Preview: World Cup fever should spark Ireland into Euro qualification mode

Stephen Kenny is going to the World Cup as a spectator, his players, at home, watching along with the rest of us on television, as the top footballing nations of the world gather in Qatar for the unique winter tournament.

What better motivation for this Ireland squad to focus the minds on March and the quest to qualify for the next major football tournament, Euro 2024?

The final gathering of the squad ahead of the 2023 qualifying campaign as Ireland host Norway before heading to Malta at the weekend to finish off with another game on Sunday evening.

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Of all the opponents that could have come to Dublin for this friendly international, it's only apt that it is a side akin to the Norwegians, offering the entertainment very much in the style of the UEFA Nations League, which has become part of the European footballing diet in recent years.

And despite initial reservations, pretty much across the board, the competition designed to consign the international friendly to history has become quite the gauge of where Ireland stand within the middle echelons of the game.

Ireland are currently ranked 49th on the FIFA list, or the 24th European nation, while Norway sit seven places higher in 42nd place, with just Turkey separating the sides on the continental index.

Finland, Denmark, Scotland, Wales; the sort of teams that Ireland have faced in the Nations League over the past few years, and tonight’s Norway encounter should slot right in alongside those fixtures when considering competitiveness.