'Irish Free State' in Northern Ireland's World
Official FIFA website makes bizarre additional inclusion of the ‘Irish Free State’ – which ceased to exist in 1937 – in Northern Ireland’s Qatar World Cup qualifying group
- Northern Ireland are in Group C of the FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifying
- Yet the official FIFA site shows their group to contain six teams not five
- A bizarre extra addition of the ‘Irish Free State’ has been added to the group
Fans have been left puzzled after an edit to FIFA’s official World Cup qualifying groups has seen the ‘Irish Free State’ listed alongside Northern Ireland in Group C.
FIFA’s website, which still currently lists the entry, gives a rundown of each group ahead of the upcoming qualifying phase.
Northern Ireland have been named alongside Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Lithuania in what has been confirmed as a five-team group.
Northern Ireland are in Group C of the FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifying fixtures
Yet on the official FIFA website an ‘Irish Free State’ team has also been bizarrely added
Yet now, bizarrely, consulting the FIFA website shows that Irish Free State are in the same group, made up of six teams.
The Irish Free State was declared in December 1921, comprising four-fifths of Ireland.
It ended a five-year Irish struggle for independence from Britain. Like other autonomous nations of the former British Empire, Ireland was to remain part of the British Commonwealth.
The Free State came to an end with the coming into force of a new constitution in December 1937, when the state simply took the name ‘Ireland.’
Northern Ireland will do battle with Roberto Mancini’s Italy for a place at the Qatar World Cup
It appears a mix-up in the FIFA system has caused the error, though it does not explain why the ‘team’ has been entered as an additional inclusion in Group C.
As the news traveled between football fans, some took to social media to reveal their bewilderment.
One user on Twitter quipped: ‘Good to see FIFA opting out of politics…
Another fan simply added, with a touch of sarcasm: ‘retro… ‘
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