Football

Ireland defeats Israel 3-0 amid pre-game controversy, plenty of pressure

The small group of Irish supporters cheered on their team, while the much larger and considerably noisier group of Israeli supporters cheered on Israel.

ISRAEL FANS at Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen, Hungary, wave flags after the match of the blue-and-white 3-0 loss to Ireland in Nations League action.
Republic of Ireland's Ryan Manning with teammates during the warm up before the match.

Irish soccer team wears black armbands, refuse to shake Israeli players' hands during match

Team of Israel during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Israel at Stadio Friuli on October 14, 2025 in Udine, Italy.

'Israel stopped caring': Irish columnist contrasts teams ahead of contentious soccer match

September 24, 2026 Republic of Ireland's Conor Coventry with teammates look dejected after the match with Kosovo.

Shameful, immoral hypocrites: An open letter to the Irish soccer team - opinion


Soccer: Israel's Abu Farchi sent off after controversial gun gesture celebration

Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi was shown a red card after celebrating his goal against Austria by using the corner flag to mimic a gun, leaving Israel with 10 players in a 3-1 Nations League defeat.

Israel's forward #22 Saied Abu Farchi (top L) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Nations League Group B3 football match between Austria and Israel in Linz, Austria on September 24, 2026.

Former England soccer star Wayne Rooney says grandma was Polish Jew during Auschwitz visit

"This news is a reminder that the idea that Jewish people are not sporty is a myth laced with antisemitic tropes about Jewish physical weakness," Campaign Against Antisemitism said.

Wayne Rooney attends the exclusive UK Premiere of "The Real Rooneys" on September 22, 2026 in London, England.

Israel head coach Ran Ben Shimon addresses grueling schedule ahead of Nations League opener

Ben Shimon said Israel’s objective in the Nations League is clear: challenge for the top two places while recognizing the competition’s importance as a pathway toward the European Championship.

Israel Coach Ran Ben Shimon has challenged the blue-and-white to compete for the top two places in its Nations League group as the team begins a demanding international campaign.

Ireland soccer manager thanks prime minister for support over genocide claims ahead of Israel match

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin defended coach Heimir Hallgrimsson after he claimed that Ireland wasn't "playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide."

Pro-Palestinian protest in Ireland, September 13, 2026.

'No cure for stupidity': Israel's Football Association blasts Irish coach's calls to boycott match

The coach's comments followed an open letter asking the Ireland national football team to boycott its upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel.

Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson of Republic of Ireland looks on prior to the International Friendly match between Republic of Ireland and North Macedonia at Aviva Stadium on March 31, 2026 in Dublin, Ireland.

'Messi will take MLS Golden Boot, that does not interest me,' Israeli star soccer striker to 'Post'

'When an Israeli player succeeds, it opens the door for others,' Tai Baribo told The Jerusalem Post, adding that his personal focus is on reaching the playoffs and his own scoring targets.

Tai Baribo #9 of DC United chases down the ball against St. Louis CITY FC at Audi Field on May 16, 2026 in Washington; illustrative.

Kyrie Irving offers to pay NFL star’s fine for pro-Palestinian eyeblack

The NFL fined Al-Shaair, who is Muslim, a similar amount last season when he wrote “STOP THE GENOCIDE” on his eyeblack during a playoff game in January and an appearance on ESPN. 

Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans looks on prior to a game at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Sokler leads Maccabi Tel Aviv past Hapoel Beersheba to maintain perfect season start

Amir Ganah pulled a goal back to cut the lead to 2-1 at halftime. Sokler found the back of the net again off a Varela cross, while Peretz added a marker as well to take the 4-1 win.

MACCABI TEL AVIV'S Dor Peretz celebrates the 4-1 victory over Hapoel in the Tel Aviv derby, a win that kept the yellow-and-blue atop the Israel Premier League table with a perfect 4-0 record.

No. 50: Deni Avdija, Matt Turner, Zach Hyman, Oscar Gloukh, and Daniel Peretz

Five athletes carrying Jewish and Israeli pride onto the world stage.

 (L-R, clockwise): Deni Avdija, Oscar Gloukh, Zach Hyman, Matt Turner, and Daniel Peretz

How online gaming is changing the way football fans experience match day

From live statistics and second-screen viewing to fantasy football and online games, digital platforms are reshaping how fans follow, interact with and experience football.

Football’s match day no longer begins at kickoff - it now extends across screens, platforms and digital experiences.