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Tennis balls bearing Palestinian-flag stickers and the campaign tag “#StopTheGame” interrupted the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League match against Austria at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on October 1, 2026. A separate pitch invasion followed later in the first half. Ireland and Austria drew 2–2.
What happened at the Aviva Stadium?
The match was interrupted twice in the first half, in two separate incidents, according to The Irish News, in a report carried by the Press Association.
Tennis balls on the pitch
Shortly before the 20th minute, tennis balls wrapped in stickers showing a Palestinian flag and “#StopTheGame” were thrown onto the field. The match was interrupted as the balls were cleared.
A separate pitch invasion
Around the 35th minute, a man carrying what appeared to be a Palestinian flag ran onto the pitch. Security tackled him and removed him from the field. This was distinct from the earlier tennis-ball incident.
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Why were campaigners protesting?
Reporting linked the action to opposition to Ireland playing Israel in Nations League fixtures. Before the Austria match, RTÉ reported that the Stop the Game campaign had confirmed plans for further protests around both the Austria match and the scheduled Ireland–Israel fixture. RTÉ also described tennis-ball protests at Ireland’s May friendly against Qatar as part of the wider dispute.
The Irish Times reported that the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) had moved Ireland’s home fixture against Israel to Serbia after tennis-ball protests at the Qatar friendly. The newspaper also said some spectators booed during the Austria-match protest; that account does not establish that the crowd reaction was unanimous.
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How did the match finish?
The match ended 2–2. Troy Parrott scored both of Ireland’s goals, while Austria came back from two goals down, according to Sky Sports’ match report.
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The Irish News/Press Association report said the FAI and UEFA had been contacted for comment, but included no response. The available reporting does not establish whether either organization later issued a statement about this specific protest, so no official endorsement, condemnation, or formal response should be inferred.
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