McGrath expects Israel fixture backlash to intensify after Qatar win

Tennis balls bearing the Palestine flag turned Ireland’s 1-0 win over Qatar into a preview of the storm that now surrounds the Republic of Ireland’s Israel fixtures. Nathan Collins scored the only goal at Aviva Stadium, but the friendly was briefly stopped twice in the first half as fans threw the balls on to the pitch, and protesters were later ejected from the ground.

Jamie McGrath said the backlash was likely to grow before Ireland face Israel at a neutral venue on 27 September and then in Dublin on 4 October. He said the controversy would “heat up” after the Qatar match, and added that the situation could be “taken out of our hands” as the campaign over the fixtures develops over the next few months.

The dispute has moved far beyond the national team itself. Pressure has built for a boycott because of the war in the Middle East, and the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a protest outside the Dáil on 26 May. An open letter from Irish Sport for Palestine has also called for a boycott, with signatories including Brian Kerr, Louise Quinn, Fontaines D.C., Kneecap, Christy Moore and Stephen Rea.

Inside the game, officials have already had to choose between cancelling the fixtures and trying to manage them. Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell said the association had “no choice” but to fulfil the matches and warned of “serious consequences” if it withdrew. The FAI has said it consulted the government and An Garda Síochána and was satisfied the Dublin match could be staged safely.

The footballing and political lines have now blurred to the point where even senior players are being pulled into the argument. Earlier this week, captain Nathan Collins said any player who wanted to “take a stand” against playing Israel should be allowed to do so, while manager Heimir Hallgrímsson said that if protesters “want to destroy the game for us, so be it.” Séamus Coleman said the matter “should have been dealt with above us,” and McGrath called that view “spot on.”

The tension around the fixtures has been building since the Nations League draw in Brussels on 12 February 2026 paired Ireland with Israel. In November 2025, the FAI General Assembly voted 74-7, with two abstentions, to ask UEFA to suspend Israel from international competition. With the September and October games approaching, the dispute has become a test of federation authority, player pressure and public protest, and the Qatar friendly showed how quickly it can spill onto the pitch.