Soccer

Euro 2025 fixture dates: Ireland to face England at the Aviva in April

Game against Sweden in May also for the Aviva, with France set for Tallaght in July

Republic of Ireland's Katie McCabe. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Republic of Ireland's Katie McCabe. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Gavin Cummiskey
Thu Mar 07 2024 - 11:19

The Republic of Ireland will host England and Sweden at the Aviva Stadium in this year’s Euro 2025 qualification campaign.

England come to Dublin on Tuesday, April 9th for Ireland’s second Nations League tie before the FAI hope to fill Lansdowne Road a second time when the Swedes visit on Friday, May 31st.

Last September, 35,994 attended the Aviva for the first ever women’s football international at the venue as Ireland beat Northern Ireland 3-0. That 1pm kick-off is expected to be revised by the association.

Leinster Rugby face Leicester at the venue on Saturday, April 6th in the Champions Cup so the grounds staff will have three days to repair the pitch.

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Ireland open their campaign against France in Metz on Friday, April 5th with England in Dublin four days later. The last capped meeting with the neighbours was a 1-0 defeat at Dalymount Park in 1987.

The third home match is against France on July 16th but the Aviva stadium is “unavailable” for the month of July, the FAI have confirmed. This tie could remain at Tallaght Stadium, where 10,000 fans can be accommodated and Eileen Gleeson’s team play most of their games.

The Aviva holds 51,700 while Pink and Taylor Swift are expected to pack the Dublin 4 arena over five days in June.

Sweden away on June 4th suggests a return to Gothenburg where Katie McCabe’s goal secured a famous 1-1 draw in 2022. The fixture is a direct clash with the men’s friendly against Hungary at the Aviva.

France host England in Saint-Etienne on the same day.

England are set to bring Ireland to Wembley Stadium twice this year as the men were also drawn against each other in Nations League B. That game is confirmed for November 17th with Gleeson’s squad crossing the Irish sea for their return leg on Friday, July 12th.

The FA have yet to confirm venues for the Lionesses.

England are ranked fourth in the world, with France third and Sweden fifth, while Ireland are currently 24th on the Fifa list.

“It is fantastic to have the opportunity to bring our fans back to the Aviva Stadium again and to hopefully attract many more new fans with the visit of England in April and Sweden in May,” said Gleeson. “The support of our fans means so much to us and we are hoping to set new attendance records for both of these games.”

The top two in Group 3A automatically qualify for the Euros in Switzerland in July 2025 with the bottom two rerouted to two rounds of play-offs.

The third- and fourth-placed teams in each Nations League Division A drop into a two-leg playoff against a country from Division C on October 23rd and 29th.

If Ireland were to get through those games, they would face a Division B team, which could be Scotland or Wales, over two legs between November 27th and December 3rd to reach the Euros.

2025 UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS - GROUP A3

Friday, April 5th | France v Republic of Ireland | Saint-Symphorien stadium, Metz

Tuesday, April 9 | Republic of Ireland v England | Aviva Stadium

Friday, May 31st | Republic of Ireland v Sweden | Aviva Stadium

Tuesday, June 4th | Sweden v Republic of Ireland | TBC

Friday, July 12th | England v Republic of Ireland | TBC

Tuesday, July 16th | Republic of Ireland v France | TBC

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent