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Football Association of Ireland (FAI) President David Courell confirmed at a press conference that the Republic of Ireland national team will play Israel on Monday in a UEFA Nations League Group 3 fixture, held in Debrecen, a city in eastern Hungary near the Romanian border.
Courell said players intend to wear black armbands during the match in memory of those killed in the conflict in Gaza.
Courell said the team will not take part in certain portions of the pre-match ceremony. Players will donate their earnings from the Israel fixture to charity, and the federation will donate proceeds from Ireland's match against Austria to charity as well.
Courell said players voted on whether to play the fixtures against Israel, and a majority favored proceeding with the matches. The FAI said in a statement that the decision to play Israel in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League followed consultations with players.
"The federation made this decision after consultations with Irish players who hold different views, with the majority expressing the view that the matches should be played," the statement said.
"The federation respects the views of all players involved and is aware of the sensitivity surrounding these matches."
Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu announced he will not play in the Nations League matches against Israel. In a statement on social media, Bazunu said, "Representing my country means everything to me. I have immense respect for my teammates, the manager, his staff and the people of Ireland.
However, I have reached a decision that was not easy to make. I have strong convictions, and I try to be someone of character and principle. For this reason, I believe it would be wrong to take part in the upcoming matches against Israel."
The 24-year-old goalkeeper said his decision is based on a personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong. "It is important for me to state that my position is not against the people of Israel or the Jewish community, but against the atrocities in the region," he said.
Bazunu added: "The opportunity to take a stand for something greater comes very rarely in life, and I firmly believe this is one of those moments."
Courell said one player had asked to be withdrawn from the squad ahead of the Israel match, stating that "one of our players communicated his discomfort regarding the match against Israel and his intention to be withdrawn from the squad to our head coach."
A pre-match press conference planned for earlier in the day, which was to include head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson and one player, was postponed 15 minutes before it was due to start amid uncertainty over whether the match would proceed.
Reports that several players, including Bazunu, had sought to withdraw from the match had raised questions over whether it would go ahead.
Ireland midfielder Jason Knight was the first player to publicly state that Ireland should not play the Nations League match against Israel.
"I don't think the match should be played, but it will be," Knight said, adding that the team would hold further discussions before deciding.
Hallgrimsson said the team was uncomfortable facing Israel. "We are not playing with genocide; we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel, not with Israel," he said.
Ireland and Israel will meet in UEFA Nations League Group 3 on Monday and again on October 4, with both matches held at neutral venues.
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