Ireland's footballers vote to play Israel after tense locker-room standoff
Ireland's national football team has decided to proceed with its Nations League match against Israel following a closed-door vote, despite a boycott threat from a substitute goalkeeper. The game will be played Sunday in Hungary without Irish fans present.
Ireland's football squad voted behind closed doors on Saturday to go ahead with their Nations League match against Israel, though the team's coach admitted the situation had come close to breaking the group apart. Icelandic manager Heimir Hallgrímsson faced a locker-room revolt after substitute goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu told him he would not play. Training sessions and press conferences were postponed amid uncertainty over whether other players might join the boycott, which could have left the squad too depleted to compete.
After hours of internal discussion, the 26-player squad voted on whether to proceed, and a significant majority backed playing the match. Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell confirmed the outcome but declined to disclose the exact vote count. Hallgrímsson said the team was legally and professionally bound to play despite being nearly at a breaking point, describing the situation as a no-win scenario where both available choices were difficult.
Match conditions and protests
The fixture will be held Sunday in Debrecen, Hungary — a neutral venue — with no Irish supporters present, following demands from pro-Palestinian protesters in Ireland to cancel the match. Hallgrímsson said players intend to skip pre-match ceremonies with their Israeli counterparts, including the customary handshakes, and will wear black armbands during the game in recognition of lives lost in the conflict.
Relations between Ireland and Israel have deteriorated since Israel's offensive in Gaza following Hamas's October 2023 attack. Ireland became one of the first European countries to recognize Palestinian statehood in 2024, a move that angered Israel, which subsequently closed its embassy in Dublin after Irish officials began describing the situation in Gaza as "genocidal." Israel's coach, Ran Ben-Shimon, said he hoped the Irish side would accept handshakes, while the Israel Football Association had earlier condemned Hallgrímsson over previous remarks he made about the conflict.
