Ireland players wear black armbands and skip handshakes with Israel
4 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 27, 2026, 9:10 PM
Last updated Sep 27, 2026
During their Nations League match in Debrecen, Hungary, the Ireland soccer team wore black armbands and refrained from handshakes with Israeli players. This gesture comes amid significant opposition in Ireland regarding Israel's actions in Gaza. Irish players remained silent and looked down during the Israeli national anthem, while captain Dara O’Shea did not shake hands with Israel's captain. The match saw Troy Parrott score first for Ireland in the 13th minute, followed by goals from Adam Idah and Jack Moylan, bringing the score to 3-0 at halftime. Amidst this backdrop, reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno opted to boycott the matches against Israel due to personal convictions against violence.
- •Ireland and Israel meet in a Nations League match on September 27, 2026.
- •Ireland players wore black armbands in protest.
- •No handshakes occurred between players before the match.
- •Ireland leads 3-0 at halftime with three early goals.
- •Gavin Bazuno boycotted the match citing personal beliefs.
- 9:51 PMESPN — Ireland skip handshakes, bow heads before win over Israel
- 8:45 PMYahoo Sports — Ireland players make protest against Israel by lowering heads during national anthem
- 8:12 PMYahoo Sports — Ireland players wear black armbands and refrain from handshakes in soccer game against Israel
"There were no handshakes between Ireland and Israel players before their contentious Nations League match on Sunday, with the Irish team wearing black armbands. The game has faced bitter opposition in Ireland over Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Irish players looked down at the grass with their hands behind their backs during the playing of the Israeli national anthem, and Irish captain Dara O’Shea approached the center of the field for the pre-match talk with his hands still firmly clasped behind his back.
"The highly-contentious match, which saw Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno boycott the Nations League match, saw Heimir Hallgrímsson’s players wear black armbands with the game held on neutral territory in Debrecen, Hungary
"The Republic of Ireland wore black armbands and skipped the typical prematch handshakes before securing a dominant 3-0 victory over Israel in their contentious UEFA Nations League match Sunday.
Sources
External links- ESPNSep 27, 2026, 9:51 PMIreland skip handshakes, bow heads before win over Israel
The Republic of Ireland wore black armbands and skipped the typical prematch handshakes before securing a dominant 3-0 victory over Israel in their contentious UEFA Nations League match Sunday.
- Yahoo SportsSep 27, 2026, 8:45 PMIreland players make protest against Israel by lowering heads during national anthem
The highly-contentious match, which saw Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno boycott the Nations League match, saw Heimir Hallgrímsson’s players wear black armbands with the game held on neutral territory in Debrecen, Hungary
- Yahoo SportsSep 27, 2026, 8:12 PMIreland players wear black armbands and refrain from handshakes in soccer game against Israel
There were no handshakes between Ireland and Israel players before their contentious Nations League match on Sunday, with the Irish team wearing black armbands. The game has faced bitter opposition in Ireland over Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Irish players looked down at the grass with their hands behind their backs during the playing of the Israeli national anthem, and Irish captain Dara O’Shea approached the center of the field for the pre-match talk with his hands still firmly clasped behind his back.
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