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Israeli Premier League

Top-division men's association football league


Top-division men's association football league

FieldValue
nameIsraeli Premier League
logowinnerleague.png
pixels200px
upright0.5
organiserIsrael Football Association
countryIsrael
confedUEFA (Europe; 1980–81; 1991–present)
OFC (Oceania; 1985–89)
AFC (Asia; 1954–74)
founded
teams14 (since 2012–13)
relegationLiga Leumit
levels1
<!--biggest stadiumTeddy Stadium (31,733)
smallest stadiumYud-Alef Stadium (8,200) --
domest_cupIsrael State Cup
Toto Cup (Al)
Israel Super Cup
confed_cupUEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Conference League
championsMaccabi Tel Aviv
(26th title)
season2024–25
most successful clubMaccabi Tel Aviv
(26 titles)
tvCharlton Sport, Sport 5
websitefootball.co.il
current2025–2026 Israeli Premier League
Note

the top-flight association football league

OFC (Oceania; 1985–89) AFC (Asia; 1954–74) Toto Cup (Al) Israel Super Cup UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League (26th title) (26 titles)

The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with its second division Liga Leumit. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing between 33 and 36 matches each, totalling 240 matches in every season.

The competition formed in 1999 following the decision of the Israel Football Association to form a new league. It is also ranked 15th in the UEFA coefficients of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the last five years.

Since 1932, a total of 15 clubs have been crowned champions of the Israeli Football League. Of the thirty one clubs to have competed since the inception of the Israeli Premier League in 1999, six have won the title: Beitar Jerusalem (twice), Hapoel Be'er Sheva (three times), Hapoel Tel Aviv (twice), Maccabi Haifa (ten times), Maccabi Tel Aviv (eight times), and Ironi Kiryat Shmona (once). The current champions are Maccabi Tel Aviv, who won the 2024–25 season.

Background

Main article: Football in Israel

The Israeli Premier League was founded in 1999 to replace its predecessor Liga Leumit (which became the second division) when the Israel Football Association decided to reshuffle all the leagues in hopes of improving competition. In its first season there were 14 clubs; the top thirteen clubs from the 1998–99 season and the top place club from the Liga Artzit (then, the third division). That season three clubs were relegated and one from Liga Leumit was promoted.

Competition

There are 14 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the two lowest-placed teams are relegated to Liga Leumit while two highest-placed teams of Liga Leumit are promoted in their place. For the 2012–13 season the league was decreased from 16 to 14 clubs as a result of reforms passed by the IFA on 27 June 2011.

The participating clubs first play a conventional round-robin schedule for a total of 26 matches.

Following this, the top six teams play in a championship playoff, where they meet each other twice. Upon its conclusion, the first place team wins the Israeli championship and qualifies to participate in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The runners-up and the third-placed teams qualify for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

In addition, the Israeli State Cup winners qualify for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.

If the State Cup winners are also one of the teams to finish in the league's top three places then the fourth-placed team will also play in UEFA Europa Conference League. In case the State Cup winners also win the Israeli Premier League then the second-placed league team will play in first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.

In addition, the bottom eight teams will play each other once to avoid two relegation spots.

Clubs

A total of 31 clubs have played in the Israeli Premier League from its inception in 1999 and the start of the 2025–26 season. For a list of winners and runners-up of the Israeli Premier League since its inception, and top scorers for each season, see List of Israeli football champions.

Three clubs have been members of the Israeli Premier League for every season since its inception. This group is composed of Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Members of the 2025–26 season

The following 14 clubs will compete in the Israeli Premier League during the 2024–25 season.

Club
Position
in 2024–25First season in
the Israeli Premier LeagueNumber of seasons
in the Israeli Premier LeagueFirst season of
current spell in
Israeli Premier LeagueTop division
titlesLast top division title
4th1999–200027th1999–200062007–2008
Bnei Sakhnin10th2009–201021st2020–20210
11th1999–200026th2016–20170
Hapoel Be'er Sheva2nd2001–200221st2009–201052017–2018
Hapoel Haifa5th1999–200021st2009–201011998–1999
Hapoel Jerusalem7th1999–20006th2021-20220Never
Hapoel Petah Tikva2nd (Liga Leumit)1999–200015th2025–202651962-63
Hapoel Tel Aviv1st (Liga Leumit)1999–200025th2025–2026132009–2010
Ironi Tiberias12nd2024–20252nd2024–20250Never
Ironi Kiryat Shmona9th2007–200817th2024–202512011–2012
Maccabi Bnei Reineh8th2022–20234th2022–20230Never
Maccabi Haifa3rd1999–200027th1999–2000152022–2023
Maccabi Netanya6th2003–200424rd2017–201851982–1983
Maccabi Tel Aviv1st1999–200027th1999–2000262024–2025

Sponsorship

In recent years, the league has been sponsored. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:

  • 1999–2002: Pelephone – a mobile phone company (Ligat Pelephone)

  • 2005–2010: Toto Winner Organization – the Israeli Sports Betting Board (Ligat Toto)

  • 2010–2016: Toto Winner Organization – the Israeli Sports Betting Board (Ligat Winner)

  • 2016–2018: Toto Winner Organization – the Israeli Sports Betting Board (Ligat Ha'al)

  • 2018–2019: Japanika – Asian restaurant (Ligat Japanika)

  • 2019–2022: Tel Aviv Stock Exchange – Stock Exchange (Ligat Habursa Leniyarot Erech)

  • 2022–2024: ONE ZERO – Digital Bank (Ligat ONE ZERO){{cite news|url=https://www.one.co.il/Article/21-22/1,0,1,53097/407256.html?ref=hp|title=ליגת ONE ZERO: ספונסר חדש לכדורגל ישראלי |trans-title=ONE ZERO League: New sponsor to the Israeli football|language=he|first=Gidi|last=Lipkin|date=31 March 2022}}

  • 2024- : Toto Winner Organization – the Israeli Sports Betting Board (Ligat Toto Winner)

Number of foreigners

Teams are limited to Eight foreign players per team. Special circumstances such as Druze players from the Golan (no citizenship) or cases such as that of Toto Tamuz, do not count against the foreign player limit. In addition, players who play in the league for 6 consecutive years do not count against the foreign player limit. Also, Jewish players and players who are married to Israelis are exempt from these restrictions, as they are entitled to Israeli citizenship.

Broadcast rights

Television

Israeli Premier League games are broadcast live on Sport 1, Sport 1 HD, and Sport 2 channels, with the big match of the week which is reserved to be shown by Sport 5 and Channel 1 HD network television. There is also a league review show on Saturday nights at Sport 5 channel.

Abroad, rights to broadcasting in Hebrew are owned by The Israeli Network which broadcasts the matches in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Panama, Costa Rica and in Europe.

In the United Kingdom, William Hill broadcasts matches live with English commentary on their online television service, William Hill TV.

Radio

The rights of broadcasting on the radio belongs to Radio Tel Aviv since 2011, which broadcast alongside Radio Haifa, Radio Darom, Radio Galei Zahal and Radio Darom 101.5 in a show called Saturday of Football which also broadcasts live on ONE TV channel.

Internet

The big match of the week is shown on the Channel 1 website. Since 2010, games summaries are shown online by Ynet, ONE and Sport 5.

Cellular

Since 2012, ONE owns the broadcasting rights, which was previously owned by Sport 5.

Revenue

Main sources of revenue for the clubs:

  • Broadcast rights
  • Ticket sales
  • Merchandise
  • Toto Winner – The Israeli Sports Betting Council
  • Sponsorship

UEFA league ranking

;Country ranking in European Leagues: UEFA League Ranking for the 2019–2024 period:

    1. (20) Greece Super League Greece (31.525)
    1. (17) Denmark Danish Superliga (31.450)
  • 17. (21) Israel Israeli Premier League (31.125)
    1. (14) Ukraine Ukrainian Premier League (28.000)
    1. (11) Serbia Serbian SuperLiga (27.775) Source: UEFA Coefficients Graphs, 2024 UEFA Country Ranking ImageSize = width:660 height:60 PlotArea = left:10 right:10 bottom:30 top:10 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/2024 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:1999 Colors = id:bl1 value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5)

PlotData= bar:Position width:20 color:white align:center

from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:27 from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:24 from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:26 from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:18 from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:17 from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:18 from:01/07/2006 till:01/07/2007 shift:(0,-4) text:19 from:01/07/2007 till:01/07/2008 shift:(0,-4) text:22 from:01/07/2008 till:01/07/2009 shift:(0,-4) text:22 from:01/07/2009 till:01/07/2010 shift:(0,-4) text:20 from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2011 shift:(0,-4) text:17 from:01/07/2011 till:01/07/2012 shift:(0,-4) text:17 from:01/07/2012 till:01/07/2013 shift:(0,-4) text:19 from:01/07/2013 till:01/07/2014 shift:(0,-4) text:17 from:01/07/2014 till:01/07/2015 shift:(0,-4) text:20 from:01/07/2015 till:01/07/2016 shift:(0,-4) text:23 from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2017 shift:(0,-4) text:22 from:01/07/2017 till:01/07/2018 shift:(0,-4) text:18 from:01/07/2018 till:01/07/2019 shift:(0,-4) text:27 from:01/07/2019 till:01/07/2020 shift:(0,-4) text:23 from:01/07/2020 till:01/07/2021 shift:(0,-4) text:21 from:01/07/2021 till:01/07/2022 shift:(0,-4) text:22 from:01/07/2022 till:01/07/2023 shift:(0,-4) text:21 from:01/07/2023 till:01/07/2024 shift:(0,-2) text:17 from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/2024 color:bl1 shift:(0,26) text: "Seasonal Coefficients Ranking Graph"

Champions

For the complete list read the main article. Main article: List of Israeli football champions

Performance by club

A star above the crest is awarded for every five titles.

ClubTitlesRunners-upWinning seasonsMaccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Haifa
Hapoel Tel Aviv
Hapoel Petah Tikva
Beitar Jerusalem
Maccabi Netanya
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Hakoah Ramat GanBnei Yehuda Tel AvivHapoel HaifaIroni Kiryat ShmonaBritish PoliceHapoel Ramat GanHapoel Kfar Saba
121935–36, 1937, 1939, 1941–42, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1966–68, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2023–24, 2024–25
101983–84, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
161933–34, 1934–35, 1938–39, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1956–57, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1980–81, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1999–2000, 2009–10
101954–55, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63
61986–87, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2006–07, 2007–08
51970–71, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1982–83
41974–75, 1975–76, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
1964–65, 1972–73
31989–90
11998–99
12011–12
1931–32
1963–64
1981–82

Israeli Premier League (1999–present)

When the Israeli Premier League became the top division of Israeli football in 1999–2000, Liga Leumit became the second division. Since then, only six clubs have won the title; Hapoel Tel Aviv, Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem are sometimes referred to as the "Big Four" of Israeli football.{{cite web | access-date=2011-08-06 }}

Having won nine titles in the league's 23 seasons, the most successful club during this period is Maccabi Haifa; during the same period Maccabi Tel Aviv have added six to their total while Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv have won two championships each. Although Hapoel Tel Aviv have only finished top of the league twice since 1999—in 1999–2000 and ten years later in 2009–10—they have won the double on both occasions. This achievement was matched by Beitar Jerusalem in 2007–08.

Ironi Kiryat Shmona won their first championship during the 2011–12 season, thereby becoming the first northern title-winners. Maccabi Tel Aviv then won three titles in a row, including a Treble in 2014–15.

;Key

(titles)A running tally of the total number of championships won by each club is kept in brackets.

"Big Four" dominance

Since the 2015–16 season, the Big Four's dominance has been challenged by Hapoel Be'er Sheva, winning 3 successive championships, they also finished runners up in the 2021–22 and 2024-25 seasons.

Notably, three of the big four teams all finished near or at the bottom of the table at some point. (Hapoel Tel Aviv has been the only one to be relegated so far)

Top scorers by season

SeasonPlayerGoalsClub1999–20002000–012001–022002–032003–042004–052005–062006–072007–082008–092009–102010–112011–122012–132013–142014–152015–162016–172017–182018–192019–202020–212021–222022–232023–242024–25
ISR Assi Tubi27Maccabi Petah Tikva
ISR Avi Nimni25Maccabi Tel Aviv
ISR Kobi Refua18Maccabi Petah Tikva
ISR Yaniv Abargil18Hapoel Kfar Saba
ISR Shay HoltzmanIroni Rishon LeZion, F.C. Ironi Ashdod
ISR Ofir Haim16Hapoel Be'er Sheva
ISR Shay HoltzmanF.C. Ironi Ashdod
ISR Roberto Colautti19Maccabi Haifa
ISR Shay Holtzman18F.C. Ironi Ashdod
ISR Yaniv Azran15
GHA Samuel Yeboah15Hapoel Kfar Saba
ISR Barak Yitzhaki14Beitar Jerusalem
ISR Shimon AbuhatziraHapoel Petah Tikva
ISR Eliran AtarBnei Yehuda
ISR Shlomi Arbeitman28Maccabi Haifa
ISR Toto Tamuz21Hapoel Tel Aviv
ISR Ahmad Saba'a20Maccabi Netanya
ISR Eliran Atar22Maccabi Tel Aviv
ISR Eran Zahavi29
27
35
ISL Viðar Örn Kjartansson19
ISR Dia Saba24Maccabi Netanya
ISR Ben Sahar15Hapoel Be'er Sheva
AUS Nikita Rukavytsya22Maccabi Haifa
19
ISR Omer Atzili20
21
ISR Dean David20Maccabi Haifa
ISR Eran ZahaviMaccabi Tel Aviv
ISR Guy Melamed21Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Haifa

Individual records

Appearances

RankPlayerAppearances
1ISR Arik Benado573
2ISR Rafi Cohen546
3ISR Walid Badir531
4ISR Alon Harazi526
5ISR Gidi Damti519
6ISR Liran Strauber513
7ISR Shlomo Iluz509
8ISR Miko Bello498
9ISR Yigal Antebi494
10ISR Alon Hazan483

Top scorers

RankPlayerGoals
1ISR Alon Mizrahi206
2ISR Oded Machnes197
3ISR Avi Nimni194
4ISR Moshe Romano192
5ISR Eran Zahavi177
6ISR Shay Holtzman169
7ISR Mordechai Spiegler168
8ISR Uri Malmilian159
9ISR David Lavi158
10ISR Nahum Stelmach155

Player transfer fees

RankPlayerFee (min.)DateTransferReference(s)
1ISR Anan Khalaily€7.5M17 June 2024Maccabi HaifaBEL Saint-Gilloise
2BRA Weslley Patati€7.3M28 August 2025Maccabi Tel AvivAlkmaar
3ISR Eran Zahavi€7.23M29 June 2016Maccabi Tel AvivGuangzhou R&F
4ISR Oscar Gloukh€7M27 January 2023Maccabi Tel AvivRed Bull Salzburg
5ISR Manor Solomon€6M11 January 2019Maccabi Petah TikvaShakhtar Donetsk
6ISR Daniel Peretz€5M25 August 2023Maccabi Tel AvivBayern Munich
7ANG Felício Milson€5M26 July 2024Maccabi Tel AvivRed Star Belgrade
8SRB Predrag Rajković€5M23 July 2019Maccabi Tel AvivReims
9NGA Yakubu Ayegbeni€4.75M6 January 2003Maccabi HaifaPortsmouth
10ISR Dor Turgeman€4.7M20 August 2025Maccabi Tel AvivNew England Revolution

All-time table

The All-time Israeli Premier League table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the Israeli Premier League since its inception in 1999. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2024–25 season. Teams in green are part of the 2025–26 Israeli Premier League. Numbers in bold are the record (highest) numbers in each column.

Pos.ClubSPldWDLGFGFPGGAGAPGGDPtsRAvg. PtsTotal2612,1064,4463,2144,446colspan="2"14,248colspan="2"16,488colspan="3"26-
1Maccabi Tel Aviv2691650322219115488147341723856
2Maccabi Haifa269135042052041577****87670117141071
3Beitar Jerusalem2689535923729912261089137130226
4Hapoel Tel Aviv24823356234233115288426812872622
5Hapoel Be'er Sheva20700335172173105777428311753431
6Maccabi Netanya237912762113049921072-80103913
7F.C. Ashdod2585026723035310071194-187103121
8Maccabi Petah Tikva23783268216299894979-851020114
9Bnei Yehuda20688233184271781873-9288313
10Hapoel Haifa20689224199266816856-4987112
11Bnei Sakhnin20681205194282683886-2038052
12Ironi Kiryat Shmona16546197153196665649167441122
13Hapoel Petah Tikva14481139127215574724-15053214
14Hapoel Kfar Saba93037290141291436-1453035
15Hapoel Acre82707281117288389-1012951
16Hapoel Ra'anana82696681122251367-1162792
17Hapoel Hadera72346865101224337-1132691
18Hapoel Jerusalem5174494283248181671891
19Hapoel Rishon LeZion5180414198195346-211642
20Maccabi Bnei Reineh3102312744106141-35120
21Hapoel Ramat HaSharon310632235197154-571191
22Hapoel Nof HaGalil39926294496146-501072
23Maccabi Herzliya3105252456112179-67992
24Hapoel Ramat Gan310319295595161-66862
25Hapoel Ashkelon3101202556159159-79852
26Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan26612213358100-42572
27Sektzia Ness Ziona26613183554102-48572
28Maccabi Ahi Nazareth26815134073143-70552
29Ironi Tiberias1338111428-1735
30Maccabi Kiryat Gat13376203458-24271
31Hapoel Tzafririm Holon13844302585****-60161
Clubs that no longer exist

Notes

Record of finishing positions of clubs in the Israeli Premier League

Table correct as at the end of the 2024–25 Israeli Premier League season.

ClubBest resultS99–0000–0101–0202–0303–0404–0505–0606–0707–0808–0909–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1616–1717–1818–1919–2020–2121–2222–2323–2424–2525–26Maccabi HaifaMaccabi Tel AvivBeitar JerusalemHapoel Tel AvivF.C. AshdodMaccabi Petah TikvaMaccabi NetanyaBnei YehudaHapoel Be'er ShevaHapoel HaifaBnei SakhninIroni Kiryat ShmonaHapoel Petah TikvaHapoel Kfar SabaHapoel Ironi AcreHapoel Ra'ananaHapoel Rishon LeZionHapoel HaderaHapoel JerusalemHapoel Nir Ramat HaSharonMaccabi HerzliyaHapoel AshkelonHapoel Ramat GanHapoel Nof HaGalilHakoah Amidar Ramat GanMaccabi Ahi NazarethSektzia Ness ZionaMaccabi Kiryat GatHapoel Tzafririm HolonMaccabi Bnei ReinehIroni Tiberias
1st (x10)27211211155121525546102211123
1st (x8)2764312863663361112221123311
1st (x2)2755109943113511910743337310108114
1st (x2)251223592472122348914851151013
3rd (x2)2681047738788612778149121283961011
2nd (x1)2348863256107871412674813513813
2nd (x2)2410774117224106413914541074596
3rd (x1)2011111066499544341481165713
1st (x3)215541299138231113442232
3rd (x1)21731111111012911121284116911745
4th (x1)2110101249713812675511141269610
1st (x1)17312515321177101267139
3rd (x1)15366887912101314161314
8th (x1)912111081110131114
8th (x1)8128101110111314
6th (x1)8159106109914
9th (x3)59991215
6th (x1)76988121214
4th (x1)61412477
6th (x1)311613
10th (x1)3131012
12th (x1)3151213
14th (x2)3141614
5th (x1)351114
11th (x2)21111
12th (x1)21216
13th (x1)21314
12th (x1)112
12th (x1)112
5th (x1)41158
12th (x1)212

References

References

  1. "UEFA Country Ranking 2021".
  2. (27 June 2011). "This season will have no halving of points". . ONE.
  3. Daskal, Oriel. (7 August 2013). "80 מיליון שקל על ליגת העל, לא הגזמנו?". [[Calcalist]].
  4. (1 July 2010). "ליגת העל בכדורגל היא מהיום "ליגת ווינר"". [[Maariv]].
  5. Blech, Dor. (18 July 2016). "כך ייראה הסכם השיווק הבא של ליגת העל". [[Haaretz]].
  6. (23 August 2018). "ליגת העל תיקרא מעתה "ליגת ג'פניקה"". [[ynet]].
  7. Ben Shimol, David. (28 May 2019). "שמה החדש של ליגת העל: ליגת הבורסה לניירות ערך". [[ynet]].
  8. (3 July 2024). "Toto Winner - the sponsor of the Premier League in football". [[One (website).
  9. "Israel Football Association".
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