How to watch today's Bulgaria vs Ireland Nations League game: Live stream, TV channel, and start time

The Republic of Ireland will battle to maintain their League B standing as they travel to face Bulgaria, a League C hopeful, in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League play-off on Thursday.

The hosts saw their promotion bid crumble in the group stage after suffering a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Northern Ireland, a result that dashed their hopes of automatic progression and forced them into this play-off tie.

Bulgaria secured a second-place finish in League C, collecting nine points from six matches, while Ireland struggled in League B, finishing third from bottom with just six points from as many games. Now, both sides will be eager to take a step toward securing their place in the higher division.

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.

How to watch Bulgaria vs Ireland online - TV channels & live streams

	Fubo	Watch here
	ViX	Watch here

In the US, the match between Bulgaria and Ireland will be available to watch and stream online live on Fubo and ViX.

Check out GOAL's Live Match Centre for live updates.

How to watch anywhere with VPN

If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.

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Bulgaria vs Ireland kick-off time

UEFA Nations League B Qualification - UEFA Nations League B Qualification

Hristo Botev, Plovdiv

The match will be played at the Hristo Botev in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on Thursday, March 20, 2025, with kick-off at 3:45 pm ET or 12:45 pm PT for fans in the US.

Team news & squads

Bulgaria vs Ireland lineups

Bulgaria

4-2-3-1

Formation

4-2-3-1

IRL

1

D. Mitov

19

F. Nuernberger

5

A. Petkov

14

A. Nedyalkov

3

Z. Atanasov

4

I. Gruev

20

F. Krastev

8

A. Kraev

16

M. Petkov

11

C

K. Despodov

21

L. Petkov

1

C. Kelleher

4

D. O'Shea

22

C

N. Collins

2

M. Doherty

3

R. Manning

7

F. Azaz

11

R. Brady

6

J. Cullen

21

M. Johnston

8

J. Knight

15

T. Parrott

4-2-3-1

IRL

BGR

-Line up

• 1

  D. Mitov

  46’

• 19

  F. Nuernberger

  72’

• 5

  A. Petkov

• 14

  A. Nedyalkov

  85’

• 3

  Z. Atanasov

  61’

• 4

  I. Gruev

• 20

  F. Krastev

  6’

  85’

• 8

  A. Kraev

  59’

  86’

• 16

  M. Petkov

  6’

• 11

  K. Despodov (C)

• 21

  L. Petkov

  72’

Substitutes

• 6

  V. Antov

• 22

  I. Iliev

  85’

• 12

  D. Sheytanov

• 15

  S. Petrov

• 9

  V. Nikolov

  86’

• 23

  P. Iliev

  46’

• 18

  V. Panayotov

• 17

  N. Minkov

  72’

  90’ + 5’

• 7

  R. Kirilov

• 10

  B. Kraev

  72’

• 13

  S. Shopov

Manager

• I. Iliev

IRL

-Line up

• 1

  C. Kelleher

• 4

  D. O'Shea

• 22

  N. Collins (C)

• 2

  M. Doherty

  42’

• 3

  R. Manning

  79’

• 7

  F. Azaz

  21’

  47’

  76’

• 11

  R. Brady

• 6

  J. Cullen

  42’

• 21

  M. Johnston

  51’

  76’

• 8

  J. Knight

  61’

  80’

• 15

  T. Parrott

  21’

  76’

Substitutes

• 13

  M. Sykes

  76’

• 23

  M. Travers

• 5

  J. O'Brien

  79’

• 18

  J. Taylor

  76’

• 9

  E. Ferguson

  76’

• 14

  R. Vata

  80’

  81’

• 17

  A. Moran

• 19

  S. Armstrong

• 20

  J. Abankwah

• 10

  A. Idah

• 16

  G. Bazunu

• 12

  J. Dunne

Manager

• H. Hallgrimsson

Bulgaria team news

Dimitar Mitov has been Bulgaria's ever-present figure between the sticks throughout their Nations League campaign, conceding six goals across six outings. With that level of consistency, he is expected to retain his starting spot ahead of three alternative goalkeeping options.

At the back, Bulgaria could name an unchanged defense from their 1-1 draw with Belarus, which would see Viktor Popov, Simeon Petrov, Alex Petkov, and Darmstadt's Fabian Nürnberger continue in a four-man defensive unit.

In midfield, Andrian Kraev, who has been putting in steady performances in Liga Portugal, might edge out Leeds United's Ilia Gruev for the deep-lying role. Up top, Kiril Despodov, crowned Bulgarian Footballer of the Year, will look to make an impact as one of the team's most potent attacking threats.

Ireland team news

The Republic of Ireland have welcomed a few new names into their squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League play-off against Bulgaria, with Rocco Vata and James Abankwah earning their maiden senior call-ups. Vata, a right winger for Watford, and Abankwah, currently on loan at the same club from Udinese, have been drafted into the squad for the first time.

Meanwhile, Sinclair Armstrong makes his return to international duty, with the Bristol Rovers striker earning a recall for the first time since 2023, while QPR defender Jimmy Dunne is back in the setup after last featuring in 2022. However, none of the quartet from the Championship are expected to slot straight into the starting lineup for Thursday's fixture.

At the back, Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher is likely to get the nod in goal, marshalled by a central defensive pairing of Nathan Collins and Dara O'Shea.

Up front, Evan Ferguson is set to spearhead the attack, with the 20-year-old striker potentially making his 19th senior appearance, which would see him become Ireland's second most-capped player before turning 21. He is expected to be joined by Troy Parrott, who has been in red-hot form this season, bagging 16 goals across the Eredivisie and the Europa League.

Form

Head-to-Head Record

BGR

Last 5 matches

IRL

0

Wins

4

Draws

1

Win

• Ireland

  0

  -

  0

  Bulgaria

• Bulgaria

  1

  -

  1

  Ireland

• Ireland

  3

  -

  1

  Bulgaria

• Bulgaria

  1

  -

  1

  Ireland

• Ireland

  1

  -

  1

  Bulgaria

4

Goals scored

6

Games over 2.5 goals

1/5

Both teams scored

4/5

Standings

Useful links

• Latest betting updates
• World Cup Qualification news
• Bulgaria team page
• Ireland team page
• Soccer on TV in the US
• How to watch & live stream soccer