FAI to honor all players who have represented the Ireland Women's National Senior Team

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is inviting every player who has represented the Ireland Women's National Senior Team at the senior level to Dublin's Aviva Stadium for the UEFA Nations League opener against Northern Ireland on Saturday, September 23. 

The FAI honors come as part of the 50-year anniversary celebrations of the Women's National Team.

It was previously announced that every player who featured on Ireland's WNT would receive a one-off commemorative cap featuring a unique 50-Year crest, but in August, it was announced that every player would be invited to attend the Aviva Stadium on September 23.

Every player will receive two tickets to attend the Group B1 clash with Northern Ireland in what will be the first game for the WNT since competing at FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, the FAI said.

Any player who represented the Ireland Women’s National Team at the senior level in an official game since 1973 can contact the FAI before the deadline of Monday, September 11 at 12 pm by emailing their name, email, mobile number and years played for Ireland WNT to [email protected].

Things just got a whole lot bigger 🙌

As part of 50-Year WNT celebrations, every player to have featured for 🇮🇪 Women's Senior Team can avail of 2 free tickets @AVIVAStadium

Ireland v Northern Ireland
Saturday, Sep 23
UEFA Nations League
Aviva Stadium#COYGIG | #WeAreOne

— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) August 16, 2023

Ireland take on Northern Ireland in the opening game of their UEFA Women's National League campaign on September 23. It will be their first game since their historic first-ever appearance at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup earlier this summer, when they finished bottom of a group containing Australia, Nigeria, and Canada. 

The Girls in Green have been drawn in Group B1 alongside Northern Ireland, Hungary, and Albania and will play each side home and away between September and December. 

The Irish team will begin their Nations League campaign without manager Vera Pauw, whose four-year tenure as Irish manager came to an unsavory end at the end of August. 

The FAI board decided not to offer Pauw a new contract after a marathon six-hour meeting on Tuesday, August 29. 

Pauw has since criticized the FAI and accused the organization of undermining her position at the World Cup. 

Pauw also accused the FAI of reneging on a commitment it had made before the World Cup to offer her a new deal. 

"I entered into discussions with the FAI to extend my contract back in early March and was confident that this process could be concluded quickly," Pauw said in a lengthy statement. 

"I requested that their decision, whatever that may be, would be finalized at the very latest before we went to Australia.

"Despite committing to issuing an offer to me, the FAI re-considered their stated position and I never received the promised offer. 

"I parked the contract discussions while we were in Australia, as my sole focus was the team and the competition."

She also claimed that some of her staff turned on her during the final weeks of her tenure. 

"I found out that behind my back all things were happening. I found out that behind my back even my staff was talking bad," Pauw told RTÉ's Tony O'Donoghue.