Ward names settled squad for Girls in Green

By Alyce Collett (17/2/26)

Above: The Republic of Ireland will be looking to continue a strong run of momentum into a very important year of matches. Image: Ireland Football Twitter.

The first squad for the Republic of Ireland for 2026 has been revealed, with not too many surprises in the 23 player squad set to take on France and the Netherlands early next month.

The squad is a settled one, with it being largely the same as the one who upset Belgium to secure promotion to League A for 2026 and the squad who played a behind-closed-doors friendly against Hungary in December.

Courtney Brosnan, Megan Connolly and Leanne Kiernan are all in this squad after missing the Belgium matches with injuries, whilst Connolly and Amber Barrett are also in the squad after not being in the squad for the Hungary game.

Ruesha Littlejohn is also in the squad but her selection has drawn criticism because of her lack of minutes for club side Crystal Palace recently. Speaking to the media after the squad announcement, head coach Carla Ward confirmed that despite the lack of game minutes Littlejohn has been training consistently and that her presence in the squad is vital because she is “critical in terms of the environment and her leadership skills.”

Tara O’Hanlon and Kelly Brady are the two faces from the squad against Hungary who are not in this squad, while there was no room for Erin Healy or Jenna Slattery despite their recent excellent form. Heather Payne also did not make the squad.

The upcoming window is the start of a huge year for the Republic of Ireland, with the world number 27s looking to qualify for their second consecutive World Cup. The Girls in Green first host France at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on March 3, before travelling to Utrecht to take on the Netherlands four days later.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SQUAD UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE MARCH 2026

Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan, Grace Moloney and Sophie Whitehouse.

Defenders: Katie McCabe, Anna Patten, Caitlin Hayes, Hayley Nolan, Aoife Mannion, Chloe Mustaki and Jessie Stapleton.

Midfielders: Denise O’Sullivan, Megan Connolly, Lucy Quinn, Ruesha Littlejohn, Tyler Toland, Marissa Sheva and Jamie Finn.

Forwards: Abbie Larkin, Kyra Carusa, Amber Barrett, Saoirse Noonan, Leanne Kiernan and Emily Murphy.