SAFA – The Republic of Ireland secured a 3–0 victory over Israel in a UEFA tournament match on Sunday, with Irish players using the occasion to publicly express solidarity with Palestinians killed in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

The match, played in the Hungarian city of Debrecen, was the first of two scheduled fixtures between the sides. The second is set for October 4 in Backa Topola, Serbia.

Irish players wore black armbands throughout the match in solidarity with those killed since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.

A formal ceasefire took effect in January, but continued killings and devastation have led advocacy groups and some legal experts to warn of continuing “genocidal patterns.”

FAI chief executive David Courell announced the decision to wear black armbands on Saturday, saying it followed hours of internal discussions and a squad vote over whether and how to proceed with the fixture.

Team captain Dara O’Shea went further, pledging to donate his entire match fee to humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

Pre-Match Protest Gestures

Before kickoff, Ireland’s players bowed their heads in silence as the Israeli national anthem was played, adopting a stark and somber posture that stood in contrast to customary pre-match protocol.

The team also declined to participate in the customary pre-match handshakes with Israeli players. The FAI had informed the Israeli side and UEFA in advance that there would be no handshakes, and European soccer’s governing body approved the arrangement.

On the field, Ireland went on to secure a comfortable 3–0 victory.

Boycott Calls and Political Pressure

The match took place amid sustained calls in Ireland for a full boycott of fixtures against Israel over the war on Gaza. Since May, leading Irish soccer players and more than 160 athletes have backed a campaign by the advocacy group Irish Sport for Palestine urging the FAI to cancel the matches.

Campaigners argue that Israel has breached UEFA and FIFA statutes by allowing teams to play on occupied Palestinian land and have called for Israeli clubs and national teams to be suspended from both organizations.

The FAI ultimately decided to fulfill its UEFA obligations and play the fixture while allowing players to adopt symbolic gestures of protest.

Bazunu Withdraws From Both Games

Republic of Ireland first-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu became the only squad member to publicly withdraw from the fixtures.

In a statement posted on social media on Saturday, Bazunu said he believed “it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures” against Israel and confirmed that he would sit out both the Debrecen match and the October 4 fixture in Serbia.

Sunday’s result gave Ireland an early advantage in the two-match series, but the match was marked by its political context and the Irish players’ visible expressions of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.