Ireland a threat to any team at U17 World Cup

The Republic of Ireland are a threat to any team at the FIFA Under 17 World Cup and their opening-game win is likely to have raised a few eyebrows, according to midfielder Ramon Martos.

The Dublin-born player played 78 minutes against Panama in their Group J win over Panama. By the time he departed the Pitch 3 at the Aspire Zone in Qatar, the Boys in Green were four goals to the good, before the Central Americans salvaged a late consolation.

With 32 of the 48 teams progressing to the knockout stages, Colin O'Brien’s side have given themselves a great chance of advancing, on their debut on the global showpiece.

On Saturday (live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player) they face Uzbekistan (population 37 million), who also are looking to make it two wins from two, having defeated Paraguay 2-1 first time out.

While neither side were among the pre-tournament favourites - though the Central Asian nation reached the quarter-finals in 2023 - the Spanish-based UD Almeria man says both have already shown what they are about in Qatar.

"They are not considered one of the powerhouses in the footballing world, but they are going to be very good," Martos said.

"Some people will know they won the Asian Cup [in April]. We have been looking at them, some very good individuals, but hopefully we can bring the momentum from the first match and perform like we know we can play.

"Some countries may be surprised by how we are playing at the moment, but we are a threat to any team."

Martos’ Irish and sporting pedigree is something he is immensely proud of.

His father – also called Ramon - was once part of the Real Madrid and Real Betis youth set-ups, while many childhood holidays were spent at Rosses Point in Sligo, where his mother hails from.

Indeed his grandfather David Pugh is one of Sligo Rovers’ most legendary players and also managed the Bit O’Red on two separate occasions.

Pugh had a varied sporting career – he also won a Sigerson Cup, captained the Republic of Ireland U23 side, played inter-county football for Sligo, was an international basketball player and a accomplished rally driver.

"To know that David Pugh is in my family is really cool," he said. "He has some unbelievable stories."

One of them included sharing the same pitch as Pele when he was midway through a one-year contract with Boston Beacons, when the US club took on Santos in an exhibition match.

Ireland manager O’Brien said that the opening game should have flushed out some of the pre-tournament nerves ahead of tomorrow's clash, a sentiment Ramos agrees with.

"It’s a lot bigger than a normal camp," he said. "It’s huge. I think I’ll be more used to it now for the second match.

"You are playing against world-class players. Some of the players are just a joke. It’s so exciting each match."

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