IRELAND will travel to the US next month to play two friendlies, the FAI has confirmed.
Martin O'Neill, Roy Keane and the Irish players will join many other countries in a delayed start to their summer holidays, with many other national teams heading to Brazil for the World Cup.
Ireland are instead going to the US where they are scheduled to play their first friendly against Costa Rica on June 6 at PPL Park in Philadelphia and will face Portugal four days later at Met Life Stadium, New Jersey.
The friendly summer schedule begins on May 25 with a match against Turkey at the Aviva Stadium, followed by with a fixture against Italy on May 31 at Craven Cottage.