Republic of Ireland players intend to wear black armbands recognising lives lost in the Gaza conflict during Sunday’s Nations League match against Israel in Hungary. Despite calls for a boycott and one player withdrawing in protest, a significant majority of the squad voted to play, while the FAI said further gestures are planned for both fixtures.

The squad’s decision followed more than four hours of discussions after concerns emerged over the match. Players also plan to avoid parts of the pre-match ceremony, donate match fees from the Israel games and an Austria fixture to charity, and request the removal of media duties. The fixtures have drawn controversy amid the Israel-Gaza war, which followed Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack and Israel’s subsequent military offensive in Gaza.