FAI Refunds Season Ticket Holders for Israel Match

The FAI will refund season ticket holders after confirming that Ireland’s upcoming “home” Nations League tie against Israel will be played behind closed doors in Serbia.

Supporters who bought season tickets are being offered either an account credit or a straight cash refund for the value of the Israel fixture, calculated as roughly one fifth of the overall season ticket price. All season ticket holders will still receive loyalty points for the game, despite being unable to attend.

Upcoming Fixtures

Ireland open their 2026-27 Nations League campaign away to Kosovo in Pristina on 24 September, but the football has been pushed into the background. The spotlight has instead locked on the back-to-back matches against Israel on 27 September and 1 October, both moved to neutral venues in Hungary and Serbia.

Those dates have become a political and moral battleground. The FAI has come under sustained pressure from the “Stop the Game” campaign, which has called for a boycott of the fixtures in protest at the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The association has stood its ground. A motion to proceed with the games passed last month with a 68% majority, the FAI pointing to “the profound impact that non-fulfilment of UEFA fixtures would have on Irish football as a whole and its future development.”

The refund decision eases the financial sting for fans. The wider argument around whether Ireland should play Israel at all is only getting louder.