Ireland players to wear black armbands for Israel Nations League match

Republic of Ireland players intend to wear black armbands in recognition of the lives lost in the Gaza conflict during Sunday’s Nations League match against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said, Anadolu reports.

FAI Chief Executive David Courell confirmed Saturday that one player had withdrawn from the squad ahead of the match.

Courell said the squad had held a vote on whether to play the fixture, with a “significant majority” voting in favor of proceeding with the game.

The match has been the subject of controversy since Ireland and Israel were drawn together in Group B3.

The players had faced calls from the Stop The Game campaign, organized by the Irish Sport for Palestine group, to withdraw from the fixtures.

“They also have the intention to wear black armbands in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict,” Courell said at a delayed news conference.

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He added that the Irish players would not take part in some elements of the pre-match ceremony.

According to Courell, the players also intend to make a “significant contribution” to charitable causes through their match fees from both games against Israel and their upcoming fixture against Austria at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Thursday.

“One of their requests is to remove their media obligations for the remainder of this window,” Courell said.

Ireland has long been among the European countries expressing strong support for Palestinian rights and a two-state solution.

In May 2024, Ireland formally recognized the State of Palestine alongside Norway and Spain.

Following the events of Oct. 7, 2023, Israel launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 74,000 people, injuring around 175,000 others, and reducing most of the enclave to ruins.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, Israel has continued to carry out attacks in Gaza since then, killing more than 1,400 Palestinians and injuring nearly 5,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

A UN-commissioned inquiry previously found that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

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