More than 160 Irish athletes have signed an open letter calling on the Republic of Ireland’s men’s national football team to boycott its upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel. The letter, organised by Irish Sport for Palestine as part of its Stop The Game campaign, asks the players to refuse to take part in the two matches.
Calling on Players to Stop The Game
Issued on September 21, the letter directly addresses the Irish squad, arguing that athletes have a responsibility to uphold the principles of fairness, equality and respect associated with sport.
“We know what it takes to uphold the values of sport and act with fairness, equality, and respect, which is why we call upon you, as a team, to refuse to participate in the two games against Israel,” the letter reads.
The campaign argues that the decision should now be left to the players, after football authorities and the Irish government allowed the fixtures to proceed.
The Matches Are Set for Hungary and Serbia
The two Ireland-Israel fixtures are scheduled for September 27 and October 4 as part of the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League.
The first match will take place in Debrecen, Hungary, while the return fixture will be held in Bačka Topola, Serbia. Both games have been moved away from Ireland and will be played at neutral venues.
Ireland’s Players Have Agreed to Play
Despite the controversy surrounding the fixtures, Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has said that all players selected for the squad have accepted their call-ups and are prepared to play. At the same time, Hallgrímsson acknowledged that some players are “really uncomfortable” about having to face Israel.
“We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Israel, we’re not playing with Israel,”
A Long List of Irish Sports Figures Have Signed
The open letter has brought together athletes and former players from across Irish sport, including Olympian Ciara Mageean, former Ireland women’s football international Louise Quinn, former Irish rugby international Tony Ward and dual Cork All-Ireland winner Rena Buckley.
Other signatories include athletes from boxing, basketball, athletics, Gaelic games, cycling, surfing, and para-sport, and the campaign continues to gather signatures.
With the matches now only days away, the open letter marks another public push from within Irish sport to stop the fixtures, putting the decision back in the spotlight as Ireland prepares to face Israel in the Nations League.
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