The Nations League match between Ireland and Israel will be played behind closed doors in Serbia

Ireland’s home match against Israel in the Nations League will be played behind closed doors in Serbia, the Football Association of Ireland confirmed on Monday.

The FAI had announced earlier this month that the October 4 match would be played at a neutral venue and has now confirmed the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, northern Serbia, as the host.

The change of location has been approved by UEFA, the governing body of European football.

The teams also meet on September 27 in Debrecen, Hungary, for Israel’s “home” match.

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There were calls for Ireland to boycott the matches against Israel. During a recent home match against Qatar, Irish activists threw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest. The balls had ‘Stop the Game’ messages on them, referring to the Nations League matches against Israel.

The Irish federation has argued that boycotting the matches could damage its chances of qualifying for the 2028 European Championship, which Ireland is co-hosting with Great Britain.

The FAI added that it had previously called on UEFA to suspend the Israel Football Association from UEFA competitions in protest against Israel’s military action in Gaza.

Neither Ireland nor Israel qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

Published on June 29, 2026