Football NewsBBC SportUnverified source· 27 Sept 2026
Ireland and Israel skip handshakes before Nations League clash
No handshakes, no pennants — just a silent stand before a game shadowed by protest.
Rep. Of Ireland
team
Competition
Uefa Nations League
Venue
Nagyerdei Stadion, Hungary
Captains
Dara O'Shea & Manor Solomon
Gesture
Black armbands
What happened. Republic of Ireland and Israel players did not shake hands before Sunday's Uefa Nations League game in Hungary. After the anthems, the teams did not line up for the traditional handshakes and there was no exchange of pennants between captains Dara O'Shea and Manor Solomon.
- The Ireland squad voted to play after a lengthy hotel meeting on Saturday.
- Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew, saying it would be wrong to participate.
- Ireland wore black armbands for all lives lost in the Gaza conflict.
“would be wrong to participate”
— Gavin Bazunu
The return fixture is scheduled for 4 October in Serbia.
In this story
IsraelMore to read
CaughtOffside
“Time to activate the pagers” – Israeli influencer calls for attack against Ireland after 3-0 Nations League defeat
The Guardian
Israel captain stokes feud by saying ‘our country is 10 times better than Ireland’
Mirror Football
Israel star Manor Solomon shares UEFA ban fears after pointing finger at Ireland players
