Sport in Israel

Israel is yet another country that has had a turbulent past, but that has not dampened their spirit when it comes to sports. Sport is an integral part of the Israeli culture, and they engage in a very wide range of sports, but soccer is widely recognized as their most popular sport, with basketball as a close second.

Tel Aviv Marathon Start

Israel has hosted the 1964 AFC Asian Cup and their national team also qualified for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Some of the most notable names in Israeli football include Ryan Adeleye, Ben Sahar, Yaniv Katan and Eli Ohana who is widely considered as one of greatest Israeli football player of all time.

Israeli basketball is also very successful with the domestic league being dominated by two teams, Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv, which are also considered as one of the top teams in Europe. Hapoel Jerusalem won the Eurocup in 2004 while the Maccabi Tel Aviv is a six-time European Champion (1977, 1981, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2014).

There are also a number of Israeli basketball players who made it to the American NBA. Omri Casspi played for the Houston Rockets in the 2013/14 season. The last team he played for was Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2018/19 season. The 6'3" point guard Gall Mekel wore a Dallas Maverick jersey. He also played for MoraBanc Andorra in the 2021/22 season. Other notable Israeli players include Lior Eliyahu, David Blu, Yotam Halperin and Amit Tamir.

Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Israel. Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let us know.

Popular sports of Israel (see more)

• Football (Soccer), basketball

Traditional sports of Israel

• Matkot — a paddle sport from Israel which is very similar to beach tennis.
• Catchball — an easier version of volleyball in which the players catch and throw the ball rather than hit it.
• Krav Maga — a military system developed in Israel known for its focus on real-world situations and its extreme efficiency.

Israel Sporting Success

• Gal Fridman is Israel's first Olympic gold medalist, in windsurfing at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
• Linoy Ashram won the gold medal in Rhythmic Gymnastics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, making her Israel's second Olympic champion.

Great athletes from Israel

• Linoy Ashram (gymnastics)
• Gal Fridman (windsurfing)
• Anna Smashnova (tennis)

Israel Sports trivia

• The first Maccabiah Games event was held in 1932 in Tel Aviv

Israel at major events

• Israel at the Summer Olympics
• Israel at the Winter Olympics
• Israel at the FIFA World Cup
• Israel at the AFC Asian Cup

Past sporting events hosted in Israel

• 1964 AFC Asian Cup
• 1968 Paralympic Games in Tel Aviv

Upcoming sporting events in Israel

• Maccabiah 2026: This event will be held from June 30th to July 14th, 2026

Annual sporting events held in Israel

• Maccabiah Games — the 'Jewish Games', held in Israel every four years.

Sporting Facilities in Israel

• Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem
• Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv