Clubs have until Saturday (January 31) to submit their expression of interest to join the FAI National League.

This new division of men’s senior football will be the top tier of grassroots football and creates a direct pathway between the grassroots game and the League of Ireland for the first time. 

In December 2025, 15 clubs from four provinces and 10 counties were confirmed as taking part in the league which will begin later this year. The FAI is urging interested clubs to make their application before the deadline.

FAI’s Head of Competitions Fran Gavin said: “This is the final week clubs can submit their expression of interest to join the new FAI National League. Since we announced the 15 founding clubs ahead of this year’s inaugural season we’ve had an additional number of clubs from around the country express an interest in joining the National League. 

"Once we have all applications in by Saturday’s deadline we then move onto the next phase of the application process which is a thorough assessment of the applications that have been made to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of club and league.”

Applications can be made by following this link here. Expressions of Interest