Irish professional athletes contact soccer stars to boycott Israel video games– ‘The most sporting thing you might do’

Ireland supervisor Heimir Hallgrímsson has actually put together a 26-player team for the matches, verifying all those he called want to play. The Icelander stated some are “really uncomfortable playing the games”

The open letter, provided on Monday, is arranged by Irish Sport for Palestine as part of the Stop The Game Campaign.

It declares the FAI, UEFA, and the federal government have actually stopped working the Irish gamers by approving the video games to proceed.

It states: “They should have refused to play based on clear legal, moral, and political grounds — their own precedents, ongoing statute breaches regarding Israeli teams playing on occupied Palestinian lands, a brutal system of apartheid, and now, acts of genocide.”

And it got in touch with Irish gamers to organize the circumstance and decline to play.

“We appeal to you, as athletes, to act collectively with conscience. We have all competed to the highest level of our respective sports, and some of us have even represented our country, so we understand what it takes to get here — the time, dedication, and sacrifice. 

“We likewise understand what it requires to support the worths of sport and show fairness, equality, and regard which is why we hire you, as a group, to decline to take part in the 2 video games versus Israel.”

It adds: “Not playing the video game would be the most sporting thing you might do.”

The letter has actually been signed by more than 160 professional athletes consisting of Olympian Ciara Mageean, previous Irish soccer star Louise Quinn, ex-Ireland rugby star Tony Ward and double Cork All-Ireland winner Rena Buckley.

A choice of sportspeople who have actually signed consist of:

Irish rugby: Tony Ward (who boycotted Irish rugby trip of South Africa), Trevor Hogan, Jenny Murphy, Claire Molloy, Sharon Lynch, Paula Fitzpatrick, Lynne Cantwell, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, and Grace Davitt

Irish sports: Ciara Mageean (Olympian), Maisy O’Sullivan, and Iseult O’Donnell

Irish football: Louise Quinn, Savannah Kane, Luke Byrne

Irish para professional athletes: Mark Rohan, Jack Squibb, Jamie Wall, and Alan Dineen (who boycotted his component versus Israel May 2026)

Irish boxing: Tyrone McKenna, Eric Donovan, Séan McComb, Fergal McCrory

Irish basketball: Rebecca O’Keeffe and Jessica Scannell Irish browsing: Easkey Britton

Irish biking: Paul Norton Camogie: Sinéad Wylde, Claire Coffey, and Jane Adams

LGFA: Valerie Mulcahy and Nodlaig Ní Bhrollaigh

Double gamers: Rena Buckley and Kieran McKeever

GAA: Padraig O’Hora, Joe Brolly, Colm O’Rourke, Gary Coleman, Davey Byrne, Killian O’Gara, Michael Darragh Macauley, David Hickey, Philly McMahon, and Colm McAlarney

Tossing: Timmy Hammersley and Ciarán Herron

Ultimate Frisbee: Stephen Jones (who boycotted his component versus Israel August 2026)

The letter checks out completely:

To the Irish Senior Men’s National Team,

As professional athletes, we’re taught that all gamers are equivalent and everybody is bound by the exact same guidelines on an equal opportunity. These universal worths are incompatible with the truth of sport where overbearing and prejudiced structures are recreated. And no place is this more apparent than in Palestine, where fairness and equality are rejected by the Israeli profession and after that allowed by sporting bodies.

We have actually been indisputable in our call to cancel the 2 upcoming UEFA countries league video games since our company believe playing Israel legitimises a genocidal program and provides cover for statute infractions, apartheid, and war criminal activities. We decline to let sport be utilized in this method.

We have actually kept pressure on choice makers due to the fact that no gamer must be put in this position. The FAI, UEFA, and the Irish Government have all failed you by not taking definitive action and taking this out of your hands. They must have declined to play based upon clear legal, ethical, and political premises– their own precedents, continuous statute breaches relating to Israeli groups playing on occupied Palestinian lands, a harsh system of apartheid, and now, acts of genocide.

Rather, they have actually doubled down on playing, disregarded the desires of members, acted afraid and dishonestly by moving the video games, and have actually disrespected most of gamers, fans and neighborhoods throughout Ireland.

Now we appeal to you, as professional athletes, to act jointly with conscience. We have all contended to the greatest level of our particular sports, and a few of us have actually even represented our nation, so we comprehend what it requires to get here– the time, commitment, and sacrifice. We likewise understand what it requires to promote the worths of sport and show fairness, equality, and regard which is why we hire you, as a group, to decline to take part in the 2 video games versus Israel.

This is a considerable minute and with this minute you have a chance to do the ideal thing. Placing on the Irish jersey and representing your nation indicates something. The Ireland we desire represented is the one that remembers its roots in anti-colonial and anti-imperial resistance, which Irish sport played a big part of.

This minute symbolises something much deeper, it is larger than sport. In a method this IS sport. Not playing the video game would be the most sporting thing you might do. Through your management and nerve it would reveal the power of sport to join, advise us of the shared worths that link all of us, and have an effect far beyond the video game.

We advise you to satisfy the minute and Stop The Game. Ireland lags you on this.