More Ireland players considering boycott of match with Israel

More Republic of Ireland players could boycott Sunday’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Israel after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu confirmed he does not want to play in the match, Anadolu reports.

Bazunu’s decision has prompted teammates to consider their own positions, with the match now facing uncertainty amid growing calls for Ireland to withdraw, according to a report by The Telegraph.

The principled stand comes against the backdrop of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and growing pressure from Irish sporting figures for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott the match.

More than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter urging the FAI to withdraw from the fixture. Protests were also held outside the Irish team’s hotel in Dublin earlier this week.

The Ireland players had been expected to issue a statement at a pre-match press conference on Saturday morning.

However, the event was cancelled and rearranged just minutes before it was due to begin, with no reason given.

The FAI voted last year to submit a motion to European football governing body UEFA seeking Israel’s exclusion from club and international competitions.

READ: More than 160 Irish athletes call for football boycott against Israel

The association cited two alleged violations of UEFA rules, including the organization of clubs in occupied Palestine without permission from the Palestinian Football Association and an alleged failure to enforce an effective anti-racism policy.

Ireland captain Dara O’Shea previously stressed the importance of allowing every player to express their views.

“We’ve got to respect each other’s opinions and each other’s views and really sit down and take the time, because it deserves the time to talk about,” he said.

“It’s the main thing and it’s something that can’t be brushed over. Whatever decision that we go through as players is taken as one and everybody’s view is respected as well.”

Ireland has long been among 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 on 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.

READ: Palestine welcomes Ireland’s ban on Israeli settlement goods, urges others to follow