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Just months after pushing for the Israeli national soccer team to be excluded from UEFA, Ireland has agreed to play Israel this fall in Nations League matches.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has just passed a motion calling for Israel to be excluded from UEFA in November. The FAI joined the Norwegian and Turkish football federations in calling for Israel’s banishment, citing the country’s war in Gaza. The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, also made a similar call. The motions were ultimately rejected.
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Israeli fans wave flags as they cheer on their team in the warm-up prior to the 2026 World Cup European Zone Qualifying Group I soccer match between Norway and Israel on October 11, 2025 in Oslo, Norway. (Fredrik Varfjell / NTB / AFP) / Norway OUT)
The FAI has not issued a statement on its willingness to play Israel after calling for the team’s banishment in the fall.
“In 2025, members of the FAI General Assembly proposed a motion to vote on issuing a formal request to the UEFA executive committee for the immediate suspension of the Israel Football Association from UEFA competitions for non-compliance with UEFA statutes,” the FAI wrote.
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Conor Coventry of the Republic of Ireland in action against Oscar Gloukh of Israel during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship second leg match between Israel and the Republic of Ireland at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
“Members then voted to submit the motion to UEFA, which the association did in November 2025. While consultations have been held with UEFA officials, the association recognizes that UEFA regulations state that if an association refuses to play a match, that match will be forfeited and further disciplinary action may follow, including possible disqualification from the competition.”
The two countries met on Thursday in Group B3 of the Nations League.
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Dublin, Ireland – September 6, 2025; Republic of Ireland fans make their feelings known as they protest against Israel ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F qualifying match between the Republic of Ireland and Hungary at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
UEFA was reportedly moving towards a vote to suspend Israel on the war in Gaza in September, but the motion was suspended. FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that no action would be taken against the team on October 3, following a historic peace proposal from President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Irish football fans have protested Israel’s participation in several sports leagues since the Hamas attack on the Jewish state on October 7, 2023. Irish protesters carried signs reading “Ban Israel from UEFA and FIFA participation” and “Israel is a terrorist state” at a protest in Dublin on October 4, 2025, just days before the second anniversary of the attack, and elsewhere in the country later in the year.
Irish football fans were also seen holding signs reading “Show Israel the red card” at a match against Hungary in September.
