Ireland to play Israel in Nations League after team vote

David Courell, chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland, said on Saturday that the national team will play its scheduled UEFA Nations League match against Israel on Sunday, following a team vote on whether to proceed with the fixture.

Ireland had postponed its pre-match press conference in Hungary, as well as a training session.

The delays allowed further discussions between players, coaching staff, and executives after one player—later identified as goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu—revealed his intention to withdraw from the squad.

Bazunu said in a statement: "Representing my country means everything to me. I have the utmost respect for every teammate, the coach, his staff, and the Irish people."

He added: "However, I have reached a decision that I have not taken lightly. I am a man of strong faith and strive to be a person of character and principle, so I feel it would be wrong for me to participate in the upcoming matches against Israel.

"My decision is based solely on my personal conviction that the killing of innocent people is wrong. It is important to note that my stance is not intended as opposition to the Israeli people or the Jewish community, but rather against the atrocities occurring in the region."

*Four-hour talks

The match has drawn significant attention since the draw in February, as Ireland is among the most vocal European critics of Israel's war in Gaza. There have been numerous protests in Ireland urging the team not to play against Israel.

Courell told reporters: "This morning, one of the players informed the coach of his discomfort with playing this match and revealed an intention to withdraw from the squad."

He added: "Ultimately, over the past 90 minutes, we held a vote among team members to gauge their views on playing, and an overwhelming majority supported moving forward.

"Accordingly, the association made the decision on behalf of Irish football to proceed with the match."

Courell said that four hours of talks took place among players on Saturday, with some sessions also involving coaching staff and executives.

This followed a two-hour meeting on Friday, during which players agreed to travel to Hungary.

The chief executive declined to disclose how many players voted, but said a large majority favored playing the match.

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson said: "The players are training today. The discussion is ongoing, and we have not yet reached any conclusion on the matter."

He added: "The match will go ahead, we will train, and there will be further discussions tonight and possibly tomorrow. It is simply an exceptional situation, and we are trying to minimize the damage."