The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) had previously confirmed that their 'home' tie would be played behind closed doors, with no tickets available for Irish fans. This decision was made in response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. The FAI had also passed a motion to proceed with the games, citing concerns that boycotting would cause "significant and lasting harm" for the association.
A 'Stop The Game' campaign launched by Irish Sport for Palestine calling for a boycott has received support from former manager Brian Kerr and ex-player James McClean. Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson stated that "none of us feel comfortable playing in these games". The team's first competitive action since their World Cup play-off semi-final defeat by the Czech Republic in March will be the Nations League games.
The Republic of Ireland will face Kosovo on 24 September and Austria at home on 1 October, before their Nations League fixtures against Israel.