The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) kickstarted the 2026 National Pathways Programme (NPP) this week at the FAI National Training Centre. 

The NPP is set up as a three-day residential camp for high-potential boys and girls in Under-15 and Under-16 age categories to benefit from tailored coaching and experience a high-performance environment. 

Following a successful pilot in 2025, the NPP now becomes an annual part of Ireland Football's player development pathway, reinforcing the Association's long-term commitment to identifying, developing and supporting the country's future international players.

Running over eight weeks throughout July and August, the fully residential programme alternates weekly between boys' and girls' cohorts, More than 250 players will be involved and this will help to broaden the national player pool, increase contact time with players, and create greater opportunities within the international player pathway.

Players will experience a high-performance curriculum combining football coaching, athletic development, position-specific training, competitive games and player education. New for 2026 is the introduction of dedicated 3v3 competition on the inflatable air pitches, providing players with more opportunities to develop their decision-making, creativity and technical quality in tight, game-realistic environments.

Off the pitch, players will also take part in interactive workshops covering key areas such as nutrition, recovery, performance lifestyle and personal development. Building on the learnings from last year's pilot, the programme also places a greater emphasis on Talent Identification, player profiling and long-term player development.

The programme commenced this week and will continue until Thursday, August 20th, with fully residential camps operating from Tuesday to Thursday each week.

The opening week welcomed the first group of Under-15 and Under-16 girls to the FAI National Training Centre, with players representing clubs from across both the League of Ireland Academy system and the grassroots game.

FAI Technical Director Shane Robinson said: "The National Pathways Programme is about creating more opportunities for young players from around the country. By engaging more than 250 players from clubs nationwide this summer, we are broadening our player pool, strengthening our Talent ID process and giving more players the opportunity to experience a national best versus best environment earlier in their development.

“Just as importantly, the programme is helping to build a stronger connection between club and country. Player development is a shared responsibility, and by working more closely with clubs we can create a more aligned pathway, identify more talent and ultimately give more young players the opportunity to represent Ireland."