The Football Association of Ireland decided that the national team would play Israel on Sunday 27 September 2026 in the Hungarian city of Debrecen in the Nations League, after a large majority of players voted in favour of participation. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the match because he did not want to face the Israeli team.
Players’ vote decides Ireland’s participation
Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell confirmed that Bazunu had told the coaching staff he was uncomfortable taking part and intended to withdraw from the national team, prompting the other players to hold lengthy meetings to reconsider their position on the match. Courell said a vote had been held within the group and that a “large majority” had chosen to continue, without disclosing the number of votes for and against.
National team manager Heimir Hallgrímsson said Bazunu was the only player to withdraw, while the rest of the squad took part in training. He added that the match would go ahead but discussions within the camp would continue, explaining that the coaching staff were trying to limit the damage caused by the situation facing the team.
Bazunu had told his team-mates that he did not want to play in either of the matches against Israel: the first in Hungary and the second, scheduled to be played behind closed doors in the Serbian city of Bačka Topola on 4 October. His withdrawal means Ireland’s squad currently has two goalkeepers, Caoimhín Kelleher and Max O'Leary, while UEFA regulations require three goalkeepers in a matchday squad, necessitating the call-up of a replacement or the registration of an outfield player to provide the required cover.
The discussion within the camp led to the postponement of a press conference scheduled for Saturday morning at Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, and the training session was also delayed. The players held meetings at their accommodation that lasted for hours before the manager and association officials joined the discussions and a vote was held to decide whether to play the match.
Courell said the players had held a two-hour meeting in Pristina on Friday and had then reached agreement to travel to Hungary. But Bazunu’s announcement on Saturday morning prompted them to begin around four more hours of deliberations, led primarily by the players, with members of the coaching staff and association officials joining at some stages.
Courell said a large number of views had been expressed during the meetings and that the association respected every player’s right to express an opinion. He added that the vote gave the association a basis for taking the final decision to fulfil the fixture, in line with its previous position of honouring its commitments in the European competition.
Players agree solidarity protests
The players asked to be exempted from media duties for the rest of the international window, including the match against Israel in Hungary, the meeting with Austria in Dublin on 1 October and the second match against Israel in Serbia. They also decided not to take part in a number of customary pre-match ceremonies. Ireland’s players are expected to wear black armbands, which Courell said would honour everyone who had lost their lives in the conflict.
The players will not take part in the traditional handshake with their opponents before kick-off, nor in the customary exchange of pennants or team photograph. The Israeli side has told its Irish counterpart that it will not exchange shirts after the match. The association announced that the players would donate their bonuses from the two matches, as well as making an additional charitable contribution.
It was also decided that proceeds from Ireland’s match against Austria at the Aviva Stadium would be donated to an unnamed charity. Hallgrímsson said nobody within the team was comfortable playing the match, adding that the players were trying to deal with the situation in the best way possible.
Hallgrímsson explains pressure to play match
He added that playing did not mean accepting or supporting what was happening in Gaza, and that the players felt they were doing something wrong because of the pressure they were facing in their country. The Irish manager partially retracted an earlier statement in which he had used the term “genocide”, saying it was a strong word and that it had not been appropriate for him to use it.
He explained that support for Palestine was widespread in Europe and particularly strong in Ireland, and that pressure and protests calling for the match not to be played had intensified day by day and were approaching, in his words, breaking point. Hallgrímsson added that the team faced two difficult choices, with all the consequences of withdrawing from the match still unclear.
He questioned how mentally prepared the players were to play the fixture, saying the impact of the discussions and pressure would not become clear until the match. The Football Association of Ireland had maintained for months that both fixtures should be played, warning of possible administrative, financial and sporting consequences if it withdrew.
July vote approved match against Israel
The two matches were moved to neutral venues, with Sunday’s fixture taking place in Debrecen and the match counted as Ireland’s home fixture being hosted by Serbia on 4 October without spectators.
