Ireland and Israel won't shake hands Sunday

The match, played on neutral ground in Hungary, will go ahead without the customary line-up handshake between opposing players, according to BBC Sport. It's a small gesture in the grand scheme of ninety minutes, but a highly visible one, and it's rare enough to stop people mid-scroll.

BBC Sport's report doesn't spell out who made the call, or whether it was agreed by both associations, ordered by UEFA, or settled unilaterally by one side. What's clear is that the traditional pre-kick-off ritual, the one bit of choreography every fixture shares regardless of the stakes, has been dropped here specifically.

Hungary as neutral ground

BBC Sport describes Sunday's fixture as "controversial", and the choice of Hungary as a neutral venue underlines that. The report doesn't detail the reasoning behind either the venue or the handshake decision, so beyond BBC's framing, the specifics of what's driving it stay unconfirmed.

Points still on the table

Once the whistle goes, it's still a competitive Nations League match with points, seeding and group position on the line for both Republic of Ireland and Israel. The handshake absence won't change the football itself, but it will be the image that leads every recap, every clip, every headline.

Expect UEFA to face questions about protocol either way, whether it sanctioned the decision or simply let it happen.