The FAI has said the Ireland team will fulfil its Nations League fixtures against Israel in the autumn despite calling for the country to be banned by Uefa last year.
In a statement this afternoon, the national broadcaster said it would be screening all six of Ireland’s Nations League ties “in line with its contractual obligations and commitment to supporting Ireland’s national teams”.
“To explain, decisions regarding participation by Ireland’s national soccer team in any tournament are the responsibility of the appropriate official national sporting body – in this case the FAI,” it reads. “Decisions relating to the broadcast of these events are dependent on such decisions.
“RTÉ’s decision in this case is different to RTÉ’s decision regarding the Eurovision Song Contest, which is owned and run by the EBU, for one main reason. It is national public service broadcasters/media who operate the selection process to decide which song/artist will represent their country in the contest.
“In Ireland, the responsibility falls to RTÉ as Ireland’s national public service media, and a member of the EBU. The decision regarding Ireland’s participation in any football match is one for the FAI, not RTÉ.”
- ‘Secure environment’ -
In November, the FAI approved a motion calling for Israel to be banned from Uefa over breaches of its codes, but this was rejected.
Israel’s home game is on 27 September and Ireland’s home game is on 4 October.
Martin said: “I think the FAI is taking the correct decision to fulfil the fixture.”
He said Ireland have “been doing very well so far” and “we wish them well”.
Asked if the away game should be held in Israel, Martin said it was a matter for the footballing authorities and added: “There is no official boycott of Israel, just to make that point.
“From an Irish perspective, we’re now focusing on peace in the Middle East.”
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Martin said the Irish Government had “opposed very strongly” Israeli government policy within Gaza, but said “people have to distinguish between the Government of Israel and its policies and the people of Israel”.
He told reporters in Cork: “I think sport is an area that can be challenging when it crosses into the realm of politics, but here the international sporting organisation has its rules, its framework, it’s a matter for them to deal with issues like that.”
He said there should not be security issues for the game in Ireland and the “team should be allowed play”.
Martin said Irish security authorities will make decisions to “make sure the game can take place in a secure environment”.
- Uefa -
Daniel Lambert, the chief commercial officer of Bohemians FC, who proposed the motion at the FAI general assembly, said Israel was in breach of Uefa statutes around clubs playing in occupied territories and anti-racism policies.
He told RTE’s Morning Ireland said it was “inexplicable” that Israel had not been penalised for breaches.
Acknowledging potential financial implications, Lambert said Ireland not playing Israel would be the “right thing to do”.
Ireland players huddle ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifying. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Fine Gael Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn says the FAI cannot be expected to boycott games and the onus is firmly on global governing bodies to take stances, issue suspensions, or fine national teams where appropriate.
“We cannot have a situation whereby Irish high-performance athletes in football or athletics or basketball have to curtail their short playing careers in order to make up for the moral failings or otherwise of multi-million euro organisations,” said Ní Chuilinn.
“Uefa have failed to ban Israel, despite the FAI’s best efforts and intentions with last year’s submission.
“Calling for the FAI to boycott the fixtures against Israel will have wider implications for sport in Ireland and will set a precedent that is not realistic.”
- Boycott -
Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne has led widespread calls for the FAI to boycott the games, accusing the Association of only having a principled position “on paper”.
“In November, the FAI voted to submit a motion to Uefa to ban Israel from its European club and international competitions. That was the correct moral and principled position to take,” she said.
“Therefore, I am extremely angry and dismayed that the FAI have confirmed they will play against Israel. It appears that their morals, and principled position, was only on paper – not in actions where it counts.
“Israel should not be in this competition. Uefa should have expelled them as soon as Israel went into Gaza on a genocidal, ethnic cleansing mission that has seen tens of thousands of innocents murdered, including hundreds of sports men and women.
Byrne said Uefa is displaying “double standards” as it expelled Russia from all club and international competitions in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
“I hope the FAI knows the furore that will be coming for them from the Irish football fans – the vast, vast majority will not want to see our Boys In Green in the same stadium as the Israeli team.
Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said that the Irish footballing public would support the FAI if it decided to boycott the fixtures on the basis of an ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“Any individual player who refuses to play against Israel should also be supported,” he said.
“History demands we stand against genocide and apartheid and for international law.”
- Safety -
Meanwhile, Siptu members employed by the FAI say safety concerns should rule out the Israel fixtures.
Calling on the Association to withdraw, Siptu deputy general secretary Greg Ennis said:
“A match between Ireland and Israel is not only a serious political and moral issue but also has safety implications for workers and players which the FAI must consider. Our members believe that such a concern, and the duty of care the FAI must show for its staff, must also rule out this fixture.
“This is simply a call for consistency by the sporting body, which has already called for the exclusion of Israeli teams from international competition because of that State’s genocidal onslaught against the Palestinian people. It is unacceptable that the organisation would now demand its employees and players engage with their Israeli counterparts in fixtures that the FAI, and we believe the vast majority of Irish people, believe should not be taking place.
“Our members do not want to be part of a rank hypocrisy in world football which sees Russian teams banned due to their country’s illegal war in Ukraine, while another state that is perpetrating a legally defined genocide should be allowed to sport-wash its reputation at our expense.
“It is up to the governing association to consider these issues and not place players and staff in a situation where their safety and future reputations are in jeopardy.”
“We believe the Irish people want the FAI to do the right thing here,” Ennis added. “It must stand by its own words and respect the safety of those it has a duty of care towards. This necessitates it reconsidering its position in relation to fulfilling these fixtures.”
The ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed at least 70,117 people as of December 2025.
The FAI and Israel Football Association have been contacted for comment.
With reporting by Sophie Finn, originally posted on TheJournal.ie
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Ireland matches against Israel should go ahead, Taoiseach says
LAST UPDATE | 13 Feb
FOOTBALL MATCHES BETWEEN the Republic of Ireland and Israel “should go ahead”, the Taoiseach has said.
Micheál Martin said there was a need to distinguish between the policies of the government of Israel and the Israeli people.
Meanwhile, RTÉ has confirmed it will broadcast the Nations League games should they proceed.
The FAI has said the Ireland team will fulfil its Nations League fixtures against Israel in the autumn despite calling for the country to be banned by Uefa last year.
In a statement this afternoon, the national broadcaster said it would be screening all six of Ireland’s Nations League ties “in line with its contractual obligations and commitment to supporting Ireland’s national teams”.
“To explain, decisions regarding participation by Ireland’s national soccer team in any tournament are the responsibility of the appropriate official national sporting body – in this case the FAI,” it reads. “Decisions relating to the broadcast of these events are dependent on such decisions.
“RTÉ’s decision in this case is different to RTÉ’s decision regarding the Eurovision Song Contest, which is owned and run by the EBU, for one main reason. It is national public service broadcasters/media who operate the selection process to decide which song/artist will represent their country in the contest.
“In Ireland, the responsibility falls to RTÉ as Ireland’s national public service media, and a member of the EBU. The decision regarding Ireland’s participation in any football match is one for the FAI, not RTÉ.”
- ‘Secure environment’ -
In November, the FAI approved a motion calling for Israel to be banned from Uefa over breaches of its codes, but this was rejected.
The countries were drawn together in Group B3 of the Nations League on Thursday and the FAI immediately issued a statement confirming the matches would go ahead.
Israel’s home game is on 27 September and Ireland’s home game is on 4 October.
Martin said: “I think the FAI is taking the correct decision to fulfil the fixture.”
He said Ireland have “been doing very well so far” and “we wish them well”.
Asked if the away game should be held in Israel, Martin said it was a matter for the footballing authorities and added: “There is no official boycott of Israel, just to make that point.
“From an Irish perspective, we’re now focusing on peace in the Middle East.”
Martin said the Irish Government had “opposed very strongly” Israeli government policy within Gaza, but said “people have to distinguish between the Government of Israel and its policies and the people of Israel”.
He told reporters in Cork: “I think sport is an area that can be challenging when it crosses into the realm of politics, but here the international sporting organisation has its rules, its framework, it’s a matter for them to deal with issues like that.”
He said there should not be security issues for the game in Ireland and the “team should be allowed play”.
Martin said Irish security authorities will make decisions to “make sure the game can take place in a secure environment”.
- Uefa -
Daniel Lambert, the chief commercial officer of Bohemians FC, who proposed the motion at the FAI general assembly, said Israel was in breach of Uefa statutes around clubs playing in occupied territories and anti-racism policies.
He told RTE’s Morning Ireland said it was “inexplicable” that Israel had not been penalised for breaches.
Acknowledging potential financial implications, Lambert said Ireland not playing Israel would be the “right thing to do”.
Fine Gael Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn says the FAI cannot be expected to boycott games and the onus is firmly on global governing bodies to take stances, issue suspensions, or fine national teams where appropriate.
“We cannot have a situation whereby Irish high-performance athletes in football or athletics or basketball have to curtail their short playing careers in order to make up for the moral failings or otherwise of multi-million euro organisations,” said Ní Chuilinn.
“Uefa have failed to ban Israel, despite the FAI’s best efforts and intentions with last year’s submission.
“Calling for the FAI to boycott the fixtures against Israel will have wider implications for sport in Ireland and will set a precedent that is not realistic.”
- Boycott -
Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne has led widespread calls for the FAI to boycott the games, accusing the Association of only having a principled position “on paper”.
“In November, the FAI voted to submit a motion to Uefa to ban Israel from its European club and international competitions. That was the correct moral and principled position to take,” she said.
“Therefore, I am extremely angry and dismayed that the FAI have confirmed they will play against Israel. It appears that their morals, and principled position, was only on paper – not in actions where it counts.
“Israel should not be in this competition. Uefa should have expelled them as soon as Israel went into Gaza on a genocidal, ethnic cleansing mission that has seen tens of thousands of innocents murdered, including hundreds of sports men and women.
Byrne said Uefa is displaying “double standards” as it expelled Russia from all club and international competitions in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
“I hope the FAI knows the furore that will be coming for them from the Irish football fans – the vast, vast majority will not want to see our Boys In Green in the same stadium as the Israeli team.
Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said that the Irish footballing public would support the FAI if it decided to boycott the fixtures on the basis of an ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“Any individual player who refuses to play against Israel should also be supported,” he said.
“History demands we stand against genocide and apartheid and for international law.”
- Safety -
Meanwhile, Siptu members employed by the FAI say safety concerns should rule out the Israel fixtures.
Calling on the Association to withdraw, Siptu deputy general secretary Greg Ennis said:
“A match between Ireland and Israel is not only a serious political and moral issue but also has safety implications for workers and players which the FAI must consider. Our members believe that such a concern, and the duty of care the FAI must show for its staff, must also rule out this fixture.
“This is simply a call for consistency by the sporting body, which has already called for the exclusion of Israeli teams from international competition because of that State’s genocidal onslaught against the Palestinian people. It is unacceptable that the organisation would now demand its employees and players engage with their Israeli counterparts in fixtures that the FAI, and we believe the vast majority of Irish people, believe should not be taking place.
“Our members do not want to be part of a rank hypocrisy in world football which sees Russian teams banned due to their country’s illegal war in Ukraine, while another state that is perpetrating a legally defined genocide should be allowed to sport-wash its reputation at our expense.
“It is up to the governing association to consider these issues and not place players and staff in a situation where their safety and future reputations are in jeopardy.”
“We believe the Irish people want the FAI to do the right thing here,” Ennis added. “It must stand by its own words and respect the safety of those it has a duty of care towards. This necessitates it reconsidering its position in relation to fulfilling these fixtures.”
The ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed at least 70,117 people as of December 2025.
The FAI and Israel Football Association have been contacted for comment.
With reporting by Sophie Finn, originally posted on TheJournal.ie
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
FAI Fixtures Ireland Israel Nations League