The All-Ireland Football Championship draw is finally here, and we have the groups and fixtures for both the Sam Maguire and the Tailteann Cup. The format for both competitions includes four groups of four, giving each team three games in a round-robin system. The top team from each group in the Sam Maguire advances straight to the quarter-finals, while the second and third-placed teams go into the preliminary quarter-final draw. The Tailteann Cup is also a round-robin format, and the top team from each group advances straight to the quarter-finals, with the second and third-placed teams going into the preliminary quarter-final draw.
The Sam Maguire draw has four seeded groups, with the first and second seeds comprising the provincial champions and runners-up, respectively. The third and fourth seeds consist of the remaining teams. The same seeding system is used for the Tailteann Cup.
The opening weekend of the Sam Maguire will feature crucial encounters, such as Kerry vs Mayo and Galway vs Tyrone. There is no Group of Death, but Group One is likely to see a battle for the third spot. The Tailteann Cup draw also looks promising, with teams like Meath, Cavan, and Fermanagh in the mix.
The new format for the championship has resulted in a superior competition with more opportunities for teams to shine. However, teams towards the bottom of Division Four may be more inclined to focus on the Tailteann Cup if things don’t go their way early on. Overall, it will be interesting to see how the championship unfolds and which teams will come out on top.
