The historical account behind the debate says Ireland once had an all-island side, but selection was heavily shaped by the Belfast-based Irish Football Association. Matches were usually played in Belfast, while players from the south felt northern representation was favoured.
In 1973, an all-star Irish team reportedly defeated Brazil 4-3, briefly offering a glimpse of what might have been. George Best, Liam Brady and Johnny Giles represented the talent a united team could have assembled. Dunphy believed that side might have challenged among Europe’s best - and, more importantly, given divided communities a common cause.
The problem was never simply tactical or administrative. During the Troubles, a shared badge carried enormous political meaning. Conferences in the 1970s reportedly failed because merging the associations risked being viewed as surrendering national identity.
The account attributes a blunt response to Chris Patten, who was asked why governments had not insisted on a football merger: “It won't happen.” His view was that creating shared institutions would be easier than ending Northern Ireland’s separate football team.
That distinction matters. Rugby and boxing have developed all-island structures, but football has deeper roots in working-class communities whose club loyalties are closely tied to history, religion and place.
At the World Cup, the report describes supporters from Haiti and Scotland mixing, Mexican fans welcoming a lone South Korea supporter, and Brazil fans consoling Japan supporters after elimination. Such moments do not erase political divisions, but they show how quickly football can create human connection.
For Ireland, a united team may remain a historical “what if”. The next World Cup will offer another reminder that while identities may resist sharing a badge, supporters can still share a stadium, a song and the same game.