2026–27 Israeli Premier League

The Israeli Premier League, known in Hebrew as Ligat Ha'al, is the highest tier of professional football in Israel and is governed by the Israeli Football Association. Liga Leumit is the second division.[5]

The 2026–27 edition operates with 14 clubs.[1] After the initial phase of the season, the competition splits into two groups: the top six clubs contest a Championship Playoff round, while the remaining eight sides play in a lower group.[6] Two clubs are relegated to the National League at the season's end, with two promoted in their place.[6] Major Israeli cities such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa are typically represented by one or two Premier League clubs.[5]

The published league calendar set the opening round for August 22, 2026, and the final round for May 22, 2027.[2] The schedule also incorporated two three-week breaks in the first half of the season — one aligned with FIFA international fixtures and a second combining international fixtures with pitch-maintenance work — with round six resuming on October 10 and a further break after round ten on November 7.[2]

The opening round was initially programmed for seven fixtures, including Hapoel Tel Aviv against Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Beersheba against Hapoel Haifa, and Maccabi Tel Aviv against Hapoel Jerusalem.[7] Two of those matches were postponed at the clubs' request while they were engaged in European qualifying competition; the Beersheba fixture was rescheduled for September 2 and the Tel Aviv–Beitar match for September 3, reducing the opening weekend to five games.[8] The league indicated it would confirm later rounds once European competition schedules were finalised.[8]

Pre-season scheduling reports gave differing dates for the planned Champion of Champions match between Hapoel Beersheba and Maccabi Tel Aviv, with one source listing July 12 and another July 16.[7][9]

The 14 clubs competing in the 2026–27 season are Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hapoel Beersheba, Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Petah Tikva, Maccabi Netanya, Bnei Sakhnin, Hapoel Ramat Gan, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, Hapoel Petah Tikva, and Ironi Tiberias.[4]

Hapoel Ramat Gan and Maccabi Petah Tikva entered the division as newly promoted or returned sides.[1] Hapoel Petah Tikva had reached the previous season's Championship Playoffs.[1] Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, unable to use its home ground in the north, was scheduled to play home matches at Netanya Stadium, while Hapoel Ramat Gan was to host games at Rehovot Stadium.[1]

Hapoel Beersheba entered the campaign as defending champion, though the club had sold Kings Kangwa — described as both the squad's and the league's standout player — during the summer.[1] Beersheba was simultaneously engaged in Champions League qualification, facing an estimated eight additional European matches and at least 16 flights during the season, yet a pre-season assessment held that the club retained a squad capable of challenging to retain the title.[1]

Beitar Jerusalem was identified as another serious contender, operating under new head coach Almog Cohen.[1] The club had come close to winning the previous season's title, and supporters were hopeful the team could end a drought of almost 20 years without a league championship.[1] Hapoel Tel Aviv, under manager Elyaniv Barda, was also presented as a potential top-table force — a notable turnaround given that the club had been competing in the second-tier Leumit League only two seasons earlier.[1]

Maccabi Netanya, coached by Roni Levy, was expected to challenge for a Championship Playoffs berth.[1] Hapoel Jerusalem was seeking to climb the table after avoiding relegation the previous campaign, while Bnei Sakhnin was hoping to avoid another difficult survival battle.[1]

Opening-round action beginning on August 22, 2026, produced several notable results.[10] Maccabi Haifa defeated Hapoel Ramat Gan 2–1, with Bruninho netting both goals for Haifa — the first from approximately 30 metres in the 22nd minute, curling into the top-right corner, and the second just after half-time; Maxim Plakushenko scored for Ramat Gan.[10] Maccabi Tel Aviv thrashed Hapoel Jerusalem 5–2, with Dor Peretz scoring a hat trick; Hapoel Jerusalem's Vitalie Damascan had put his side ahead after just 37 seconds.[10] Maccabi Netanya and Bnei Sakhnin played out a goalless draw, Ironi Tiberias beat Hapoel Petah Tikva 1–0, and Maccabi Petah Tikva defeated Hapoel Kiryat Shmona 2–1.[10] The same report also noted Bnei Sakhnin's 2–1 win over Beitar Jerusalem.[10]

Maccabi Tel Aviv's strong form continued through the first four rounds. The club defeated Maccabi Haifa in round two, Hapoel Beersheba in round three, and then beat Hapoel Tel Aviv 4–1 in the Tel Aviv derby at Bloomfield Stadium in round four.[3][11] After five matches, Maccabi Tel Aviv led the table with 15 points, having scored 18 goals and conceded six while maintaining a perfect record.[4] Maccabi Haifa sat second with 12 points, while Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Beersheba each had 10.[4] Maccabi Haifa also beat Hapoel Kiryat Shmona 4–0 in round four.[11]

Coach Kenny Miller, assessing his team's early dominance, was measured in his response. "It's a long, long way to go," he said, emphasizing that the campaign remained a marathon.[3]

Ironi Tiberias began the season under the shadow of a points deduction connected to a "double contracts" affair, with the penalty confirmed at six points by the time the league table was published after five rounds — leaving the club with just one point from its two wins, one draw, and two losses.[4][1] Before the 2026–27 campaign began, a pre-season report had described the sanction as unresolved, with the possibility of a deduction as large as 12 points.[1] The same report noted that during the previous season's relegation playoff, Tiberias players had received injections of saltwater before a critical match against Ashdod, in an amount described as a violation of WADA regulations.[1]

Fan violence also overshadowed the opening weekend. Reports described incidents outside stadiums following a couple of matches, with some supporters requiring hospital treatment.[10] Clubs condemned the disturbances, and both police and the league faced scrutiny over how to prevent further incidents. The report did not identify the stadiums involved or state the number of people affected.[10]