The Ireland squad’s Nations League fixtures against Israel are approaching under a cloud of political anger, security concerns and planned demonstrations. In New York on Tuesday, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin backed national-team coach Heimir Hallgrímsson after the Icelandic manager condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Quick facts
- Ireland face Israel in two Nations League B matches, on 27 September and 4 October.
- The 27 September fixture, formally Israel’s home game, will be played in Debrecen, Hungary.
- Ireland’s home match on 4 October has been moved to Bačka Topola, Serbia, on security grounds.
- More than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed an open letter calling for a boycott.
- The Football Association of Ireland previously asked UEFA to suspend Israel, but received no backing from European football officials.
Martin said Hallgrímsson’s comments reflected widespread concern about the scale of death and destruction in Gaza. The Irish leader said Israel could not continue to deny what the world already knew.
Hallgrímsson had addressed the subject last week before the double-header. “We are not playing with genocide; we are playing against genocide,” he said. “We are playing against Israel, not with Israel.”
Israel’s football association responded on Monday by accusing the Ireland coach of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy”. Martin described that response as unacceptable and said it should be withdrawn.
The fixtures have become a major point of tension in Ireland, a country that has been among Europe’s strongest supporters of the Palestinian cause. Protesters gathered outside the Ireland team hotel in Dublin on Monday, while further demonstrations are expected around the country before the matches.
The FAI adopted a motion in November 2025 calling on UEFA to remove Israel from international competition. European football’s governing figures did not support the proposal.
Ireland’s federation has said it has limited room to act, warning that refusing to play could bring sporting and financial penalties. The team must therefore travel for both games, with neither match staged in its nominal host country.
The first meeting on 27 September will take place in Debrecen, despite being listed as Israel’s home fixture. A week later, Ireland’s scheduled home match will be held in Bačka Topola after security concerns forced it out of Ireland.
