Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in Nations League match overshadowed by political controversy

The Irish team bowed their heads during playing of the Israeli national anthem on Sunday night and they declined to shake hands with their opponents, a gesture that is customary before international fixtures.

Ireland played the match wearing black armbands in memory of those killed in Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, and just 24 hours earlier it was unclear whether the match would go ahead at all.

'Significant majority' vote to play

On Saturday, the players voted in favor of playing what was technically a home match for Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, despite widespread opposition to their participation among the Irish public.

David Courell, the chief executive of the Irish FA (FAI), told a press conference that had been delayed for several hours while players and coaches met to discuss the issue, that a significant majority of the squad had voted to play.

"Based on that, the association took ⁠the decision on behalf of Irish ​football that this fixture would continue, as we have always intended to fulfil the fixtures," he said.

However, the vote was not unanimous and one player, reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, decided to pull out of the squad for this and a second match against Israel during this international break.

In Sunday's match, Troy Parrott netted the opener for Ireland in the 14th minute, with ​Adam Idah scoring two minutes later. Jack Moylan added a third in the 25th to make the final score 3-0.

Few supporters present

The fixture was played in a largely empty stadium in Debrecen, with just a few hundred Israeli fans and a handful of Irish supporters in attendance.

The FAI had not reserved any tickets for their fans to attend the match and public broadcaster RTE showed the match without the usual halftime analysis.

Over the previous few days, the Irish team had been under intense pressure from Irish fans and politicians to boycott the fixture.

Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and formally recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 alongside Spain and Norway. Dublin has also repeatedly criticized Israel over the Gaza conflict.

A Hamas raid into Israel on October 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people, prompting Israel's attack on Gaza which has killed over 73,000.

Ireland's next Nations League match was originally scheduled to be played in Dublin on October 4, but due to security concerns, it has been moved to the Serbian town of Backa Topola, where it is to be played behind closed doors.