Part of the protest that took place in Dublin, Ireland. Photo courtesy of Antifa_Ultras X account.
The appeal, organised by advocacy group Irish Sport for Palestine, urged the FAI to withdraw from the fixtures and push for Israel’s suspension from international football competitions.
Campaigners accused Israel of violating UEFA and FIFA statutes by allowing teams to play in occupied Palestinian territories.
The open letter, titled Stop the Game, was signed by several League of Ireland players, former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr and former women’s international Louise Quinn, a two-time Irish player of the year.
Among the high-profile signatories were Irish rock band Fontaines D.C., hip-hop trio Kneecap, singer-songwriter Christy Moore and Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea.
“We call on you to fully respect and represent this mandate,” the letter said, referring to a November 2025 vote in which 93 percent of FAI members backed lobbying UEFA to suspend Israel. “Through your leadership and courage, we show the world that whilst others may stand idly by, Ireland will not.”
Ireland are scheduled to host Israel at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on 4 October, while a fixture designated as an Israeli home match on 27 September is expected to be played at a neutral venue.
The letter also included remarks from Shamrock Rovers captain Roberto Lopes, who chairs the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland.
“We can’t ignore the humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine; the sheer loss of life there has to take precedence over any sporting consideration,” Lopes said.
“Ireland has an opportunity here to lead and do what others won’t. We need to be brave enough to say enough is enough. We can’t just stand by. Please, stop the game.”
The campaign has intensified debate in Ireland over the intersection of sport and politics, as public opposition to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza continues to grow.
A poll conducted by the Irish Football Supporters Partnership found that 76 percent of respondents opposed the matches being played.
However, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the fixtures should proceed despite his government’s criticism of Israeli policy in Gaza.
“We have been critics and have opposed very strongly Israeli government policy within Gaza in particular. We condemned the Hamas attack on Israel which was absolutely horrific,” Martin told the Irish Times.
“I think sport is an area that can be challenging when it crosses into the realm of politics.”
FAI chief executive David Courell said earlier this year that Ireland risked damaging its long-term sporting interests, including possible exclusion from future competitions, if it failed to fulfil its UEFA obligations.
Israel has competed in UEFA tournaments since the early 1980s after leaving the Asian Football Confederation, where several countries had refused to play against Israeli teams in the 1970s.
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