Ireland vs. Qatar Prediction, Picks, XIs for International Friendly – 5/28/26

Thursday’s international friendly match between Ireland and Qatar is set for 2:45 p.m. ET. Ireland enters the match as solid favorites on their home pitch, returning a 1.53x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks with a win. 

This is the first of two friendlies Qatar will play before the 2026 World Cup kicks off in June. Ireland failed to qualify but will face two Group B sides in pre-tournament friendlies.

Below, we'll break down our Ireland vs. Qatar prediction and picks for Thursday's international friendly, including winner payouts, total goals, and top picks for PrizePicks today.

Make your Ireland vs. Qatar prediction on PrizePicks for Thursday’s friendly match now.

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Republic of Ireland vs. Qatar Prediction, Picks for International Friendly – Thursday, May 28

Qatar will appear in its second consecutive World Cup after qualifying for the first time as host nation in 2022. The Qataris lost all three group stage matches, scoring just once before being eliminated.

Julen Lopetegui’s squad has its work cut out once again this year in a difficult Group B. Qatar is the longest shot in the group to advance to the knockout rounds, returning a 3.12x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks.

Thursday's friendly serves as a useful tune-up for Qatar ahead of group stage matches against Canada, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The two sides last met in Dublin in 2021, with Ireland winning 4-0.

Heimir Hallgrimsson’s squad may be upset not to be included in the 2026 World Cup, with their last appearance in the tournament coming in 2002. Ireland came close to qualifying but was eliminated in the playoff round on penalties against Czechia.

Since then, Ireland has played two friendlies, drawing with North Macedonia in March before a 5-0 win over Grenada earlier this month.

Qatar, meanwhile, hasn't played a competitive match since the Arab Cup in December 2025. With two friendlies canceled over the past two international windows, Qatar is left with just two warm-up matches.

Ireland will look to send its home supporters off on a high before traveling to North America for a final friendly against Canada. The Boys in Green haven't lost a match at home since the UEFA Nations League in 2024.

Republic of Ireland vs. Qatar Spread, Total Goals, Payouts – Thursday, May 28

Ireland enters Thursday’s game as home favorites against Qatar, returning a 1.53x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.

Here are the full payouts for the Ireland vs. Qatar game on PrizePicks.

• Winner Payout: Ireland – 1.53x | Tie – 3.57x | Qatar – 5x
• Spread: Ireland -1.5 (2.71x Payout)
• Total Goals: 2.5 (Over – 1.95x)
• Both Teams to Score: Yes 1.98x | No 1.78x

Play the Ireland vs. Qatar spread or total goals on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!

Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

Republic of Ireland vs. Qatar Prediction on Winner – 5/28/26

Here are some stats to know to help you make your Republic of Ireland vs. Qatar prediction on the winner for Thursday, May 28. Check out more of our soccer picks and predictions on Playbook.

Lock in your Ireland vs. Qatar prediction on PrizePicks now.

• Ireland is unbeaten at home across all competitions in their last eight matches. Qatar and Ireland have faced off once in Dublin, with Ireland defeating Qatar 4-0.
• Qatar has managed just one win in their last 10 matches across all competitions. Lopetegui’s squad has failed to score five times in that span.
• Ireland's qualification run included some strong results, highlighted by a 2-0 win over Portugal in November. 
• Qatar struggled mightily in its second Arab Cup, scoring just a lone goal in three group stage games and averaging just 2 big chances per game in the competition.
• Ireland finished second in UEFA qualifying Group F behind Portugal, winning three of six matches and conceding a group-low 7 goals.
• Qatar was strong in AFC qualifying, topping their group with five wins and a draw. 

Republic of Ireland vs. Qatar Projected Lineups for Thursday, May 28

Take a look at the Ireland vs. Qatar projected lineups for today's match. Lineups are not official and should be confirmed before the match starts.

Republic of Ireland Lineup vs. Qatar: Projected 3-4-2-1

• Goalkeeper: Max O’Leary
• Defense: James Abankwah, Mark McGuinness, Dara O’Shea
• Midfield: Jason Knight, Conor Coventry, Jayson Molumby, Tayo Adaramola
• Forwards: Chiedozie Ogbene, Adam Idah, Jack Moylan

Qatar Lineup vs. Republic of Ireland: Projected 4-2-3-1

• Goalkeeper: Meshaal Barsham
• Defense: Ayoub Al Oui, Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain, Lucas Mendes, Sultan Al-Brake
• Midfield: Ahmed Fathi, Mohammed Waad, Mohamed Naceur Almanai
• Forwards: Akram Afif, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Homam Al-Amin

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Make Republic of Ireland vs. Qatar Picks on PrizePicks

Qatar aims to pull off an upset in the international friendly as it prepares for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday. Ireland will hope to leave its fans with one more win at home before heading to North America next week.

Don’t wait until kickoff — you can make your Ireland vs. Qatar picks for Thursday’s friendly now on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. 

Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on match winner, total goals, and both teams to score – now available in 35 states. 

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