Ireland considers moving its home match against Israel abroad

Ireland may move its home match against Israel to another country, with the country’s football association and police reportedly seriously consulting on the possibility due to reported security concerns.

An Garda Síochána has reportedly expressed concerns about policing the fixture, which would likely take place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin if played in the country. As announced last week, Israel and Ireland are due to play each other in the UEFA Nations League as part of the group stages, with two matches between the national teams in the course of a week. Israel’s home fixtures are often played outside the country for security reasons, and the Israel vs Ireland match on 27 September will take place at a venue outside of Israel. The Irish football association is now considering whether the Ireland vs Israel match on 4 October should be played outside the country as well.

In the wake of the UEFA Nation’s League draw, the Irish football association announced almost immediately that they would fulfil the fixtures – incurring anger within Ireland from vocally anti-Israel sources who felt that the country should have refused to play Israel – despite what would have been extremely harsh consequences from UEFA.

Ireland is now arguably the most hostile European country for Israelis. In 2024, Israel shut its embassy in the country due to “the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government”. The Jewish community in the country has also suffered as a consequence, with the country’s chief rabbi, Yoni Wieder, noting that “political commentary in Ireland has been extremely one-sided and often anti-Israeli criticism has spilled over into antisemitism.”

In the meantime, a spokesperson for the Israeli FA said: “We are very happy with the draw and are only concerned with its professional aspects. They are challenging enough.

“The decision on where Ireland will host its games is its own alone. We have no concerns about arriving in Dublin.”