IRELAND ARE SET to play their controversial Nations League tie against Israel at the Aviva Stadium on 4 October.

There had been previous media speculation that the game could be played at a neutral venue owing to security concerns.

But Gardaí have played down significant security concerns ahead of the match.

Israel have also expressed hope that they would be permitted to play on home turf, though the venue for the reverse fixture is unconfirmed, with the country playing all their games at a neutral venue since October 2023, with Hungary hosting their World Cup qualifiers last year.

“We understand that this decision will be difficult for many members and supporters. It has not been taken lightly,” FAI president Paul Cooke wrote in a letter to the association’s general assembly.

“We intend to use the home fixture as an opportunity to provide tangible support for humanitarian efforts assisting civilians affected by the conflict. Further details will be outlined closer to the match.”

Cooke added that the decision was “not financially motivated” and claimed that boycotting the match “would lead to the forfeiture of six points, could lead to relegation to League C of the Nations League and would damage our seeding for Euro 2028 qualification as well as our overall Fifa ranking”.