A new match in Group F of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers will take place, with Ireland hosting a strong Portugal side. Manager Hallgrímsson stated in a press conference that a special style must be shown against Roberto Martinez's team, while the team's strategy for the match will remain unchanged.

Ireland defeated Armenia 1-0 in their last World Cup qualifier, thanks to a goal from Evan Ferguson.

Ireland is currently third in Group F with 4 points, 6 points behind first-placed Portugal. This means that Ireland must win all 3 points to have any chance of qualifying for the World Cup finals through the playoffs.

Ireland manager Hallgrímsson said, "Our approach to the game will not change. Against Portugal, we must play in a specific way, whether we aim for a win or a draw, we must stick to this style of play."

“We can’t just focus on offense against Portugal; it won’t be a basketball game. If we need to score later in the game, we will take planned risks then. We have a plan in place, and the players have to be mentally prepared.”

In their first World Cup qualifying match, Ireland lost 0-1 to Portugal after Ruben Neves scored a goal in the final stages of the game.

Hallgrímsson said, "They might make some adjustments because Portugal didn't create many scoring opportunities when they played us last time. They mostly relied on long-range shots or crosses, but we basically controlled their attacking style."

"Of course we can't defend against all their threats; that's unrealistic. So we have to make trade-offs and know in advance which space we have to give up."

In addition, Hallgrímsson said, "This match may be the most crucial one, but as we said before, we will only know the situation of this match after the result of Hungary vs. Armenia is out."

"We'll be able to truly assess the situation then, and it may be irrelevant by then, but as things stand, we need at least a point. It's about our fate in the World Cup, and if that's the case, then this is the most important match."