A victory for Gaza.. How did Ireland’s positions against Israel cause a crisis for UEFA? | sports

The Irish Football Association said on Friday that the Republic of Ireland national team will play its next match in the European Nations League against Israel at a neutral stadium and without an audience, following protests from players and fans over the death toll of Palestinian civilians during the war in Gaza.

Ireland was scheduled to host Israel at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on October 4, while the September 27 match, classified as being on Israeli soil, is also expected to be held in a neutral stadium.

But Irish footballers, fans and celebrities have launched a campaign calling for a boycott of the match.

The Irish Federation said in a statement: “After consulting with various parties concerned, the Federation believes that organizational challenges may affect the match being held on our soil, and therefore the match will be played outside the Aviva Stadium.”

The Irish Football Association’s statement said that the Palestinian Football Association “expressed its appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Irish Football Association in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes.”

Israel began its military campaign against Gaza after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, on Israel, which it says resulted in the killing of about 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages.

Health authorities in Gaza say that the Israeli campaign has claimed the lives of nearly 73,000 people in the Palestinian Strip, leaving many in dire need of food and aid.

Ireland is one of the European Union countries most critical of the Israeli war in Gaza, and members of the Irish Football Association voted overwhelmingly in late 2025 to ask their board to submit a request to the European Football Association (UEFA) to immediately suspend the Israeli Football Association’s membership in European competitions.

Experts from the United Nations appealed to the International Federation (FIFA) and the European Federation (UEFA) to suspend Israel’s participation in international football, citing a report by a United Nations investigation committee that stated that Israel committed genocide during the war in Gaza.