Many people in the Irish football community remain opposed to the Republic of Ireland playing against Israel. Why was Russia banned from football, and Israel not? But Uefa and Fifa did not jointly decide to suspend Russia because of their shared stance against violence and aggression. On February 9th, 2024, Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis was asked why Israel had not been suspended as Russia was. Despite all these risks, a boycott may still be what a majority in Irish football want.

Source: The Irish Times February 16, 2026 13:30 UTC