How did Ireland get here? As Ireland’s footballers huddle in a Hungarian hotel deciding whether to play Israel tonight, it is worth asking who put them there.

The quiet city of Debrecen in eastern Hungary has become the centre of the footballing world. Outside the team hotel, the world’s press is camped, cameras trained on the doors. Inside, Ireland’s team is locked in a meeting with FAI officials, deciding whether to play a match against Israel in the UEFA Nations League. Nobody outside quite knew what was going on. Training was called off with barely a moment’s notice. The pre-match press conference, a UEFA obligation, was postponed by WhatsApp message. Then came the reports: the team was split. Gavin Bazunu and four others did not want to play. The rest of the squad wanted to get on with it. Kick-off is tonight. Spare a thought for the players: they are footballers, not diplomats, and they did not put themselves in this position. Others did. The same hate that came for Ed Sheeran came for them.

I look at my beloved country and wonder: how did we get here?

I look at my beloved country and wonder: how did we get here?

In the Ireland of 2026, even a Nations League fixture has become a loyalty........

© The Spectator