Drogheda United Confirm Historic Trip to Face Mo Salah's Trabzonspor in Türkiye as League of Ireland Celebrates Ottoman Famine Link

Drogheda United Confirm Historic Trip to Face Mo Salah's Trabzonspor in Türkiye as League of Ireland Celebrates Ottoman Famine Link

Drogheda United have confirmed they will travel to Trabzon in Türkiye on 1 October to face Trabzonspor in a friendly match that celebrates 75 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Türkiye and the historic Ottoman humanitarian aid to Ireland during the Great Famine — a fixture that may feature former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and will be the subject of an independently produced documentary exploring the deep historical ties between the two nations.

Background

The connection between Drogheda and the Ottoman Empire is one of the more remarkable footnotes in Irish history. During the Great Famine of 1845-1852, Sultan Abdülmecid I of the Ottoman Empire reportedly offered £10,000 in aid to Ireland — a sum that Queen Victoria asked him to reduce to £1,000, as she herself had only donated £2,000. The Sultan is said to have complied with the request but secretly dispatched three ships carrying food to the Irish port of Drogheda. The story, while disputed by some historians, has become an important part of the cultural mythology connecting Ireland and Türkiye, and is reflected in the star and crescent that appears on Drogheda's coat of arms.

Trabzonspor is one of Türkiye's most successful football clubs, based in the Black Sea city of Trabzon. The club has won the Turkish Süper Lig on multiple occasions and has a passionate supporter base. In the summer of 2026, the club made international headlines by signing Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian forward who had spent nine years at Liverpool, making him one of the most high-profile players in Turkish football history.

The fixture between Drogheda United and Trabzonspor is being organised to coincide with a three-week international break in the League of Ireland season and to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Türkiye. It is the first time Drogheda United have played in Türkiye.

Key Developments

Drogheda United CEO Rían Wogan confirmed the fixture, describing it as a "significant opportunity" for the club to engage with its Turkish fan base and to build lasting relationships between the two communities. The match will be played at Papara Park, Trabzonspor's 40,000-capacity stadium, on Thursday, 1 October 2026.

The fixture will be featured in an independently produced documentary titled "An Gorta Mór — The Star and The Crescent," which explores the history of Ottoman humanitarian aid to Ireland during the Great Famine and the contemporary relationship between the two clubs and their supporters. The documentary is expected to be released in early 2027.

The participation of Mohamed Salah in the match remains uncertain. The Egyptian forward has international commitments with Egypt, which has Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers scheduled for late September 2026, and his availability for a friendly fixture in early October will depend on the outcome of those commitments. Trabzonspor has indicated that Salah is expected to be available for the match, but has not confirmed his participation.

Why It Matters

The Drogheda-Trabzonspor fixture is a reminder that football can serve as a vehicle for cultural diplomacy and historical commemoration in ways that go beyond the purely sporting. The connection between Drogheda and the Ottoman Empire is a genuine piece of shared history, and the decision to mark it through a football match — rather than a formal diplomatic event — reflects the power of sport to create connections between communities that might otherwise have little contact.

For the League of Ireland, the fixture also provides a rare opportunity for an Irish club to play against a major European side in a high-profile setting. Drogheda United, who compete in the top flight of Irish football, will face a club that plays in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds and has one of the most famous players in the world on its books. The experience will be invaluable for the club's players and will raise the profile of the League of Ireland internationally.

The documentary dimension of the fixture is also significant. The story of Ottoman aid to Ireland during the Famine is not widely known outside Ireland and Türkiye, and a documentary exploring the historical connection has the potential to reach a wide international audience and to deepen understanding of a remarkable episode in the history of both nations.

Local Impact

In Drogheda, the announcement of the Trabzonspor fixture has generated considerable excitement. The club has indicated that a group of supporters will travel to Trabzon for the match, and local businesses have been asked to support the trip. The Drogheda and District Chamber of Commerce has been involved in organising the visit, with plans for business networking events alongside the football fixture. The documentary production team has been filming in Drogheda in recent weeks, capturing the local reaction to the fixture and exploring the historical connection between the town and the Ottoman Empire. County Louth GAA and other local sports organisations have expressed support for the initiative.

What's Next

Drogheda United will travel to Trabzon in late September, with the match scheduled for 1 October 2026. The club has indicated it will provide regular updates on the trip through its social media channels. The documentary is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and will be submitted to film festivals in Ireland and Türkiye before its wider release. The League of Ireland has welcomed the fixture as a positive development for Irish football's international profile.