Football in Israel
Football (Hebrew: כַּדוּרֶגֶל, Kaduregel, lit. 'legball'), also known as Soccer, is the most popular sport in Israel. Football as an organised sport, first developed in the United Kingdom, who controlled Mandatory Palestine during the days of the British Mandate.
| Football in Israel | |
|---|---|
Teddy Stadium, home of Israel national football team and two Israeli clubs | |
| Country | Israel |
| Governing body | Israel Football Association |
| National team(s) | Men's national team |
National competitions | |
Club competitions | |
International competitions | |
UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup FIFA World Cup (National Team) European Championship (National Team) UEFA Nations League (National Team) | |
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.