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Ireland Moves Israel Nations League Match to Belgrade

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC · How we work

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Match Relocated to Belgrade

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson said the team will be ‘playing against genocide’ before its Nations League match with Israel.
The Israel Football Association condemned Hallgrímsson’s comments as ‘stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy,’ posting the criticism on Twitter on September 21, 2026.
Irish Football Association relocated the fixture to Belgrade, Serbia, and announced no ticket sales.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the Israel FA’s remarks unacceptable and echoed Secretary-General Guterres’s ethnic-cleansing warning.

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Amnesty Condemns FIFA

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson said his team would be ‘playing against genocide’ before its Nations League match with Israel.
Amnesty International condemned FIFA and UEFA for permitting Israel to compete despite genocide allegations.
Prime Minister Micheál Martin defended Hallgrímsson, linking his comment to Gaza’s massive death toll.
FA relocated matches to Serbia and Hungary after athletes’ boycott letter and hotel protests.

History

Historical Context

In 1976 FIFA expelled apartheid South Africa from international football, and 29 nations boycotted the Montreal Olympics after the IOC refused to bar New Zealand’s rugby tour. The boycott showed that isolating a regime through sport could pressure political change. Today Ireland’s request to move its Nations League match with Israel echoes that precedent, with UEFA and Amnesty International urging similar moral action.

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Match Relocated to Belgrade

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson said the team will be ‘playing against genocide’ before its Nations League match with Israel.
The Israel Football Association condemned Hallgrímsson’s comments as ‘stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy,’ posting the criticism on Twitter on September 21, 2026.
Irish Football Association relocated the fixture to Belgrade, Serbia, and announced no ticket sales.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the Israel FA’s remarks unacceptable and echoed Secretary-General Guterres’s ethnic-cleansing warning.

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