Seven hours before kick-off at the Aviva on Saturday, thousands gathered a few hundred yards away outside the US Embassy in Ballsbridge.

From there, they marched to the Department of Foreign Affairs, protesting against the slaughter in Gaza by Israel - supported by western allies.

If Ireland somehow qualify for next year's World Cup against all the odds, some of those protesting may well want to go and cheer the team on. Will they get into the States, though? It's a country that doesn't look kindly on those who wave Palestine flags.

A couple of days earlier, Northern Ireland were in Luxembourg, and hundreds of their fans colonised much of the city centre. A march in support of Gaza passed them by, but they didn't let it pass them by... Many of them broke into a chant - 'You can stick your Palestine up your hole'.

Before Ireland's game with Hungary, a huge banner was unveiled by fans - Give Israel the Red Card. Whatever about a border poll down the road, getting football fans north and south of the border to find common ground would be far from easy.

Next year's World Cup will likely be the most politicised in history. That is saying something, when you consider that the tournament was previously hosted by Mussolini's Italy, the Argentine military junta, Putin's Russia and the sportswashing kings of Qatar.

But it will be remembered as Donald Trump's World Cup. That Mexico and Canada are co-hosts with the US is an irrelevance to him. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case with FIFA too. Their head honcho, Gianni Infantino, could only be more servile in Trump's company if he lay on his back and begged for his belly to be tickled.

Think we're overstating things? Well, the United States Tennis Association last week sent a memo to broadcasters asking them to censor any protests or adverse reaction to Trump's appearance at the US Open.

Unfortunately, Trumpism is an infectious disease. Look at the culture war going on now about flying national flags both in the UK and Ireland. Those who are pushing that are heavily influenced by what has happened in America. Flags have become weaponised. They have become a way of marking territory - a weapon of intimidation, in many cases.

One Dublin councillor with a track record of anti-immigrant rhetoric has been pushing the flying of flags here in recent weeks. On Friday, he posted a message on social media expressing his delight at Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban's decision to attend the match and welcoming him to Ireland. Orban is one of the most right wing leaders in Europe, clamping down on dissent and going so far as to ban Pride marches.

You can be sure he wouldn't have approved of Ireland's decision to wear numbers with the rainbow Pride colours for a game against the US seven years ago.

The councillor was at Saturday's match too, posting 'Get in there, Adam' after Idah's late equaliser. Idah is the son of a Nigerian father and an Irish mother. How did the councillor greet Chiedozie Ogbene's return after a year out with injury? Did he jump to his feet to applaud, like nearly everyone in the Aviva? Ogbene, like Idah, is Irish/Nigerian. How does this all sit with the councillor's views on immigration?

On October 29, 1979, Chris Hughton made his international debut in a friendly against the USA, becoming the first black footballer to play for Ireland.

Hughton would go on to play 53 times for Ireland and was assistant manager of the national team under Brian Kerr. More recently, he managed his father's country, Ghana. Hughton said that it was important to honour the different parts of his heritage.

Last Thursday, the Ireland Under-21s went to Moldova and won 2-1. The team was captained by James Abankwah from Waterford. Both his parents are from Ghana. You can be sure Hughton was rooting for him.

Families, as well as countries, are complicated and diverse. Ireland midfielder Finn Azaz's grandmother served in the Israeli Army. His granduncle, Brian Murphy, played alongside Jimmy Barry-Murphy for the Cork hurlers and footballers. He has politely requested not to be asked about Gaza in interviews - as is his right.

Before kick-off on Saturday evening, Azaz, with his teammates, turned to face the tricolour and stood for Amhrán na bhFiann. Azaz was born five years after Jack Charlton's last game as Ireland manager so it's doubtful if he'd know how the tricolour became part of the story of that era.

It's a proposition that's up for debate but many - including Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle and Larry Mullen of U2 - argue that fans of Charlton's team reclaimed the flag from IRA supporters, giving it more positive connotations.

The late John Hume was a proud son of Derry - one of the great Irish soccer towns - and he lived his life in a place that was obsessed with flags.

Hume's legacy is many things. He was one of the most significant politicians to come out of Ireland since Charles Stewart Parnell. That is beyond dispute.

But one sentence of five words resonates louder than anything else he said. "You can't eat a flag."

Hume lived all his life in a Northern Ireland where flags were weaponised. The tricolour, the Union Jack, the red hand of Ulster. He left us five years ago, and it's our misfortune now to live in a world that has again bought into flag worship.

Will the Irish tricolour be flown at next year's World Cup? That is very doubtful, but a point on Saturday didn't look likely after 20 minutes...

Irish fans don't have a great team to cheer on, they rarely even have a good one to put their faith in. But they do have one that chimes with the true meaning of the flag. Ireland's football team is a reflection of the real Ireland in 2025. That is no bad thing.