More than 160 athletes from Ireland have signed an open letter urging the national men’s soccer team to boycott their upcoming international match against Israel. This appeal comes as diplomatic tensions between the two nations intensify.
The Republic of Ireland is scheduled to face Israel twice in UEFA Nations League qualifying games. These matches will take place on September 27 in Hungary and October 4 in Serbia. Both matches are set in neutral territories without spectators following protests in Ireland concerning the civilian casualties in Gaza.
The organization Irish Sport for Palestine announced on social media that over 160 Irish sports figures have signed a letter asking the Irish senior men’s soccer team to “act collectively with conscience and refuse to participate in their upcoming games against Israel.”
Controversy was stirred when Israeli Football Association criticized Ireland’s head coach, Heimir Hallgrímsson, for his statements at a recent press conference. Hallgrímsson responded to inquiries about potential distractions for his players, given the outcry in Ireland, by saying, “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel; we are not playing with Israel.”
In a social media post, the Israeli Football Association reacted sharply to Hallgrímsson’s comments. The post proclaimed their contributions to the world and lamented their inability to “find a cure for stupidity, ignorance, and hypocrisy displayed by @IrelandFootball team coach.” They added, “We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy, and stupidity. We’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”
Over the past years, the Irish government has been an outspoken critic of Israeli military actions in Gaza. Diplomatic relations between the countries worsened after Israel closed its Dublin embassy in December 2024. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attributed the closure to Ireland’s “extreme anti-Israel policies,” stating in a statement that “the actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in de-legitimisation and demonisation of the Jewish state, along with double standards.”
Ireland had expressed support for South Africa’s legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinian civilians. Ireland later formally joined South Africa’s case at the ICJ.
Additionally, the Irish football association passed a vote the previous year to request UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, to suspend Israel from its competitions. However, a statement from the Football Association of Ireland over the summer confirmed that the national men’s soccer team would meet its commitments to play Israel in UEFA qualifying games.
The statement highlighted the significant impact that non-compliance with UEFA fixtures would have on Irish football and its future development. It concluded by endorsing the fulfillment of their obligations regarding the fixtures.