DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland fans throwing tennis balls onto the pitch in a pro-Palestinian protest “kills the game," national team coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said.
Irish activists who want the country's soccer federation to boycott Nations League games against Israel interrupted Ireland's match against Qatar on Thursday by hurling tennis balls onto the field in the first half at Aviva Stadium.
Hallgrimsson said “everybody has a right to protest” but that there's a downside, too.
“It just kills the game," he said. "If they want to destroy the game for us, then so be it. Obviously, it’s not fun to see, especially for us who are trying to think about the football side.”
The Icelandic coach reiterated that he opposes a boycott, arguing that from a sporting perspective it would only hurt Ireland and elevate Israel.
Ireland is scheduled to face Israel in an away game on Sept. 27 and at home on Oct. 4. Ireland's soccer federation, the FAI, has said it would face “serious consequences” from governing body UEFA if it refused to play the games.
Banners at Thursday's match read “stop the game” and the tennis balls featured the Palestinian flag — all in protest of Israel's military action in Gaza. The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the militant group’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Ireland won the friendly game 1-0. Qatar used the match as a warmup to its World Cup campaign. The Irish failed to qualify for the tournament.
Last October, Norway's soccer federation pledged to donate any profits from its World Cup qualifying game against Israel to aid work in Gaza, saying it “cannot remain indifferent” to humanitarian suffering.
In the buildup to Thursday's game, Hallgrimsson said the political debate is “unfair for the players.”
“We're not the bad guys here. We just want to perform, we want to play,” he said. “The players would like to perform for the country and do well.”
The Israel Football Association told The Associated Press in a statement Friday: “We are not really interested in the hypocritical and biased debate that is taking place in Ireland between groups that are hostile or much more hostile to the idea called the state of Israel. Even if there are those among them who tell themselves a different story.
“We are dealing solely with the Irish Association, we really don’t care about anything else. Everyone can stop contacting us with questions about the two matches — we will come. And of course try our best to win. What the other side decides is less of a concern to us.”
Ireland and Britain are co-hosting the 2028 European Championship. Nations League performance plays a role in Euro qualification process.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Ireland's Troy Parrott, centre, challenges for the ball with Qatar's Mohamed Al-Mannai during the international friendly soccer match between Ireland and Qatar in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/ Peter Morrison)
Ireland's Seamus Coleman walks as tennis balls are thrown on to the pitch during the international friendly soccer match between Ireland and Qatar in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/ Peter Morrison)
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose in morning trading on Wall Street Friday, adding to the all-time highs they set a day earlier.
The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Friday. The index is coming off six gains in a row and is headed for a ninth straight winning week, which would be the longest such streak since 2023.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 240 points, or 0.5%, as of 10:29 a.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%.
Technology stocks lead the gains. Dell Technologies surged 31.3% after after delivering profits that blew past expectations. The company also raised its outlook, citing powerful demand for AI computing.
Microsoft and Broadcom both rose 3%,
Every major index is on track for records and to close out May with solid gains, despite worries about the U.S. war with Iran and its impact on inflation.
Markets in Europe and Asia mostly rose.
The U.S. and Iran are reportedly working toward a deal to extend a ceasefire. That eased pressure on oil prices. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 1.6% to $92.18 a barrel. It is still well above the $70 per barrel level in late February before the war began. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 0.9% to $88.09 per barrel.
Treasury yields held relatively steady as oil prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury remained at 4.45% from late Thursday.
High oil prices remain a key concern for Wall Street. The war has stifled the flow of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped through the waterway.
That has pushed gasoline prices and prices for a wide range of goods higher, feeding inflation and squeezing consumers and businesses.
Several reports this week reflected inflation’s rise and impact on consumers. A measure of inflation preferred by the Federal Reserve accelerated in April to its highest level in three years. Consumer confidence is slipping amid the squeeze from rising inflation.
Wall Street's worries about rising inflation have been somewhat muted by the latest round of corporate profit reports. Companies in the S&P 500 have reported profit growth of 28% overall for the most recent quarter, according to FactSet. The overwhelming majority of companies in the S&P 500 have already reported their latest results. That could mean investors' focus may shift back toward inflation, consumers' behavior and the Fed's path ahead for interest rates.
The Fed has been holding its benchmark interest rate steady as it closely watches rising inflation. It is expected to continue holding rates steady at its next meeting in June. Cutting interest rates could help lower borrowing costs and give the economy a jolt, but it could also worsen inflation at time when prices are already high and rising.
Trader James Lamb works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Trader Edward Curran, left, and specialist Meric Greenbaum, center, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Asia markets index of Japan, South Korea and Australia is seen on a screen at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Trader Robert Arciero works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
