The Republic of Ireland’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Israel on Sunday, October 4th, will be played behind closed doors at the TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia, after the FAI confirmed that UEFA had approved the move to a neutral venue.
The decision removes the game from the Aviva Stadium and completes the venue schedule for Ireland’s 2026-27 Nations League campaign, but it is unlikely to bring an end to the debate around whether the fixtures against Israel should be played at all.
The FAI said the move followed a Board decision to relocate the match due to “operational challenges” that could affect the delivery of the game on home soil. The Association has also confirmed that 2026 Season Ticket holders and Club Ireland members will be updated on compensation owed as a result of the fixture being taken out of Dublin.
The first meeting between Israel and Ireland, nominally Israel’s home game, has already been confirmed for the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday, September 27th. Ireland will open their campaign away to Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday, September 24th, before travelling to Hungary, then returning to Dublin to face Austria on Thursday, October 1st.
The October 4th fixture in Serbia will therefore fall at the end of a demanding 11-day window in which Ireland will play four Nations League games in four countries.
Protests and Political Pressure Continue
The fixtures against Israel have been the subject of sustained opposition from campaigners, supporters, public figures and some within the football community.
Protests disrupted Ireland’s friendly against Qatar at the Aviva Stadium in May, with tennis balls carrying Palestinian flags thrown onto the pitch and the match halted twice. Ireland midfielder Jamie McGrath said afterwards that players did not want to be caught in the controversy but expected the issue to “heat up” over the coming months.
The campaign against the games has argued that moving the match away from Dublin and behind closed doors does not address the central objection to Ireland playing Israel while the war in Gaza continues.
SIPTU has also entered the debate, saying it would support members who refused to work on the fixtures. The union said that moving the game to a neutral venue “does not resolve the issue” and called on the Government, the FAI and UEFA to cancel the fixtures.
Rules, Revenue and Member Pressure
The FAI has been walking a difficult line since Ireland and Israel were drawn together.
In February, the Association confirmed that Ireland would fulfil the Nations League fixtures, citing UEFA regulations that could lead to a forfeit and further disciplinary measures, including potential disqualification from the competition, if a member association refuses to play. This would seriously affect the team’s potential to play in the Euro 2028 Finals, even though Dublin’s Aviva Stadium will be one of the main host venues.
At the end of 2025, FAI members overwhelmingly backed a proposal calling for UEFA to suspend Israel from European competition.
The FAI has also previously said it had formally requested that Israel be banned from UEFA competitions over alleged breaches of UEFA statutes, including matters relating to anti-racism policy and the playing of Israeli clubs in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.
EGM Still in the Background
An attempt by members to force an Extraordinary General Meeting to discuss a boycott of the Israel fixtures was ruled invalid by the Association. The Irish Times reported that the threshold required at least 14 valid requisitions from the 138 delegates on the General Assembly, but the FAI received 13 letters representing nine members, with two letters from organisations that were not FAI members.
However, the FAI did not rule out the Board itself convening an EGM on the matter. There are some reports suggesting the Association is now due to host an EGM on Wednesday, July 8th, called by the Board.
Nations League Schedule Confirmed
Ireland’s full 2026-27 UEFA Nations League schedule is now:
Thursday, September 24th: Kosovo v Ireland, Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri, Pristina, 7.45 pm
Sunday, September 27th: Israel v Ireland, Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen, Hungary, 7.45 pm
Thursday, October 1st: Ireland v Austria, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, 7.45 pm
Sunday, October 4th: Ireland v Israel, TSC Arena, Bačka Topola, Serbia, kick-off TBC
Saturday, November 14th: Austria v Ireland, Raiffeisen Arena, Linz, 7.45 pm
Tuesday, November 17th: Ireland v Kosovo, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, 7.45 pm
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Image Credit: RTÉ
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