Ireland to play Israel in Debrecen Uefa Nations League tie amid fan, political and broadcasting restrictions
The Republic of Ireland will travel to Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday to play Israel in a Uefa Nations League match at a neutral stadium with no 'away' fans admitted and reduced television coverage.
The fixture was confirmed following an FAI delegate vote in July in which 75 members voted to fulfil the matches and 32 voted to boycott; Israel have not played on home soil for three years, since the beginning of the Gaza war, and have used Hungary as a home base for 10 fixtures in that time. The Republic will also host Israel on 4 October in Backa Topola, Serbia, with no tickets available to Irish supporters for either match and a limited allocation for Israeli fans for the Debrecen game.
Irish broadcaster RTE will provide a pared-back transmission of the matches, saying it will only "meet its contractual obligations" and will air coverage without commentators, pundits or half-time analysis while refusing advertising or sponsorship income for the broadcasts. No tickets have been sold to Irish fans for either the 'home' or 'away' fixtures, and previous Israel home games staged in Hungary have likewise seen only small allocations of tickets available for visiting supporters.
The FAI said it moved its 'home' fixture to a neutral stadium because of "operational challenges that could impact on the delivery of the game on home soil" and reports suggested the association feared protests could prevent a match taking place in Dublin. Hungary has been used as a host because, the article says, the two countries enjoy stronger diplomatic ties and Hungary has been willing to provide the policing and security arrangements the matches require.
The choice of Backa Topola in Serbia for the Republic's designated 'home' game was not officially explained by the FAI, but the report notes selecting a remote town can, in theory, make security management easier and reduce the risk of protest. In 2025, Serbian foreign minister Marko Duric described Israel as one of Serbia's "closest friends and strategic partners"; Serbia has also purchased military equipment, including drones and missiles, from Israel in recent years.
Opposition to playing Israel has continued despite the neutral venues. Fans of Irish Premier Division club Bohemians have demonstrated during domestic fixtures, more than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter organised by the Irish Sport for Palestine group urging a boycott, and the signatories include boxer Tyrone McKenna and former European champion athlete Ciara Mageean. The FAI said Uefa had rejected a request for the teams to be kept apart in future draws, and director of football John Martin described the games as a "very uncomfortable situation for everyone".
Icelandic manager Heimer Hallgrimsson, meanwhile, said playing the match did not constitute legitimisation of Israel's actions: "We're not playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide," "We're playing against Israel, we're not playing with Israel." The Israel Football Association responded by accusing Hallgrimsson of "ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity".
Ireland has taken a pronounced diplomatic stance since October 2023: in May 2024, alongside Spain and Norway, Ireland officially recognised a Palestinian state and later joined South Africa's Gaza genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice. The country has also boycotted Eurovision since 2025, was the first EU country to ban goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and has issued travel bans for Israeli government ministers; Irish foreign minister Helen McEntee said: "Ireland's view is clear - international law is being breached. We are seeing an attempt to erase a population." The report cites figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry that "More than 73,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks," and notes UN inquiries that have found, and further investigations that determined, that Israel has committed genocide and other violations—findings Israel rejects.
Other football associations have also expressed reluctance to host Israel: Belgium refused to host Israel in 2024 and the fixture was staged in Debrecen, Norway's football association president Lise Klaveness publicly said Israel should be suspended from European competitions, and Turkey called for Israel to be banned. The article states Uefa executives considered a vote on suspending Israel but that plan was abandoned when the first phase of a ceasefire was announced last October.
The next scheduled encounter is the Republic of Ireland's designated home match against Israel on 4 October in Backa Topola, Serbia; organisers say no tickets will be sold to Irish fans for that fixture and RTE will again provide a stripped-back broadcast to meet contractual obligations.
