Should the Republic of Ireland Play Israel?

When the Republic of Ireland football team was drawn against Israel in the UEFA Nations League, what should have been a routine fixture quickly became something much bigger. Ireland previously asked UEFA to consider banning Israel from competition. Yet after the draw, the FAI confirmed it will fulfil the games. For some fans and politicians, that feels like a contradiction. For the association and Government, it’s about sporting rules, legal risk and wider consequences. The comparison many are making is with Russia. In 2022, Russia was suspended from international football after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — but only after Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic refused to play them. No such coordinated boycott has happened in Israel’s case. So, is this a double standard? Or are these fundamentally different situations? On today’s podcast, Ciara Doherty is joined by Financial Times writer and author Simon Kuper, one of the leading voices on the intersection of sport and politics. He has explored these themes in books such as World Cup Fever, Football Against the Enemy and the bestselling Soccernomics. What would a boycott actually achieve? Would it change anything — or simply punish Ireland? And what does this moment reveal about how global football is really governed? You can share your thoughts with the team at [email protected].