FIFA announced their world rankings today with Ireland dipping to an embarrassingly low position of 63rd.So that is where Irish football resides right now, next to a glamour model and a grocery store.Read More: Larne v Shamrock Rovers live score updates from the Europa Conference League clashThat was once Ireland’s territory, too. Under Mick McCarthy and Brian Kerr they were no strangers to the top 20. Under Jack Charlton they once made it as high as No6.
But now they are one spot underneath Burkina Faso who have never made it to a World Cup and are a third world country denied the riches available to the FAI from glamour friendlies and the advantage of being located in Europe.Their greatest day was winning the Merdeka Tournament in 2001, a competition held to celebrate independence day in Malaysia.That said, nor, for some considerable time, are Ireland.
Once they would have destroyed Canada in a game of football but the Canadians have since turned over a new Maple Leaf and are ranked 28 places above Ireland. Wales are 34 places ahead of us, Iran 44, the United States 45. Now we are closer to Cabo Verde and Bahrain in ranking terms. The worst thing is the bottom of the barrel has not yet been reached.