Italy supporters staged a protest during the Israel national anthem ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifier in Debrecen on 8 September.
The match, held at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Hungary due to ongoing security concerns, kicked off at 19:45 UK time (18:45 GMT). Security was heightened further after a terror attack earlier in the day killed six people at a bus stop in Jerusalem. Israel’s players wore black armbands in tribute.
A few hundred fans made it into the largely empty stadium. When the Israeli anthem was played, Italian supporters turned their backs, echoing a similar protest seen when the two sides met in September 2024.
Some fans also held up banners and printed signs reading “Stop,” making their stance visible to the cameras.
The protest came in the context of renewed calls from the Italian Coaches’ Association for UEFA and FIFA to suspend Israel from international football, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The group compared the situation to Russia’s suspension following the invasion of Ukraine.
