The Republic of Ireland’s last-32 FIFA U-17 World Cup™ showdown with Canada represented a seismic occasion for every member of their squad.
For one player, though, the tie carried extra special meaning. Grady McDonnell was born and raised in Canada but has an Irish grandfather and strong roots with the Emerald Isle. He has played for Ireland since U-15 level and has emerged as a key figure during his nation’s remarkable run in Qatar.
Making their first-ever appearance at the tournament, the Irish duly topped their group, and on Friday beat Canada on penalties to advance to the Round of 16. McDonnell was on target in a thrilling shootout, which the Boys in Green won 9-8, and described his emotions in a post-match interview with FIFA.
“It was crazy,” said the midfielder. “I had lots of motivation before the match, for sure. I know about three quarters of the Canada team, so it was good to see their faces. But football and trying to win is the most important thing for me. That’s all I’m thinking about. It means so much to represent Ireland at a World Cup. It’s just surreal. All of my family are so happy for me.”
Even before travelling to the U-17 World Cup, 2025 had been a hugely significant year for McDonnell. In January, he left Canadian side Vancouver FC – where he made his debut aged 16 and was their second-youngest ever player – to sign for Club Brugge in Belgium.
A dynamic midfielder with outstanding energy levels, McDonnell also has an eye for goal and netted a fine header in his team’s 2-1 group-stage win over Asian champions Uzbekistan. His maturity and tenacity, meanwhile, was on show throughout Ireland’s fiercely competitive clash with Canada. Michael Noonan netted his third goal of the tournament to give Ireland the lead, before Sergei Kozlovskiy volleyed a late leveller to send the match to penalties.
McDonnell then slotted home his spot-kick in a shootout that went to the 20th penalty, with the Irish eventually prevailing to book a last-16 meeting with Switzerland.
McDonnell revealed: “Me and my dad used to practice penalties a lot back in Vancouver. I just put those images back in my head and put myself back out in that training field. I felt good stepping up.
“We knew what we were going to do in the shootout, and we stuck to it and won the game. I think we’re turning a lot of heads. People might see us as underdogs, but we’re definitely not that. I have the belief we’re going to go all the way.”
Ireland coach Colin O’Brien, meanwhile, offered an insight into McDonnell’s character.
“Grady’s Canadian-born, but he’s got Irish roots and he’s been with us since he was 13 or 14 years of age. He’s come through our international set-up, he’s always wants to be at every event. On the field, he’s all-in too. He’s an all-action player. He’s a real humble guy and he fits in seamlessly with our environment. All the lads are full of humility. I see brilliant values in them and they’re flying the flag with distinction.”
The victory against Canada capped a memorable 24 hours for Irish football, with the senior team recording a stunning 2-0 win over Portugal in a FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifier on Thursday night. With Doha three hours ahead of Dublin, it was a little too late for McDonnell and his team-mates to watch on television, but he explained how the result gave the squad an extra spring in their step.
“We were only able to catch some of the first half,” he said. “It was a massive win for us though. It was nice news to wake up to this morning!”
