Arabic version: إيرلندا تهزم إسرائيل 3-0 في دوري الأمم

According to Al Jazeera, the Republic of Ireland defeated Israel 3-0 in the first of two UEFA Nations League matches between the teams. The Group B3 game was played in Hungary on Sunday, September 27, 2026, following international attention and calls for Ireland to boycott the fixture.

Ireland’s players wore black armbands in support of Palestinians killed during Israel’s war on Gaza. They bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem and did not shake hands with Israel’s players. Ireland captain Dara O’Shea pledged to donate all of his earnings from the match to aid Gaza.

Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell said on Saturday that the armbands would be worn “in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict”. He confirmed the match would proceed after hours of discussions and a vote among the squad. Israel had been notified in advance that there would be no handshake, and UEFA accepted the arrangement.

Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu was the only Ireland player to publicly opt out after the FAI confirmed its participation. In a social-media statement on Saturday, Bazunu said he felt “it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel”. He withdrew from both matches, including the next game scheduled for October 4 in Backa Topola, Serbia.

The fixture went ahead despite months of pressure on the FAI from a campaign involving Irish Sport for Palestine. More than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter asking the association to reconsider. The campaign says Israel has breached UEFA and FIFA statutes by allowing teams to play on occupied Palestinian land and should lose its membership of both governing bodies.