Portugal vs. Republic of Ireland: Head-to-head record and past meetings

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 18

Portugal wins: 10

Draws: 3

Portugal and the Republic of Ireland have faced each other a total of 18 times across all competitive and non-competitive fixtures, with Selecao das Quinas leading the overall head-to-head record having posted 10 wins to the Boys in Green’s five, while three draws have been played out between the two nations.

The first four meetings between Portugal and Ireland were all international friendlies that took place between June 1946 and May 1949. The former won each of the first three by an aggregate score of 7-1, before the latter celebrated their first win by a 1-0 scoreline on home soil.

Twenty-three years passed before both nations butted heads again in the Brazil Independence Cup, a tournament held to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Brazilian Declaration of Independence. Portugal secured a 2-1 group-stage win before reaching the final where they lost to hosts Brazil.

Ireland responded by winning the next two meetings with Portugal (making it three wins from four) under former boss Jack Charlton, as they followed up a 2-0 victory in the US Cup in 1992 with a slender 1-0 home success in Euro 1996 qualifying.

Since then, the Boys in Green have only won two of their last 11 encounters with Portugal in all competitions - a narrow 1-0 friendly triumph in Dublin courtesy of a first-half goal from Andy O’Brien, and a 2-0 victory in a 2026 World Cup qualification clash in November 2025.

Portugal have celebrated six victories during this period, including an emphatic 5-1 friendly win in June 2014 when Hugo Almeida scored twice for Paulo Bento’s side.

In World Cup qualifying, Portugal have been frustrated by the Irish having drawn three of their six such matches, though their two wins in that stretch both came in dramatic fashion.

Selecao das Quinas beat Ireland 2-1 in September 2021 when Cristiano Ronaldo scored 89th and 90th-minute headers to secure a dramatic 2-1 home victory, but the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star saw a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher in October 2025, and needed a 91st-minute header from Ruben Neves to spare his blushes.