As hard as it may be to believe given we're in the thick of the MLS Cup Playoffs, there is a November international break quickly approaching.
During this November window, New York City FC has a new player heading off on national-team duty, as defender Kevin O'Toole received his first call-up from the Republic of Ireland national team.
Ireland is trying to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, competing in UEFA Group F alongside Portugal, Hungary, and Armenia. In November, the Irish team faces Portugal at home in Dublin, then travels to play Hungary in Budapest.
They sit in 3rd Place in their group, having lost road matches at Portugal and Armenia while earning a home win over Armenia and a home draw with Hungary. Yet the right results could still sneak Ireland into 2nd Place in the group, meaning a playoff spot that keeps the Irish alive for a berth in next summer's World Cup.
This is nowhere near a low-stakes first camp for O'Toole to join, as he could now make his full international debut for Ireland against, possibly, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal's star-studded squad in a hugely significant game. O'Toole gets his chance from Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Ireland national team coach, who named a 25-player squad that includes six players from the English Premier League. O'Toole's inclusion comes as another fullback option for Ireland, Ryan Manning of Southampton in England, is unavailable for the Portugal match due to a suspension.
This all represents a major step up for the 26-year-old New Jersey native out of Princeton University, though one he's hinted at before. O'Toole told Irish Star in a 2024 interview that he "would be proud" to represent Ireland internationally, also saying "If any team, the US or Ireland, gave me the opportunity to play with them on an international level, I would jump at it."
The Princeton alum can represent Ireland because his grandfather is originally from Dublin. The O'Toole family is also no stranger to soccer in Ireland. Kevin's sister, Jillian, plays in the midfield for Treaty United FC, who compete in the League of Ireland Women's Premier Division.
It's another step in what's been a meteoric rise for Kevin O'Toole since leaving college. He's defied the odds since he broke through in MLS in 2022, when New York City FC drafted O'Toole as a forward in the second round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft and signed him to his first professional contract in March 2022. By the end of that 2022 season, he'd turned into a surprise starter under Nick Cushing, and helped NYCFC finish their season strong with a Campeones Cup and a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
The three seasons that followed saw O'Toole remain a key part of the NYCFC defense. Across the entirety of his New York City FC career, O'Toole has made 98 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and picking up four assists. His steady performances in MLS have earned him a first-team Ireland call up: The luck of the Irish continues to smile on the New York City and now Ireland defender.
