Croke Park will be a sell-out on Saturday, July 11th as Mayo take on Louth in the 2026 All-Ireland Football Semi-Final, with tickets for both weekend semi-finals gone within hours of going on sale.
Mayo head into the game as favourites off the back of a clinical quarter-final win over Cork, but Louth arrive full of momentum and belief after a historic run that has already delivered the county its first All-Ireland semi-final appearance since 1957.
Louth vs Mayo Match Details
Round: All-Ireland Semi-Final
Date: Saturday, July 11th, 2026
Time: 18:00
Venue: Croke Park, Dublin
Betting Odds
Betting Odds
Match Betting
Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
Mayo | 4/5 |
Draw | 13/2 |
Louth | 11/8 |
To Qualify
Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
Mayo | 4/6 |
Louth | 11/10 |
Handicap Betting
Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
Mayo -1 | 21/20 |
Draw (on handicap) | 9/1 |
Louth +1 | 10/11 |
Paths To The Semi-Final
Road to the Semi-Final
Mayo Ease Past Cork
Mayo booked their first All-Ireland semi-final appearance in five years with an impressive, clinical performance, beating Cork 0-23 to 0-18 in the quarter-final.
Rising young stars Darragh Beirne and Kobe McDonald anchored the Mayo attack with brilliant displays at Croke Park, with Mayo's efficient point-taking wearing down a resilient Cork side to secure their spot in the final four.
Louth's Heroics With 14 Men
Louth produced a historic, heroic performance to reach their first All-Ireland semi-final since 1957, beating Monaghan 0-27 to 2-18 in a high-scoring thriller.
The Wee County overcame major adversity after Sean Callaghan was shown a straight red card early in the game for a high challenge, and despite playing with 14 men for the majority of the contest, dug deep to outlast Monaghan.
Team News
Team News
Louth will be without Sean Callaghan for the semi-final after the county opted not to appeal his red card from the quarter-final win over Monaghan.
Super-subs Ciaran Byrne and Tadhg McDonnell are both in contention for larger roles having made a massive impact off the bench in that game, with both players hitting three points apiece to help secure the landmark win.
Mayo have received a boost with the return to training of Cillian O'Connor, the Championship's all-time leading scorer, after two months out through injury. He should be an experienced option off the bench for Mayo in the closing stages.
Forward James Carr has also fully recovered from his own injury setback, with manager Andy Moran noting that Carr is "flying" in training and pushing hard for his first Championship minutes of the season. Otherwise, Mayo appear to have a full deck of cards to choose from.
Form Guide
Form Guide
Mayo's Path to the 2026 All-Ireland Semi-Final
- Connacht Championship Quarter-Final: Mayo 0-31 – 1-15 London
- Connacht Championship Semi-Final: Mayo 1-18 – 2-25 Roscommon
Mayo were eliminated in Connacht and qualified for the All-Ireland series via league ranking.
- All-Ireland Round 1: Monaghan 2-20 – 1-24 Mayo (Mayo lose; drop into Round 2A/2B structure)
- All-Ireland Round 2A: Tyrone 0-22 – 1-18 Mayo (Mayo lose; move to Round 3)
- All-Ireland Round 3: Mayo 0-22 – 2-13 Meath (Mayo win; qualify for quarter-finals)
- Quarter-Final: Mayo 0-23 – 0-18 Cork (Mayo advance to semi-finals)
Louth's Path to the 2026 All-Ireland Semi-Final
- Leinster Championship Quarter-Final: Louth 1-25 – 0-11 Wexford
- Leinster Championship Semi-Final: Louth 0-10 – 0-20 Dublin
Louth were eliminated in Leinster and qualified for the All-Ireland series via league ranking.
- All-Ireland Round 1: Louth 4-18 – 1-24 Dublin (historic win — Louth's first over Dublin since 1973)
- All-Ireland Round 2A: Louth 2-20 – 2-19 Armagh (Louth win; advance directly to quarter-finals)
- Quarter-Final: Louth 0-27 – 2-18 Monaghan (Louth reach first semi-final since 1957)
Head-to-Head History
Louth vs Mayo Head-to-Head History
Louth and Mayo have met just twice in Championship history. Their first meeting came in the 1950 All-Ireland Final, where Mayo held off a late rally from the Wee County to win 2-05 to 1-06 and secure their second-ever All-Ireland title. The westerners would go on to retain the Sam Maguire Cup the following year in 1951, famously their most recent All-Ireland title.
The sides would not meet again in Championship football for 73 years, until the 2023 All-Ireland Round 2 group stage at MacHale Park. Mayo led 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time, and although Louth's defensive setup restricted Mayo's space in the second half, a crucial save from Mayo goalkeeper Colm Reape denied Louth a vital goal, allowing Mayo to escape with a narrow 0-14 to 1-10 victory.
The two counties will meet again this Saturday with a ticket to the 2026 All-Ireland Final on the line.
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Dylan has forgotten more about the world of sports betting than many will ever know. Seven years in the game will give you that kind of perspective, and he brings that knowledge to the BOYLE Sports Blog. This long-suffering Mayo man has a particular passion for Gaelic football, American football and golf.
