Football (, Kaduregel, ), also known as soccer, is the most popular sport in Israel. Approximately 55% of the people in Israel are considered association football fans. Football as an organised sport, first developed in the United Kingdom, who controlled Mandatory Palestine during the days of the British Mandate.
The Israel Football Association joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954, but was expelled in 1974 due to political pressure from Arab and Muslim members in the context of the Arab–Israeli conflict. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the Israel Football Association was not affiliated with any confederation. During this period, the Israeli national teams were only playing in FIFA competitions occasionally in OFC, UEFA and CONMEBOL qualifying tournaments. Finally, it was admitted to UEFA as an associate member in 1992 and as a full member in 1994, therefore their teams compete as part of Europe in all international competitions.
Israel Football Association The Israel Football Association (IFA) is the governing body of football in the State of Israel. All of Israel's professional football clubs must be members, and hundreds of semi-professional and amateur clubs also belong.
League system
As of the 19-20 season, the Israeli football league system has five levels and 16 different divisions, all run by the IFA. Promotion and relegation operate between each level, allowing clubs to progress from bottom to top within four seasons.
Structure The current structure of the Israeli league system is this: Israeli Premier League: the top division operates at the national level and has 14 member clubs Liga Leumit: the second division operates at the national level and has 16 member clubs Liga Alef: the third division is split into two regional leagues (north and south) and has 32 member clubs (16 in each division) Liga Bet: the fourth division is split into four regional leagues (two in the north, two in the south) and has 64 member clubs (16 in each division) Liga Gimel: the fifth division is split into eight regional leagues and has 114 member clubs (between 11 and 16 in each division)
Cups In Israel, there are two major cup competitions: the State Cup and the Toto Cup.
State Cup The State Cup (, Gvia HaMedina) is the Israeli equivalent of the English FA Cup, and is open to all Israeli clubs, with clubs at the higher levels entering in the later rounds. It is a straightforward knock-out cup. The winner qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Toto Cup The Toto Cup (, Gvia HaToto) is the Israeli equivalent of the English League Cup, the main difference being that there is a separate cup for the top and second divisions. The cup is played first in a group stage, with the highest placed teams qualifying for the knock-out stages. The winner does not qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Title Holders Season League Champions State Cup holder Toto Cup holder 1928–29 ( SC) Not Held Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Hasmonean Jerusalem Not Held 1929–30 ( SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv 1930–31 ( SC) 1931–32 (PL) British Police Not Held 1932–33 (PL, SC) Not Held British Police 1933–34 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1934–35 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv 1935–36 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Petah Tikva 1936–37 (PL) Not Held 1937 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv 1938 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv 1939 ( SC) Not Held Hapoel Tel Aviv 1940 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Beitar Tel Aviv 1941–42 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1942–43 (PL, SC) Not Finished Beitar Tel Aviv 1943–44 (PL) Hapoel Tel Aviv Not Official 1944–45 (PL) 1945–46 Not Held 1946–47 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1947–48 (PL, SC) Not Finished Maccabi Tel Aviv 1948–49 (PL) Not Held 1949–50 (PL) Maccabi Tel Aviv 1950–51 Not Held 1951–52 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Petah Tikva 1952–53 Not Held 1953–54 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1954–55 (PL, SC) Hapoel Petah Tikva Maccabi Tel Aviv 1955–56 (PL) Maccabi Tel Aviv Not Held 1956–57 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Petah Tikva 1957–58 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1958–59 (PL, SC) Hapoel Petah Tikva Maccabi Tel Aviv 1959–60 (PL) Not Held 1960–61 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv 1961–62 (PL, SC) Maccabi Haifa 1962–63 (PL, SC) Hapoel Haifa 1963–64 (PL, SC) Hapoel Ramat Gan Maccabi Tel Aviv 1964–65 (PL, SC) Hakoah Ramat Gan 1965–66 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Haifa 1966–67 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1967–68 ( SC) Bnei Yehuda 1968–69 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Hakoah Ramat Gan 1969–70 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1970–71 (PL, SC) Maccabi Netanya Hakoah Ramat Gan 1971–72 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv 1972–73 (PL, SC) Hakoah Ramat Gan Hapoel Jerusalem 1973–74 (PL, SC) Maccabi Netanya Hapoel Haifa 1974–75 (PL, SC) Hapoel Be'er Sheva Hapoel Kfar Saba 1975–76 (PL, SC) Beitar Jerusalem 1976–77 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1977–78 (PL, SC) Maccabi Netanya Maccabi Netanya 1978–79 (PL, SC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Beitar Jerusalem 1979–80 (PL, SC) Maccabi Netanya Hapoel Kfar Saba 1980–81 (PL, SC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Bnei Yehuda 1981–82 (PL, SC) Hapoel Kfar Saba Hapoel Yehud 1982–83 (PL, SC) Maccabi Netanya Hapoel Tel Aviv 1983–84 (PL, SC) Maccabi Haifa Hapoel Lod 1984–85 (PL, SC, TC) Beitar Jerusalem Maccabi Yavne 1985–86 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Petah Tikva 1986–87 (PL, SC, TC) Beitar Jerusalem Maccabi Tel Aviv Shimshon Tel Aviv 1987–88 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Tel Aviv 1988–89 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Beitar Jerusalem Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1989–90 (PL, SC, TC) Bnei Yehuda Hapoel Kfar Saba Hapoel Petah Tikva 1990–91 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Haifa 1991–92 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Petah Tikva Bnei Yehuda 1992–93 (PL, SC, TC) Beitar Jerusalem Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Tel Aviv 1993–94 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Haifa 1994–95 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Petah Tikva 1995–96 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1996–97 (PL, SC, TC) Beitar Jerusalem Hapoel Be'er Sheva Bnei Yehuda 1997–98 (PL, SC, TC) Beitar Jerusalem Maccabi Haifa Beitar Jerusalem 1998–99 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Haifa Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1999–2000 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Petah Tikva 2000–01 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Haifa 2001–02 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Tel Aviv 2002–03 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Ramat Gan Maccabi Haifa 2003–04 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Bnei Sakhnin Maccabi Petah Tikva 2004–05 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Petah Tikva 2005–06 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Haifa 2006–07 (PL, SC, TC) Beitar Jerusalem Maccabi Herzliya 2007–08 (PL, SC, TC) Beitar Jerusalem Beitar Jerusalem Maccabi Haifa 2008–09 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Beitar Jerusalem Maccabi Tel Aviv 2009–10 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv Beitar Jerusalem 2010–11 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Hapoel Tel Aviv Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2011–12 (PL, SC, TC) Ironi Kiryat Shmona Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2012–13 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Ramat Gan Hapoel Haifa 2013–14 (PL, SC) Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2014–15 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 2015–16 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Be'er Sheva Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Petah Tikva 2016–17 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Be'er Sheva Bnei Yehuda Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2017–18 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Be'er Sheva Hapoel Haifa Maccabi Tel Aviv 2018–19 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Bnei Yehuda Maccabi Tel Aviv 2019–20 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Be'er Sheva Beitar Jerusalem 2020–21 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 2021–22 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Hapoel Be'er Sheva Maccabi Haifa 2022–23 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Haifa Beitar Jerusalem Maccabi Netanya 2023–24 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Petah Tikva Maccabi Tel Aviv 2024–25 (PL, SC, TC) Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Be'er Sheva Maccabi Tel Aviv 2025–26 (PL, SC, TC) Hapoel Be'er Sheva Maccabi Tel Aviv Beitar Jerusalem Season League Champions State Cup holder Toto Cup holder Legend Won all 3 titles in the same year Won 2 titles in the same year
Qualification for European competitions Clubs who do well in either the Premier League or State Cup qualify to compete in various UEFA-organised Europe-wide competitions in the following season (as well as continuing to play in domestic competitions). The number of Israeli clubs playing in Europe in any one season can range from four to six, depending on the qualification scenarios. Currently, Israel is awarded the following places in European competitions:
CompetitionWho qualifiesNotesUEFA Champions LeaguePremier League championsUEFA Europa LeagueState Cup winners If one of the top 3 teams in the Premier League also wins the State Cup, the fourth-placed team will be granted a Conference League spot.UEFA Europa Conference LeagueClubs finishing second or third in the Premier LeagueIf the second or third-placed club has already qualified for the Conference League through the State Cup, then the fourth-placed club of the Premier League get a Conference League spot.Any Israeli club that wins the UEFA Europa Conference League and has not already qualified for the Champions League or Europa League or Conference LeagueBy the UEFA Europa Conference League regulations (Regulation 1.07), this club's entry into the UEFA Europa Conference League will not be at the expense of any other entries to which its national federation is entitled
In addition, once in a European competition, it becomes possible to qualify for others:
All the losers of the UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round and First qualifying round go forward to the UEFA Europa League Second qualifying round All the losers of the UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round go forward to the UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round All the losers of the UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round go forward to the UEFA Europa League Play-off round All the losers of the UEFA Champions League Play-off round go forward to the UEFA Europa League Group stage. Any clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League that will finish third in the group stage will go into the UEFA Europa League round of 32
Israel national team
Israel hosted and won the 1964 AFC Asian Cup. Israel qualified for the World Cup in 1970 which was held in Mexico. Mordechai Spiegler scored in a 1–1 draw against Sweden. Israel's Olympic football team qualified for the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer Olympics both times reaching the quarter-finals.
Israel's highest FIFA ranking was 15th in November 2008.
Famous matches of the Israeli football team include the 1-2 and 0-1 defeat against Iran respectively in 1968 AFC Asian Cup and 1974 Asian Games, both held in Tehran when Israel and Iran were on friendly terms, the 3–2 win in France in the 1994 World Cup qualification, which ended up disqualifying the French team from the World Cup in the United States, the defeat of Austria 5–0 in 1999 during Euro 2000 qualifications, and a 2–1 win over Argentina in a friendly match in 1998, a game played in Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.
History
British Mandate