01In brief
The Israeli Football Hall of Fame is a recognition project honoring leading players in the history of Israeli association football. Initiated in 2009 by Sport5 and the Israel Football Players Organization, it inducted 50 footballers chosen through a professional-panel process. Mordechai Spiegler, Israel's only World Cup goalscorer and the national team's record scorer until 2021, became the first inductee. The Hall's members later voted him the greatest Israeli footballer of all time.
02Origins and Establishment
In 2009, Sport5 and the Israel Football Players Organization initiated the establishment of the Israeli Football Hall of Fame.[1] A professional panel assembled the list of players, and the joint project ultimately inducted 50 footballers into the Hall.[1][2]
Among the prominent names selected were Eyal Berkovic, Eli Ohana, Haim Revivo, and Uri Malmilian.[1] Mordechai Spiegler was the first player inducted into the project.[1]
03Selection and Voting Process
Once the 50 inductees had been assembled, the members themselves voted to determine the five greatest Israeli footballers of all time. They selected Mordechai Spiegler, Eyal Berkovic, Uri Malmilian, Eli Ohana, and Haim Revivo. Spiegler received the highest honor within the group and was named the greatest Israeli footballer of all time by his peers.[2]
Berkovic retired at the end of the 2005/06 season, before his selection to the Hall in 2009. The Times later named him among the ten best midfielders in Premier League history for the period 1992–2009.[4]
04Notable Inductees
Spiegler received the project's highest individual distinction after the Hall's members voted him the greatest Israeli footballer of all time.[2] He helped the national team qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup and scored Israel's only goal in World Cup history. Earlier, he captained the Israeli Olympic team that reached the quarterfinals at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. His national-team total of 32 goals remained the record until 2021, and he later played for Paris Saint-Germain and the New York Cosmos.[3]
Haim Levin, another inductee, made 22 appearances for Israel and played for Maccabi Tel Aviv from 1960 to 1969. During that spell, he won the 1968 league title and three cups.[5]
05Concluding Ceremony
The Hall of Fame's concluding event brought together former players and their families. The program featured rare archival video footage and stories that the players had not previously shared. Lifetime achievement recognition was awarded to coach Emanuel Schaffer, whom the report credited with leading Israel to its only World Cup appearance.[2]
The ceremony also remembered goalkeeper Avi Ran, who died in a tragic accident on the Sea of Galilee at age 24. Sport5 CEO Avi Bar said, "The amount of emotion here is immense," and called the event "the high point, which captures the historical essence of Israeli football."[2]
07Controversies and Polling Distinctions
A 2021 online poll on a separate website named Eyal Berkovic the greatest Israeli player of all time. The result differed from the 2009 Hall of Fame vote, in which Spiegler received that designation, but the polls were conducted by different organizations under different conditions. They should not be read as contradictory outcomes from the same process.[7]
Sources
- 1Mako, Things you didn't know about the deputy king of goals, Mottel'e Spiegler | Intimate, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 2Walla! Sport, Spiegler voted the greatest footballer of all time, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 3The Jerusalem Post, ESPN's Chris Berman inducted in International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 4ONE, The magician turns 50: Eyal Berkovic's greatest moments, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 5Sport5, Farewell to a legend: Haim Levin has passed away, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 6My Jewish Learning, A Brief History of Jews in the Olympics, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 7Mako, Enough with the polls: there is no way to determine who is the greatest Israeli player of all time, accessed on September 28, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What is the Israeli Football Hall of Fame?
The Israeli Football Hall of Fame is a recognition project honoring leading players in the history of Israeli association football. It was initiated in 2009 by Sport5 and the Israel Football Players Organization, and inducted 50 footballers chosen through a professional-panel process.
Who was the first player inducted into the Israeli Football Hall of Fame?
Mordechai Spiegler was the first player inducted into the Israeli Football Hall of Fame. He is Israel's only World Cup goalscorer and held the national team's record as its top scorer until 2021. The Hall's members later voted him the greatest Israeli footballer of all time.
How did the Israeli Football Hall of Fame determine the greatest Israeli footballer of all time?
Once the 50 inductees had been assembled, the members themselves voted to determine the five greatest Israeli footballers of all time. They selected Mordechai Spiegler, Eyal Berkovic, Uri Malmilian, Eli Ohana, and Haim Revivo, with Spiegler receiving the highest honor and being named the greatest Israeli footballer of all time by his peers.
What were Mordechai Spiegler's achievements that made him notable in Israeli football history?
Mordechai Spiegler helped the Israeli national team qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup and scored Israel's only goal in World Cup history. Earlier, he captained the Israeli Olympic team that reached the quarterfinals at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. His national-team total of 32 goals remained the record until 2021, and he later played for Paris Saint-Germain and the New York Cosmos.
What took place at the Israeli Football Hall of Fame's concluding ceremony?
The concluding ceremony brought together former players and their families, and featured rare archival video footage and stories the players had not previously shared. Lifetime achievement recognition was awarded to coach Emanuel Schaffer, credited with leading Israel to its only World Cup appearance. The ceremony also remembered goalkeeper Avi Ran, who died in a tragic accident on the Sea of Galilee at age 24.
How does the Israeli Football Hall of Fame differ from the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame?
The Israeli Football Hall of Fame is a 2009 project focused specifically on Israeli association football, while the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame is a separate institution located in Netanya that documents Jewish athletic achievement more broadly and is not limited to Israeli association football. The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1979 by athlete, author, and television producer Joseph M. Siegman.
How should the 2009 Israeli Football Hall of Fame vote and the 2021 online poll naming Eyal Berkovic the greatest Israeli player be compared?
The two results should not be read as contradictory outcomes from the same process. The 2009 Hall of Fame vote was conducted by the Hall's own inductees and named Mordechai Spiegler the greatest Israeli footballer of all time, while the 2021 online poll was conducted by a separate website under different conditions and named Eyal Berkovic to that distinction.