Israeli Premier League facts for kids
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| Organising body | Israel Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Country | Israel |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe; 1980–81; 1991–present) OFC (Oceania; 1985–89) AFC (Asia; 1954–74) |
| Number of teams | 14 (since 2012–13) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Liga Leumit |
| Domestic cup(s) | Israel State Cup Toto Cup (Al) Israel Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | Maccabi Tel Aviv (26th title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Maccabi Tel Aviv (26 titles) |
| TV partners | Charlton Sport, Sport 5 |
| Website | football.co.il |
The Israeli Premier League (in Hebrew: ליגת העל, or Ligat HaAl), is the top professional soccer league in Israel. It's where the best teams in the country compete to be the champion. The league is also known as the "Super League."
Fourteen clubs play in the league each season, which runs from August to May. At the end of the season, the two teams with the worst records are moved down to the second-division league, called Liga Leumit. This is called relegation. The top two teams from Liga Leumit are then promoted to take their place in the Premier League.
The league was created in 1999. Since then, only six clubs have won the championship title. Maccabi Haifa has won the most titles in the Premier League era with ten wins. The most recent champions are Maccabi Tel Aviv, who won in the 2024–25 season.
Contents
How the League Works
The Israeli Premier League has 14 teams. The way the season is structured helps to make the games exciting and competitive.
The Regular Season
First, all 14 clubs play each other twice, once at their home stadium and once away. This is called a round-robin format. After these 26 games, the league splits into two groups.
Championship and Relegation Playoffs
The top six teams go into a "championship playoff." They play each other two more times. The team that finishes in first place becomes the Israeli champion. This team also gets a chance to play in the qualifying rounds for the UEFA Champions League, a major European tournament.
The teams that finish in second and third place get to compete in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The bottom eight teams go into a "relegation playoff." They play each other one more time. The two teams that finish at the very bottom are relegated to the lower league, Liga Leumit.
Clubs in the League
A total of 31 different clubs have played in the Israeli Premier League since it started in 1999. However, three clubs have been in the top league for every single season: Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa, and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Teams in the 2025–26 Season
Here are the 14 clubs competing in the 2025–26 Israeli Premier League season:
- Beitar Jerusalem
- Bnei Sakhnin
- F.C. Ashdod
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva
- Hapoel Haifa
- Hapoel Jerusalem
- Hapoel Petah Tikva
- Hapoel Tel Aviv
- Ironi Tiberias
- Ironi Kiryat Shmona
- Maccabi Bnei Reineh
- Maccabi Haifa
- Maccabi Netanya
- Maccabi Tel Aviv
League Champions
Since the league began in its current form in 1999, six clubs have won the title. Maccabi Haifa has been the most successful club in this period.
Here are the six champions of the Israeli Premier League era:
- Maccabi Haifa (10 titles)
- Maccabi Tel Aviv (8 titles)
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva (3 titles)
- Beitar Jerusalem (2 titles)
- Hapoel Tel Aviv (2 titles)
- Ironi Kiryat Shmona (1 title)
In the 2011–12 season, Ironi Kiryat Shmona won their first-ever championship. This was a big deal because they were the first team from the northern part of Israel to win the title.
League Sponsorship
Sometimes, companies pay to have their name attached to the league. This is called sponsorship. Over the years, the league has had several sponsors, including mobile phone companies, a digital bank, and the Israeli sports betting board.
Here are some of the names the league has had:
- Ligat Pelephone (1999–2002)
- Ligat Toto (2005–2010)
- Ligat Winner (2010–2016)
- Ligat Japanika (2018–2019)
- Ligat Habursa Leniyarot Erech (2019–2022)
- Ligat ONE ZERO (2022–2024)
- Ligat Toto Winner (2024–present)
Player Records
The league has seen many talented players over the years. Here are some of the all-time records for the top division of Israeli football.
Most Games Played
This is a list of players who have appeared in the most games.
| Rank | Player | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Arik Benado |
573 |
| 2 | Rafi Cohen |
546 |
| 3 | Walid Badir |
531 |
| 4 | Alon Harazi |
526 |
| 5 | Gidi Damti |
519 |
Top Goal Scorers
These players have scored the most goals in the history of Israel's top league.
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alon Mizrahi |
206 |
| 2 | Oded Machnes |
197 |
| 3 | Avi Nimni |
194 |
| 4 | Moshe Romano |
192 |
| 5 | Eran Zahavi |
177 |
See also
In Spanish: Liga Premier de Israel para niños
- Football in Israel
- Israel national football team
- Israel Football League
- Ligat Nashim
