Ranking the likely contenders ahead of the 2026 Gaelic Football Championship

With the National League now done for most teams, we thought it was a good time to start looking ahead to the 2026 Gaelic Football Championship and who the likely contenders for Sam Maguire are. Two of the major players in this year’s championship, Kerry and Donegal, will meet in the Division 1 final, but how much we will actually learn from that meeting remains to be seen.

Meath are another side who will fancy doing well this year, and they face Cork in the Division 2 final, with both their spots in next year’s Division 1 already guaranteed.

5 Major Contenders For Sam Maguire

Kerry: Major favourites to retain their All-Ireland?

Kerry look to be in a great position heading into their defence of the All-Ireland Championship. Another effective league campaign which sees them take on Donegal in the final has set them up perfectly before their first Championship outing on April 25th against Clare. As ever, Kerry will look to slowly build through Munster before really looking to hit top gear as the All-Ireland series kicks off at the end of May. Their major players like the Clifford brothers, Sean O’Shea and Joe O’Connor are warming up nicely once again this year, and the return of Tom O’Sullivan to fitness after he missed the end of the 2025 Championship is a huge boost to Jack O’Connor’s squad.

They are without doubt the favourites to land consecutive All-Ireland's this year, and with the class they have and calibre of player they can rely on, it’s hard to argue with that.

Donegal: Kerry’s Major Challengers?

Donegal were disappointing in last year’s All-Ireland defeat to Kerry as they failed to handle many of the questions Kerry posed to them. Whether they have learned from those mistakes enough to potentially beat Kerry is unknown just yet, but they definitely seem to be doing things a bit differently this year. They are now able to push up on the opposition a lot more, on top of having that solid defensive structure.

Their transition is also as lethal as ever, with players like Finbar Roarty, Peadar Mogan and Ryan McHugh devastating on the counter. What they do with Michael Murphy in the Championship is an interesting dilemma for McGuinness, but for now a league final against Kerry before their Ulster Championship opener against Down on April 26th is the focus.

Armagh: Is the Ulster Title a Major Target for McGeeney’s Men?

Having just staved off relegation on the final day by drawing with Kerry, Kieran McGeeney can now fully focus on getting his team ready for what should be another brilliant Ulster Championship this year.

The 2024 All-Ireland champions will once again look to be in the running come the end of the championship this year, but 2026 will also be another opportunity to break their Ulster hoodoo under McGeeney. Armagh are without an Anglo/Celt Cup since 2008 with McGeeney's men losing the last 3 finals.

Armagh conceded the 3rd highest amount during the league, so they will want to iron out some defensive issues they may have, but they were still the 2nd highest scorers behind Mayo, which is impressive considering the number of chances, especially goal chances, they failed to take during the league.

Mayo: A Season of Transition for Andy Moran’s Men?

Pessimism was the order of the day in Mayo after another disappointing campaign in 2025. Andy Moran was then installed as the county’s new manager, and with that came a renewed sense of optimism from a county desperate for something to get excited about when it comes to Gaelic football. That optimism has only been lifted after an impressive league season which brought 5 wins, including over Galway, Armagh and Dublin.

There were certainly setbacks, the two heavy losses to Donegal and Kerry among them, but given where the county was, there is a definite buzz ahead of this year’s championship. New players such as Darragh Beirne and Kobe McDonald (even if it's just for 2026) have brought excitement for fans, while the return of the likes of Cillian O’Connor and Tommy Conroy should deepen Moran’s forward options.

A likely Connacht semi-final against Roscommon awaits on April 25/26th. Win that and it’s a Connacht Final in Moran’s first year, and we can really start to gauge where Mayo are in 2026.

Galway: Is Time Running out for Padraig Joyce to Deliver?

Galway may have contested the 2022 and 2024 All-Irelands, but after a disappointing loss to Meath last year, questions are now being asked of this Galway side. With how well Meath are building again this year, perhaps that defeat does not look as bad now, but 2026 could be a crucial year for Galway and their boss.

The calibre of players that Padraig Joyce has at his disposal means Galway should be up there competing for the major honours this year, but a seriously competitive Connacht championship awaits them.

They are looking for a 5th consecutive provincial title, and with new stars emerging like Oisin Mac Donnacha, Fionn McDonagh and Shane McGrath along with stalwarts like Paul Conroy and John Maher, it won’t be a shock to see them returning to those 2022 and 2024 levels once more.

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