France v Rep of Ireland:Tomorrow night's World Cup qualifier against France will be shown on free-to-air television after RTÉ secured the television rights this morning. The match will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports and on RTÉ radio.

“Following extensive negotiations between RTÉ and the French Football Federation, I’m delighted to announce that a deal has been agreed which will give the Irish public the opportunity to enjoy this crucial game live,” Glen Killane, Head of Sport at RTÉ said today.

There had been fears that Irish fans would face a World Cup blackout as attempts to broker an agreement between the national broadcaster and the French Football Federation (FFF) dragged on.

However, a deal was hammered out this morning. Both RTÉ and Sky refused to disclose how much was paid to the FFF for the rights although it appears unlikely they met the initial asking price of €1.5 million.

France hold a 1-0 advantage going into tomorrow night’s second leg at the Stade de France in Paris after Nicolas Anelka’s fortunate deflected second-half goal settled a tightly-contested encounter at Croke Park.

The Irish team departed for Paris today and will hold a press briefing after training this evening.