Martos: U-17 World Cup will be an incredible experience

 The U-17 Republic of Ireland international discussed his journey into football, receiving his first call-up and the upcoming global finals.

• The FIFA U-17 World Cup starts in November

• Republic of Ireland will contest the finals for the first time in Qatar

• Midfielder Ramon Martos discusses the nation's "special" journey to the tournament

For many in the world of football, July means one thing: gearing up for the season ahead. That is certainly the case for Ramon Martos, who is starting his pre-season training with Almeria’s Juvenil A (U-18) team. The Andalusian outfit are set to feature in the top flight for their age category for the 2025-26 season.

With the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ just around the corner, the Dublin-born midfielder also has his sights set on finishing the calendar year in style. The Republic of Ireland will be one of five national teams making their debut at the global showpiece – set to take place from 3 to 27 November – when they will battle it out with Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Panama in Group J.

While Martos can trace his Irish roots to his mother, he has footballing pedigree on both sides of the family. His father, also called Ramon – and now a top cardiologist – was once part of the Real Madrid and Real Betis youth set-ups and his maternal grandfather, David Pugh, captained the Republic of Ireland U-23 national team in his younger years.

Despite his young age, Martos has already played at club level in both England and Spain, and now represents the Republic of Ireland at international level.

While he hopes to one day become a pilot, in part inspired by the countless plane journeys he has made as a footballer, for the moment he is focused on reaching new heights on the pitch in Qatar. As he awaits the start of his final year of high school before potentially going to university, Almeria’s rising star met with FIFA to reflect on his journey, his surprise at being picked for the national team and what is in store for him in a few months’ time.

---

FIFA: You’ve already lived in three countries, but football has been a steady presence in your life ever since you arrived in England. Was joining West Brom the moment when you started to believe you had a future in the sport?

Ramon Martos: I was seven or eight years old when I noticed that I was sought-after by many professional clubs in my area. When I went to train with those teams, I saw the difference between that environment and having a kick-about with my friends in the park. I may not have been a professional at that age, but the club I joined certainly was. As I began to find success and set myself apart, I realised I could go far if I kept it up.

Six years ago you and your family moved to Almeria, where your father was born. It was a change in your personal life, but also in terms of your development as a footballer.

My paperwork didn’t go through for six or seven months and then COVID-19 came along, so I spent a year to 18 months in limbo, unable to play in any competitive matches. But I was training with Almeria and it was going well. Everything changed when I started to play and score goals and now I’m in a really good place.

You started out in the Republic of Ireland’s U-15 team, but when you were at West Brom, the FA already knew all about you. What has your journey with the national team been like?

When players are really young, scouts from the Republic of Ireland and Wales, for example, are on the lookout for kids in England who would be eligible to play for them. The first I heard of it was in September 2022 when my dad told me that the Irish national team were scouting me and that I might be called up. It made a real impression on me because I was in Spain, so it seemed strange. But that same day, the coach called my dad to tell him that one of the boys had picked up an injury, meaning that they needed an attacking midfielder. I was over the moon when I found out. From that point on, I’ve been selected every time. I’ve had no time to think about it!

In round 1 of the qualifiers, Republic of Ireland finished level on points and goal difference, meaning you advanced on fair play ranking. It seems like you were destined to be involved in this U-17 World Cup?

It was a miracle! We lost a two-goal lead against Lithuania, with them scoring a late equaliser to end the tie 2-2. I couldn’t play in the second match when we lost 1-3 against Northern Ireland. It was a derby and team morale was at rock bottom. Our only hope was to win and to cross our fingers that Lithuania would lose. In the end, they won and we beat Scotland 0-3, so we were neck and neck. We ended up qualifying because we’d picked up fewer yellow cards. But the funny thing is that when we scored the third goal in the 94th minute, the whole bench ran onto the pitch and we thought that it was going to cost us a few bookings. We were very lucky.

Then in your final U-17 World Cup qualifier, you had to beat Iceland by a big margin and duly defeated them 5-0. How did that feel?

It was incredible. That last match was a must-win game as we still had the chance to go through on goal difference. The 5-0 win was enough to qualify so it was a special moment. We’ve made history together, because it’s the first time that the U-17s have reached the final tournament, so we couldn’t have been happier.

That tough journey has brought you to the final tournament. How does it feel to think that, in a matter of months, you’ll be representing your country at the U-17 World Cup?

It still hasn’t sunk in what a big deal it is. It probably won’t feel real until I’m on that plane and realise that my dream is coming true. We saw the senior teams on TV playing out there in 2022 and now there’s a chance for us to follow in their footsteps. It’s going to be an incredible experience – I can’t wait!

Finally, let’s take a look at the other teams drawn into your group: Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Panama. What’s your take on them?

The truth is, I was really looking forward to finding out who our opponents would be! The names didn’t matter to me. They’re all national teams from other parts of the world that we haven’t played before, and I like that. And they aren’t ranked among the top teams in the world, so we have a good chance of progressing from the group stage and going further in the tournament.