Seamus Coleman, the captain of the Republic of Ireland national team, asserted that his team bears a "national duty" to end the country's 24-year absence from participating in the World Cup finals, ahead of the anticipated match against the Czech Republic in the playoffs for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In a press statement made from the Czech capital, Prague, the veteran Everton defender emphasized that the goal goes beyond mere sporting achievement, saying: "We have seen how the morale in the country has risen after our recent victories. We have a responsibility towards our people to make them happier and give them the pride they deserve."

Regarding the negative history of the Irish team in playoff matches, Coleman (37 years old) downplayed the impact of those failures on the current generation, explaining: "This group is very young, and they don't dwell much on the pains of the past. We are experiencing a great deal of confidence after winning against Portugal and Hungary, and our focus is entirely on capitalizing on this momentum."

Coleman admitted that these qualifiers represent the "last chance" for him personally to appear on the global stage, while also noting the maturity of the young players and their ability to handle the charged atmosphere at the "Fortuna Arena" in Prague, something that was not available to the team two years ago.

For his part, Heimir Hallgrímsson, the coach of the Irish national team, expressed optimism about the match, emphasizing that his team is focused on developing its own style rather than overanalyzing the opponent, who will be playing their first match under their new coach Miroslav Koubek.

It is worth mentioning that the winner of the Ireland vs. Czech Republic match will face the winner of the Denmark vs. North Macedonia match in the playoff final, as a final step towards securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup finals.