One debate seems to crop up every All-Star season.
Should the team be selected before the All-Ireland final?
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For many, the answer is yes. While the biggest day of the year should matter, one outstanding display in a final can often outweigh five or six months of consistently excellent football. Equally, one poor performance can unfairly knock a player out of contention despite a superb championship.
With Kerry and Mayo still to contest this year’s decider, we’ve picked our Football All-Star XV based solely on what has happened so far in 2026.
That means performances across the league, provincials and the All-Ireland series have been considered, with consistency carrying more weight than one-off moments.