Stop The Game
| Stop The Game | |
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| #StopTheGame Part of 2026–27 UEFA Nations League (League B), Israeli–Palestinian conflict | |
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The Stop The Game campaign is an ongoing campaign against the Football Association of Ireland playing any association football matches against the Israel Football Association. The campaign is driven by Irish Sport for Palestine.
History
[edit]UEFA Nations League matches between the Republic of Ireland national football team and the Israel national football team are currently scheduled for 27 September[1] and 4 October 2026.[2]
The campaign was launched by Irish Sport for Palestine.[3] In September, Irish Sport for Palestine issued a pre-action letter to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), Sport Ireland, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O'Donovan and Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O'Callaghan calling for the games to be called off.[4]
The campaign was discussed in Dáil Éireann on 10 June, where they voted against Ireland playing any matches against Israel (81 for, 68 against).[5] 2 days later, the FAI asked for both fixtures against Israel abroad,[a] which UEFA approved.[7]
At the start of July, after Stop The Game protests started to block the Aviva Stadium, the FAI held an emergency general meeting on whether or not to play any matches against Israel, hoping to end the campaign. The vote passed, with 75 voting in favour of playing them, and 32 against.[8][9] After the vote, Éirígí for a New Republic organized a protest where protestors scaled the FAI's headquarters at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown on Dublin's Northside, and unfurled a banner that read "FAI Cowards – Stop The Game!".[10]
Tennis ball protest
[edit]On 28 May, during a friendly between Ireland and Qatar in Aviva Stadium, many tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch. The tennis balls were thrown during the 11th and 20th minutes, causing the match to be paused twice. Tennis balls were also thrown during the 40th minute but the match did not pause.[11][12] There were also Palestinian flags and banners with the words "stop the game" on them waved in the stands as part of the protests.[11] Ireland beat Qatar 1–0.[13] Stop The Game considers this protest to only be the start of their protests.[14]
Responses
[edit]| Bohemian Football Club @bfcdublin | |
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| Ireland must not play Israel in the UEFA nations league. | |
_logo_late_2025.svg){kind=logo} #StopTheGame | |
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On 11 June 2026, Irish football club Bohemians released a video on X (formerly Twitter), expressing support for the campaign. Throughout the video, the phrases; "I know the difference between right and wrong", "6 points or 75,000 lives", "I have a heart", "Ireland has an opportunity to stand up for what is right", "We are not willing to sportswash genocide", and "Stop the game" were repeated. Notable participants in the video include; former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, Irish football manager Brian Kerr, former League of Ireland player Eoin Doyle, Leinster rugby player Trevor Horgan, and Teachta Dála (TD) for the Social Democrats Sinéad Gibney.[15] Other notable groups and individuals who publicly support the campaign include Bohemians' chief operating officer Daniel Lambert, who is also the manager of the Belfast band Kneecap,[4] Kneecap themselves, Sinn Féin TD Darren O'Rourke, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, activism group Pals For Palestine, Irish folk music group The Mary Wallopers, Irish rock band Fontaines D.C.[16], Irish-Cape Verdean footballer Pico Lopes,[6] and the Labour Party.[17]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ The September fixture to Debrecen, Hungary, and the October fixture from Aviva Stadium to Bačka Topola, Serbia.[6]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Sun 27 Sep League phase Matchday 2". uefa.com. UEFA Nations League. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Sun 4 Oct League phase Matchday 4". uefa.com. UEFA Nations League. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Boycott of Israel games would cause 'significant and lasting harm' – FAI". BBC. 2 July 2026. Archived from the original on 4 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- 1 2 Cunningham, Liam. "Stop The Game campaign: "We're going to ignore apartheid but adhere to the rules of this competition. It's total nonsense"". Hot Press. Archived from the original on 15 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Stop the Game Campaign and FAI Participation in Matches against Israel: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]". www.oireachtas.ie. Dáil Éireann. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- 1 2 Hickey, Emma (6 July 2026). "'Some things are bigger than football': Pico Lopes says Israel-Ireland games shouldn't go ahead". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 8 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ Moore, Jane (12 June 2026). "Ireland-Israel fixture to be played overseas in neutral venue as Uefa approves FAI request". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Republic of Ireland to play Israel games as motion passed". BBC. 8 July 2026. Archived from the original on 10 July 2026. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ↑ Fallon, John (8 July 2026). "FAI motion to progress with Israel Uefa Nations League games passed at EGM". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ↑ Browne, Jonathan (10 July 2026). "Stop The Game protestors scale FAI HQ roof with banner after EGM vote". Archived from the original on 11 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- 1 2 Diallo, Raf (28 May 2026). "Ten-man Ireland edge Qatar amid tennis ball protests at Aviva Stadium". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Ireland's soccer coach says pro-Palestinian tennis ball protest 'kills the game'". AP News. 29 May 2026. Archived from the original on 31 May 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ Hand, kevin (28 May 2026). "Ireland and Qatar halted twice by protests against upcoming Israel fixtures". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ Fallon, John (12 June 2026). "FAI hopes Palestinian backing will sway members on Israel fixture". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Browne, Jonathan (11 June 2026). "Gerry Adams among high-profile names in new 'Stop The Game' campaign video". Extra.ie. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ Arnold, Maureen (16 April 2026). "KNEECAP, The Mary Wallopers and more back 'Stop The Game' campaign protesting Ireland v Israel fixture". Hot Press. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "It's time to walk away from this match altogether.". Threads. Labour Party. 8 June 2026. Archived from the original on 13 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
