The second UEFA Nations League game between Ireland and Israel kicks off at the TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia. Ireland is the “home” team, but moved the game to Serbia for security reasons.
As with last week’s first game, which Ireland won 3-0, there are none of the customary handshakes between the teams, at Ireland’s insistence. And the Irish players and coaches all bow their heads as Israel’s national anthem plays.
The Irish captain Caoimhin Kelleher also refuses to shake hands with Israel’s Dor Peretz when the referee flips a coin to decide which team will play in which direction.
Israel’s players are wearing black armbands to mark the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre. Ireland’s players wore black armbands at last week’s game “in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict,” and are wearing them again tonight.
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 4, 2026
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