The NFL will make its regular season debut in Dublin this weekend, with the Pittsburgh Steelers set to take on the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon.

This will be a historic occasion from an Irish sporting perspective, with Ireland being among the first handful of countries to host a competitive NFL game.

However, there has also been some controversy surrounding the decision to hold the fixture on these shores.

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Former Dubs Star Explains Why He Will Be Protesting At NFL Dublin Game

The Irish Government are set to benefit significantly from the NFL Dublin game, with a projected cash injection of around €64million into the economy. While the economic benefits are clear, some are questioning the moral aspect of the decision to welcome the American league to this country.

Former Dublin footballer Michael Darragh MacAuley is chief amongst them, with the 39-year old set to protest the holding of the fixture this weekend.

Speaking on Morning Ireland, he explained that the NFL’s links to the American military, as well as their association with those involved in the exploitation of Palestine, make the occasion an uncomfortable one.

I’m disappointed about it. In what we are witnessing in this period of history, it’s very important to look at who we are getting into bed with.

The NFL is inextricably linked with the American military at the moment. It’s too close for me…

Mark Wilf, owner of the Vikings, is the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel. He is actively pushing settlements, which is displacing Palestinians, and doing their best to make sure there is never going to be a Palestinian state. They are not passive players in this…

The NFL have treated their players disgracefully. When I see the NFL machine rolling into town, and it is an active soft power around the world in what they are trying to do, it’s something I’m not comfortable with.

A perspective worth considering.

We are likely to see a number of protestors at this weekend’s NFL Dublin game, but that has not perturbed tickets sales for the fixture. A sellout crowd is expected at Croke Park.

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