DUBLIN (AP) — Tensions are high ahead of an international soccer doubleheader between Ireland and Israel, with both nations using inflammatory language about their opponents amid protests in Dublin urging a boycott of the matches.
The games taking place on Sunday and Oct. 4 — both on neutral territory — are going ahead following a request by the Football Association of Ireland that UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, suspend the Israel Football Association in protest of Israel’s military action in Gaza. It was rejected by UEFA.
Campaigners stepped up their attempts to get the Ireland team to not play the first match between the teams in Hungary, with a group gathering outside the team’s hotel in Dublin on Monday evening.
More than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed an open letter issued by the Irish Sport for Palestine Group, urging the FAI to reconsider its decision to go ahead with the fixtures and saying: “With this moment you have an opportunity to do the right thing.”
After announcing his squad, Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said: “Without going into individuals, none of us feel comfortable playing in these games but once we have decided to play them, we all stick together and play as one.”
Hallgrimsson, who is from Iceland, also was asked about how his players would stay focused on the games. He answered: “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Israel, we’re not playing with Israel.”
Israel has denied deliberately targeting civilians and pushed back on accusations, including from rights groups, that it committed genocide in Gaza.
Israel has come under genocide accusations repeatedly since launching the war in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The International Court of Justice is hearing an ongoing genocide case against Israel filed by South Africa.
On Monday, the Israel FA responded to Hallgrimsson’s comments with a post on social media that read: “We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by (Hallgrimsson). We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”
An October 2025 ceasefire reduced the intensity of the fighting, but Israel has continued to carry out strikes, killing over 1,375 people since the agreement went into effect, according to local health officials.
The nearly three-year Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 73,821 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half the toll.
The calls from back home for Ireland to boycott the matches against Israel have been loud.
In a May friendly against Qatar, Irish activists hurled tennis balls onto the pitch in protest. The balls had “Stop the Game” written on them, referring to the upcoming Nations League matches.
The FAI has argued that boycotting the games could damage its chances of qualifying for the 2028 European Championship, which Ireland is co-hosting with Britain, and that it would proceed with the fixtures in order to avoid “significant and lasting harm.”
Sunday’s game will be staged in Debrecen, Hungary, and the reverse game — a “home” match for Ireland — will be behind closed doors in Bačka Topola, northern Serbia.
Ireland opted to stage the game in neutral territory because of what the FAI described as “operational challenges” that could arise if it was played in Dublin.
Israel has had to relocate, often to Hungary, for its home games for security reasons since October 2023, with UEFA having ruled the country cannot host international matches because of the war.
No tickets for either match will be made available to Irish fans.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
FILE - Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson ahead of the World Cup 2026 group F qualifying soccer match between Hungary and Ireland in Budapest, Hungary, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Donald Trump returned to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday at a tumultuous moment for the world — and for his presidency — and made the case that he's shown fortitude while other leaders have equivocated.
The president started his address ticking off progress — including adding private sector jobs, stemming illegal migration and curbing crime before turning to a fulsome defense of his decision to start a war with Iran.
“The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate," Trump said. "If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51 year menace of Iranian terror.”
Trump also accused Iran of stalling to make a deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an endgame to the war until after the midterm elections in the United States. He insisted the tactic would have no effect on how he approaches the conflict.
“I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran," Trump said. "It doesn’t even enter my mind.”
Most of Iran's delegation walked out of the chamber as Trump railed against the Islamic Republic.
As he arrived at the U.N., Trump briefly spoke to reporters, telling them it was an honor to address the world body before his attention suddenly shifted to his resentments with the news media.
Trump over the weekend announced a White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, claiming that their coverage of his presidency was biased. The news outlets have filed a lawsuit to restore their access to White House grounds. Trump snapped at a CNN reporter in the U.N. scrum.
“I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” Trump said. “You shouldn’t be here."
After his speech to the annual gathering of world leaders, Trump is expected to hold talks with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and a more informal meeting with Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to the White House.
He's also set to meet with leaders and senior officials from Gulf Cooperation Council nations — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates — to discuss the way ahead with the war in Iran and growing concern about recent Iran-backed rebel attacks on Saudi Arabia. Trump also plans to take part in an event on the Shield of Americas, an initiative Trump launched with Latin American countries earlier this year focused on combatting violent cartels.
The visit to the U.N. comes when Trump's foreign policy approach — particularly his decision to start a war with Iran — has become a drag on his fellow Republicans' hopes of retaining control of both chambers of Congress during the coming midterm elections. Nevertheless, Trump is making the case in his address that the world is better off for his leadership.
“As president of the most extraordinary nation in history," Trump said. "I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day. I do not believe in letting problems fester."
In last year's address at the U.N., Trump claimed the U.S. had “demolished” Iran's nuclear capabilities after he ordered the June 2025 bombardment of three key facilities.
He returned to the General Assembly nearing the seven-month mark of a new war against Iran that he insists is necessary to address a nuclear threat posed by Iran.
The war has grown more complicated even though strikes by the United States and Israel have killed much of Iran's top leadership and destroyed its air force and navy, while a U.S. blockade of Iranian oil has left Tehran in economic shambles.
The energy market continues to be spooked by the war and oil prices remain elevated. Saudi Arabia earlier this month shuttered a key pipeline that acted as a relief valve for oil blocked in the Gulf. The kingdom made the move after the pipeline came under attack by Iran-backed militants in Iraq.
At the same time, territorial grabs by the Yemen-based Houthi rebels, another Iranian-backed group, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait has now made it treacherous for oil carriers to use that Red Sea shipping lane.
But Trump insisted anew that the elevated oil prices are a transitory problem that will fade one the war ends.
“Oil prices will come plummeting down even lower than they were at the start of the conflict,” Trump said. "And they were very low in the United States. They were really low.”
Majed al-Ansari, chief spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said Monday that Qatar and other mediators are trying to penetrate a “deep deficit of trust” between the U.S. and Iran and get the sides back to negotiations.
“Either we sign a deal now or sign a deal 10 months away," said said al-Ansari, speaking at the Concordia Annual Summit, a global affairs forum taking place during the U.N.’s high-level week. "The only difference is the number of dead and destruction that we see.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Trump is open to meeting with Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, while he’s in New York for the General Assembly.
“This is a president that will meet with anybody for the most part, because he believes that engaging with people is important if you’re going to solve problems,” Rubio said on NBC’s “Today” show. “It doesn’t mean you’re going to end up agreeing with them, but it’s important."
At last year's General Assembly, Trump touted his record as a peacemaker and claimed that “everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize” for his administration's efforts mediating several conflicts around the globe.
This year, Trump is set to sign an agreement on the sidelines of the General Assembly with Danish and Greenlandic leaders that aims to set the pathway for the expansion of the U.S. military's footprint on Greenland.
The deal, announced last week, came together after Trump repeatedly threatened to “take over” Greenland, a territory of NATO-ally Denmark, by military force if necessary. Trump said Tuesday the U.S. will immediately begin the process of developing a larger military presence in Greenland including “building two very major military bases.”
Under the deal, Greenland remains Denmark's territory.
The president could also touch on Russia's continuing war against Ukraine during the address — a conflict that during his 2024 campaign he predicted would be resolved on Day One of his second term.
The president has routinely expressed frustration about the conflict. He hasn't obscured that his patience is being tested by Ukraine's targeting of Russia's diesel refineries — an issue that's added to oil markets' volatility — and Russia's targeting of Ukraine's energy grid.
Trump last week asserted that he got the two sides to agree to not target each other's energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy, who is scheduled to meet with Trump on Tuesday afternoon, said he was willing to go along with Trump's plan if Russia abided by it. Russia said it could only go along with Trump's energy truce proposal if Western energy sanctions on Moscow were lifted first.
The two sides have continued carrying out strikes on refineries and other energy infrastructure.
Associated Press Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this story.
First lady Melania Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, arrive to listen to President Donald Trump speak to the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
United States President Donald Trump arrives to speak during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
United States President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and United States first lady Melania Trump listen as United States President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
President Donald Trump speaks to the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
President Donald Trump speaks to the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
United States President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
President Donald Trump speaks to the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
United States President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
United States President Donald Trump arrives for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
United States President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
United States President Donald Trump arrives for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
United States President Donald Trump arrives for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
FILE - President Donald Trump gestures as he addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
