'F*** the FIFA World Cup': Irish X account revels in historic T20I series win over India
‘F*** the FIFA World Cup’: Irish X account revels in historic T20I series win over India originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Ireland achieved a historic 2-0 win against India in T20Is.
- Paddy Power responded with an “F*** the FIFA World Cup” post on X.
- The post followed a cricket banter with South Africa‘s Rassie van der Dussen.
Paddy Power’s cheeky reaction to Ireland’s historic T20I series triumph over India
Ireland’s historic series win against India came with a hilarious response from Irish bookmaker, Paddy Power, whose account on X (formerly Twitter) became the talk of the town following the final delivery of the second match.
Following Ireland’s 2-0 demolition of the reigning T20 world champions, Paddy Power’s account tweeted: “F*ck the World Cup. Beating India in the cricket. TWICE. That’s the real quiz.”
F*ck the World Cup.
Beating India in the cricket. TWICE. That’s the real quiz.
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) June 28, 2026
The post referred to the FIFA World Cup that was taking place during the period, but emphasised that to an Irish cricket fan, victory over India in the T20I series mattered more than the World Cup.
For context, Ireland failed to qualify for the ongoing FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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Paddy Power continues cricket banter after exchange with Rassie van der Dussen
The post celebrating Ireland’s milestone success in cricket comes just days after Paddy Power traded playful barbs with former South Africa cricketer Rassie van der Dussen on X.
The bookmaker’s X account posted, “I need to see evidence of South Africa qualifying for this tournament, because I’m wondering how on Earth it happened,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Proteas’ long-standing reputation for falling short of making it out of the FIFA World Cup group stage until the 2026 edition.
Been there, done that.
Move along now, we have a World Cup to watch🇿🇦 https://t.co/YrZcpQ7ZAO
— Rassie van der Dussen (@Rassie72) June 27, 2026
From Van der Dussen asking, “Which group is Ireland in?” followed by Paddy Power coming back with “Too busy beating the T20 world champions, pal,” to the South African’s riposte of, “Been there, done that. Move along now, we have a World Cup to watch,” the post quickly gained traction among cricket and football fans alike before attention was turned towards Ireland’s historic T20I series win over India.
Bafana Bafana reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time after the expansion of the tournament in 2026, having previously participated in the World Cup three times (1998, 2002, 2010).
On the other hand, in the context of the banter, Ireland qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals in 1990, 1994 and 2002, but not for the 2026 tournament.
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Why Ireland’s historic T20I series win over India matters
The one-run victory in the second T20I match was one of the biggest moments in Ireland’s cricketing history since they defeated the defending World Champions India by winning the T20I series 2-0.
Apart from the X post by Paddy Power on social media, what actually stands out is how Ireland emerged as a strong force against top sides in the world and it shows how the line between the top teams and the emerging teams is getting blurred.
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