All-Ireland SFC Outright predictions 2025: Donegal to lift the Sam Maguire Cup?

The All Ireland Football Championship has been reinvigorated this year with the introduction of the new rules brought in earlier in 2025. High scoring, exciting games are what fans are being treated to this year as the sport looks to fight back after years of struggling to capture the hearts and minds of Gaelic Football supporters. The 2025 Championship has the look and feel of being one of the most thrilling Championships in years, with several counties capable of lifting the Sam Maguire on July 27th in Croke Park. Whichever county lands the Cup at the end of July, it looks like it is going to be a Championship that fans will savour, so read on, as we preview the match and provide our outright winner All-Ireland football prediction.

💯 All Ireland SFC Outright Winner Prediction

As we have mentioned, 2025 looks to have many challengers for the All-Ireland SFC title. Donegal, Kerry, Galway, Armagh and Dublin will all feel like they have a genuine opportunity to land the Sam Maguire in July, while Tyrone, Monaghan and Mayo will believe they can have a major say in anything that happens in this year’s Championship. Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Louth were all victorious in the four Provincial Championships, and head into the All-Ireland round robin group stage as No. 1 seeds.

Donegal have had to come through the toughest province in Ulster to make the group stage and beat Armagh in an instant classic Ulster SFC Final on May 10th. Galway won their fourth Connacht SFC in a row when they beat old rivals Mayo in another belter of a match on May 4th, while Kerry had a facile win over Clare in the Munster Final. Louth winning Leinster was the biggest surprise from the pre-season predictions, as they won their first Leinster title in 68 years, beating Meath after Meath had knocked out Dublin in their semi-final clash.

Three of the four Provincial champions will rightly feel that they have a great chance of lifting Sam on July 27th, with Louth having done brilliantly to lift the Leinster crown. Donegal look like they are the team to beat however, in 2025.

Jim McGuinness’ team made the last four in 2024 and are hungry to deliver the County’s third All-Ireland crown in 2025. They are stacked with brilliant players, such as Shaun Patton, Peadar Mogan, Ryan McHugh, Oisin Gallen and the returning Michael Murphy, with the great man coming back in a bid to help Donegal get over the line. They are a brilliant running team but can also mix their game up, as they have on occasions in the Ulster Championship. They also have players who are more than capable of hitting two-pointers, which could prove pivotal as we get to the latter stages of the Championship. They have great depth in their squad this year, and in McGuinness they have a manager capable of influencing his team like few others. For all the reasons listed, our outright winner All-Ireland football prediction is that Donegal will win the 2025 All-Ireland SFC.

⚽ All Ireland SFC Outright Odds – Bookmaker Favourites

The latest outright winner odds for this year’s All-Ireland SFC show how closely run this year’s competition should be, with numerous counties featuring heavily in the betting. Kerry, Donegal and Galway are the top three presently, but other teams will fancy themselves to make an impact now that we have reached the group stages of the All-Ireland Championship.

Before having a bet on the 2025 All-Ireland SFC, why not check out our sports brand reviews page. Here, you will find extra information about many of the betting sites listed.

3.25 – Odds to Win

Kerry are currently favourites with Ireland’s best betting sites, and with their form and results, it is easy to see why. They have brilliant forwards such as David and Paudie Clifford, Paul Geaney and Sean O’Shea, while their kicking style really suits the new rules in Gaelic Football. If their midfield and defence can withstand the great challenges that await them in the latter stages, they have a great shot of winning their 39th All-Ireland.

4.30 – Odds to Win

For all the reasons we have listed in our outright winner All-Ireland SFC prediction, Donegal have a great chance of repeating what they did back in 2012 and winning the Championship. Their pace, scoring ability and possession of that dynamic duo of Jim McGuinness and Michael Murphy make Donegal a huge player in this year’s All-Ireland race.

4.70 – Odds to Win

Beaten in two of the last three All-Ireland Finals, Padraig Joyce’s Galway side has been as consistent as anyone in recent years. They picked up their fourth successive Connacht title at the start of May but have shown a different side to themselves this year by being successful without their talismanic forward duo of Damien Comer and Shane Walsh. Cillian McDaid, Rob Finnerty and the evergreen Paul Conroy have stepped up in their absence, and if Galway can get their star duo back fit, they can have a major say in the destination of Sam Maguire in 2025.

⭐ Fixtures Information

Tournament: All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Timetable: May 17th – July 27th, 2025

Venue: Semi-Finals & Final – Croke Park Stadium, Dublin.

🏆 Review of 2024 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The 2024 All-Ireland Championship saw Armagh, managed by 2002 All-Ireland winning captain Kieran McGeeney, pick up the title, beating Galway in a tense Final, 1-11 – 0-13. It was just the Orchard County’s second ever All-Ireland win, while for Galway, it was a 15th All-Ireland Final loss and their second in three years.

Kerry, Galway, Donegal and Dublin were the four Provincial winners and all four made it into the All-Ireland Quarter Finals. Kerry beat Derry to set up a semi-final with Armagh, who got through Roscommon. While on the other side of the draw, Galway knocked out 2023 All-Ireland champions Dublin in the Quarter Finals to set up a last four clash with Donegal, who beat Louth.

In the semi-finals, Armagh made it through their titanic struggle with Kerry after extra time, 1-18 – 1-16, while in the other semi-final, Galway ended Donegal’s season with a 1-14 – 0-15 win.

In the Final, Galway took on Armagh, with Galway seeking their tenth All-Ireland and Armagh their second .

An Aaron McKay goal would prove the difference in the end, with the defender coming up the field to score a 47th minute goal after being set up by influential substitute Stefan Campbell. Galway pushed to fight back against their Ulster opponents and clawed it back to one point in the closing stages, but wayward shooting and heroic defending from Armagh meant it was McGeeney’s men who rose highest on the day, on a scoreline of 1-11 – 0-13. Eventual 2024 Young Footballer of the Year Oisin Conaty was named the 2024 All-Ireland Final Player of the Match award after his 0–3 haul. Galway stalwart Paul Conroy, who hit 0-3 in the Final, was named the 2024 Footballer of the Year after another stellar year in the Maroon and White.