0 win in Cardiff in 2017 that ironically saw Ireland pip the hosts to a World Cup play-off spot.
Czechia held on to second spot in Group L despite a spirited challenge from minnows the Faroe Islands, who beat the Czechs 2-1 last month.
Ireland have played Czechia eight times, losing the first three meetings, but have lost only one of the past five, a narrow 1-0 away defeat in qualifying for Euro 2008 in which the Czechs topped a group containing Germany.
Ireland's fourth potential opponent, Slovakia, finished behind Germany in qualifying but defeated the Group A winners 2-0 in September.
However, the Germans exacted revenge and claimed top spot in the final round with a resounding 6-0 win in Leipzig on Monday.
Ireland won their first meeting with the Slovaks in the aforementioned Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, a 1-0 victory in Dublin, before drawing 2-2 in Bratislava.
The sides drew their ensuing three meetings but — somewhat ominously — Slovakia won 4-2 on penalties in a Euro 2020 play-off semi-final in Bratislava in the last meeting between the teams.
Northern Ireland, who are in Pot 4, face either Italy, Denmark, Türkiye or Ukraine away from home.
The draw will take place tomorrow, Thursday, November 20, at FIFA HQ in Zurich from 12pm GMT.
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