Irish Athletes Call for Boycott of Soccer Match Against Israel

Boycott Appeal by Irish Athletes

Over 160 Irish athletes have made a public appeal to the Republic of Ireland’s men’s soccer team, asking them to boycott their scheduled international match against Israel. This request forms part of a larger diplomatic dispute between Ireland and Israel.

Upcoming Matches Under Scrutiny

The Republic of Ireland is set to face Israel twice in the coming weeks during UEFA Nations League qualifying games. These matches are scheduled to take place in Hungary on September 27 and in Serbia on October 4. Both games will be held without spectators in neutral venues due to protests by Irish players and fans over the civilian casualties in Gaza.

Activist Group Statement

The group Irish Sport for Palestine recently stated on social media that more than 160 Irish sportspeople had signed a letter asking the senior men’s soccer team to act with conscience and refuse to participate in the upcoming games against Israel.

Controversial Remarks by Coach

The Israeli Football Association criticized comments made by Irish head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson at a recent press conference. Hallgrímsson was asked about the potential challenge of keeping his players focused given the public outcry in Ireland. He responded, “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel; we are not playing with Israel.”

These comments prompted a strong reaction from the Israeli Football Association, which responded on social media, “We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance, and hypocrisy displayed by @IrelandFootball team coach.”

Diplomatic Tensions Between Ireland and Israel

Ireland’s government has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Diplomatic tensions have escalated over the past two years, with Israel closing its Dublin embassy in December 2024. At that time, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar cited “extreme anti-Israel policies” as the reason.

Saar accused Ireland of antisemitism and of using rhetoric aimed at de-legitimizing the Jewish state. This followed Ireland’s support for South Africa’s legal proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accused Israel of genocide against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Ireland has formally joined South Africa’s case at the ICJ.

UEFA and Irish Soccer Authority Actions

The Irish football association voted last year to request that UEFA suspend Israel from its competitions. However, this summer, they reiterated that Ireland’s men’s soccer team would meet its obligations to participate in UEFA qualifying games. They acknowledged the strong feelings supporting Palestine but emphasized the detrimental impact that failing to fulfill UEFA fixtures would have on Irish football overall.

“While acknowledging the strength of feeling regarding support for Palestine and the upcoming UEFA Men’s Nations League fixtures… the members recognize the profound impact that any non-fulfillment of UEFA fixtures would have on Irish football as a whole and on its future development, and accordingly endorses the Association fulfilling its obligations in respect of those fixtures,” the statement read.