Football Association of Ireland – Match Programme Cover Designs

A series of three matchday programme cover designs for the Football Association of Ireland men’s international team during their 2024 UEFA Nations League campaign. The aim was to create visually unique and memorable programme covers bespoke to each game.

For their first competitive fixture against England in 20 years, Ireland’s campaign opener called for a cover design that honored the occasion. The football pitch design takes inspiration from ancient Celtic patterns. The centre-circle is influenced by the geometric patterns found at the Ancient Irish Passage Tomb of Newgrange, while the pitch markings take inspiration from Celtic knotwork seen in the legendary Book of Kells.

The gorgeous typeface Feirste by MuirMcNeil—based on traditional Irish street signage—adds to the sense of heritage. Cumann Peile na hÉireann, the Irish translation of the Football Association of Ireland, is featured as a tribute to historic programmes.

For the Greece and Finland fixtures, the covers are influenced by the visual culture of each respective country. The Greece match cover is inspired by the iconic designs of Grecian urns, the classic black-figure pottery found in ancient Greek art, humorously imagining the ancient figures as players engaged in a match.

The Finland cover draws inspiration from the breathtaking Northern Lights, a phenomenon seen in Nordic countries, particularly Finland. Over the past year, Ireland has also been fortunate to witness its own sightings of this natural wonder. The lights radiate out of the Aviva Stadium, the home ground for the Irish team and a recognisable feature in the Dublin city skyline.