List of Israeli football champions
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The association football champions of Israel are the winners of the highest league in Israeli football, which is currently the Israeli Premier League. The league is contested on a round robin basis, and the championship is awarded to the team that is top of the league at the end of the season. Having won the 2025–26 competition, Hapoel Be’er Sheva are the current champions.
Following the creation of the Eretz Israel Football Association in August 1928,[1] the first nationwide football championship in Mandatory Palestine, the Palestine League, began in October 1930, although this competition was abandoned.[2] The Palestine League's last edition was played during the 1947–48 season, and was abandoned as well due to the Independence War. The league resumed in May 1949, and since then the national championship has been played under three names: Liga Alef, between 1949 and 1955; Liga Leumit, from 1955 to 1999; and finally, since 1999, the Israeli Premier League.
In all, Maccabi Tel Aviv holds the record for most championships, with 25 titles; they are also the only Israeli club to have never been relegated from the top division.[3][4] The next most successful teams are Maccabi Haifa (15 titles) and Hapoel Tel Aviv (11), followed by Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Petah Tikva six titles each. While Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv have always been major players in the league championship, the consistent success of Maccabi Haifa and Beitar Jerusalem has been a relatively recent phenomenon, both clubs having won their first title during the 1980s. The longest run of successive titles is five, won by Hapoel Petah Tikva between the 1958–59 and 1962–63 seasons.[5]
Champions
- Key
| † | Champions also won the Israel State Cup during the same season. (People's Cup before 1948) |
| ‡ | Champions also won the League Cup during the same season. (began play in 1984) |
| § | Champions also won both cups during the same season. |
| (titles) | A running tally of the total number of championships won by each club is kept in brackets. |
Palestine League (1931–1947)
The inaugural Palestine League title was won by British Police, who finished the season unbeaten and also won the People's Cup to complete the country's first double.[6] Except for the Jerusalem-based British Police's initial victory, only clubs from Tel Aviv won the title during the Mandate period; Hapoel and Maccabi Tel Aviv won five and four championships, respectively.[5][nb 1] Because of violent conflicts involving the Yishuv, the competition's scheduling was inconsistent, and in some seasons no national championship was held, or league competitions were abandoned.[7][8][2]
- Full league standings and top scorer details are not known at this time.
| Season | Winner (titles) | Runners-up | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930–31 | Not Finished | – | [nb 2] |
| 1931–32 | British Police (1)† | Hapoel Tel Aviv | — |
| 1932–33 | Not Finished | – | [nb 3] |
| 1933–34 | Hapoel Tel Aviv (1)† | Maccabi Hashmonai | — |
| 1934–35 | Not Finished | – | [nb 1] |
| 1935–36 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (1) | Hakoah Tel Aviv | — |
| 1937 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (2) | Hapoel Tel Aviv | — |
| 1938 | Not Finished | – | [nb 1] |
| 1939 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (3) | Hapoel Tel Aviv | [nb 4] |
| 1940 | Hapoel Tel Aviv (2) | Beitar Tel Aviv | — |
| 1940–41 | Not Held | – | [nb 5] |
| 1941–42 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (4) | Maccabi Rishon LeZion | [nb 6] |
| 1942–43 | Not Held | – | [nb 7] |
| 1943–44 | Hapoel Tel Aviv (3) | Maccabi Rehovot | [nb 8] |
| 1944–45 | Hapoel Tel Aviv (4) Beitar Tel Aviv (1) |
Hapoel Ramat Gan Maccabi Rehovot |
[nb 9] |
| 1945–46 | Not Finished | – | [nb 10] |
| 1946–47 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (5)† | Beitar Tel Aviv | — |
| 1947–48 | Not Finished | – | [nb 11] |
| 1948 | Not Finished | – | [nb 12] |
Israeli League (1949–1951)
Following Israel's creation in 1948, the association dropped "Eretz" from its name and the cup was renamed the Israel Cup. The league championship was held as the "Israeli League" for one season, in 1949–50; Maccabi Tel Aviv won the title.
| Season | Winner (titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949–50 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (6) | Hapoel Tel Aviv | Hapoel Haifa | Yosef Merimovich (Maccabi Tel Aviv) | 25 | — |
| 1950–51 | Not Held | — | — | — | — | — |
Liga Alef (1951–1955)
A new top division, Liga Alef started play with the 1951–52 season. It became the second tier of Israeli football in 1955–56, when it was superseded as the top flight by Liga Leumit. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the first two of the championships held under this name, whilst the 1954–55 season ended with the championship leaving Tel Aviv for the first time since the first league season, 1931–32; Hapoel Petah Tikva finished the season top of the league while Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv came in second and third place respectively
| Season | Winner (titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951–52 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (7) | Maccabi Petah Tikva | Hapoel Haifa | Yehoshua Glazer (Maccabi Tel Aviv) | 24 | — |
| 1952–53 | Not Held | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1953–54 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (8)† | Maccabi Petah Tikva | Hapoel Petah Tikva | Eliezer Spiegel (Maccabi Petah Tikva) | 16 | — |
| 1954–55 | Hapoel Petah Tikva (1) | Maccabi Tel Aviv | Hapoel Tel Aviv | Nisim Elmaliah (Beitar Tel Aviv) | 30 | — |
Liga Leumit (1955–1999)
The inaugural Liga Leumit season, 1955–56, ended with the championship won by Maccabi Tel Aviv, which won two of the next three titles and Hapoel Tel Aviv one. Hapoel Petah Tikva then finished in second place three times in a row, before starting a record run of five successive championship victories. Hapoel Petah Tikva's run of five consecutive titles between the 1958–59 and 1962–63 seasons remains unmatched today. Two Ramat Gan clubs, Hapoel Ramat Gan and Hakoah Ramat Gan, then claimed a title each before Hapoel Tel Aviv took the title to Tel Aviv at the end of the 1965–66 season. In the 1966–68 season, often referred to as the "double season", the sixteen teams played each other twice at home and twice away during a season lasting two years.[20]
During the 1970s and 1980s, six teams won their first championships; Maccabi Netanya took four titles between 1970 and 1980 while Hapoel Be'er Sheva won two back-to-back in 1974–75 and 1975–76. Hapoel Kfar Saba, Maccabi Haifa, Beitar Jerusalem and Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv all won their first titles during the 1980s. After Bnei Yehuda's victory in 1989–90, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem dominated the remainder of the top-flight Liga Leumit era, winning every title except the last; the 1998–99 championship was won by first-time victors Hapoel Haifa.
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, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem. Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem are sometimes referred to as the "Big Four" of Israeli football.[21]
Having won seven titles in the league's 20 seasons, the most successful club during this period is Maccabi Haifa; during the same period, Maccabi Tel Aviv have added six to their total, Hapoel Be'er Sheva added three championships, 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. Both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Be'er Sheva have won three titles in a row.
- Won the Israel State Cup during the same season.
- Won the League Cup during the same season.
- Won both cups during the same season.
Performances
Performance by club
A star above the crest is awarded for every five titles.
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maccabi Tel Aviv ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
26 | 12 | 1935–36, 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 |
| Maccabi Haifa ⭐⭐⭐ |
15 | 10 | 1983–84, 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 |
| Hapoel Tel Aviv ⭐⭐ |
13 | 16 | 1933–34, 1940, 1943–44, 1956–57, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1980–81, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1999–2000, 2009–10 |
| Hapoel Be'er Sheva ⭐ |
6 | 4 | 1974–75, 1975–76, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2025-26 |
| Hapoel Petah Tikva ⭐ |
6 | 10 | 1954–55, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63 |
| Beitar Jerusalem ⭐ |
6 | 7 | 1986–87, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2006–07, 2007–08 |
| Maccabi Netanya ⭐ |
5 | 5 | 1970–71, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1982–83 |
| Hakoah Ramat Gan | 2 | — | 1964–65, 1972–73 |
| Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv | 1 | 3 | 1989–90 |
| Beitar Tel Aviv | 1 | 2 | 1944–45[nb 14] |
| Hapoel Ramat Gan | 1 | 1[nb 15] | 1963–64 |
| Hapoel Haifa | 1 | 1 | 1998–99 |
| Ironi Kiryat Shmona | 1 | 1 | 2011–12 |
| British Police[nb 16] | 1 | — | 1931–32 |
| Hapoel Kfar Saba | 1 | — | 1981–82 |
| Maccabi Petah Tikva | — | 3 | – |
| Maccabi Jaffa | — | 3 | – |
| Maccabi Rehovot | — | 2[nb 17] | – |
| Shimshon Tel Aviv | — | 2 | – |
| Maccabi Jerusalem | — | 1 | – |
| Hakoah Tel Aviv | — | 1 | – |
| Maccabi Rishon LeZion | — | 1 | – |
Doubles by club
- Maccabi Tel Aviv – 26 (28.0%)
- Maccabi Haifa – 15 (18.0%)
- Hapoel Tel Aviv – 13 (15.0%)
- Beitar Jerusalem – 6 (8.00%)
- Hapoel Petah Tikva – 6 (8.00%)
- Hapoel Beer-Sheva – 6 (6.00%)
- Maccabi Netanya – 5 (6.00%)
- Other clubs – 9 (12.0%)
Six teams have completed the double by winning the Israeli State Cup during the same season. There have been 15 doubles won in total (including one treble, Maccabi Tel Aviv winning the championship, the State Cup and the Toto Cup in 2014–15); the most successful club in this regard is Maccabi Tel Aviv, who have been both league champions and cup winners on seven occasions.
| Club | Doubles | Double-winning seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 7 | 1946–47, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1969–70, 1976–77, 1995–96, 2014–15 |
| Hapoel Tel Aviv | 4 | 1933–34, 1937–38, 1999–2000, 2009–10 |
| British Police | 1 | 1931–32 |
| Maccabi Netanya | 1 | 1977–78 |
| Maccabi Haifa | 1 | 1990–91 |
| Beitar Jerusalem | 1 | 2007–08 |
Performance by city
The 15 title-winning clubs have come from a total of nine cities. The most successful city is Tel Aviv.
- Tel Aviv – 39 (48.0%)
- Haifa – 16 (17.0%)
- Jerusalem – 7 (9.00%)
- Petah Tikva – 6 (8.00%)
- Netanya – 5 (6.00%)
- Beersheba – 6 (6.00%)
- Ramat Gan – 3 (4.00%)
- Kfar Saba – 1 (1.00%)
- Kiryat Shmona – 1 (1.00%)
| City | Titles | Title-winning clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Tel Aviv | 39 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (25), Hapoel Tel Aviv (13), Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv (1) |
| Haifa | 16 | Maccabi Haifa (15), Hapoel Haifa (1) |
| Jerusalem | 7 | Beitar Jerusalem (6), British Police (1) |
| Beersheba | 6 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva (6) |
| Petah Tikva | 6 | Hapoel Petah Tikva (6) |
| Netanya | 5 | Maccabi Netanya (5) |
| Ramat Gan | 3 | Hakoah Ramat Gan (2), Hapoel Ramat Gan (1) |
| Kfar Saba | 1 | Hapoel Kfar Saba (1) |
| Kiryat Shmona | 1 | Kiryat Shmona (1) |
Performance by district
The Israeli championship has been won by 15 clubs from six districts. The most successful district is Tel Aviv District.
| District[25] | Titles | Title-winning clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Tel Aviv | 42 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (25), Hapoel Tel Aviv (13), Hakoah Ramat Gan (2), Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv (1), Hapoel Ramat Gan (1) |
| Haifa | 16 | Maccabi Haifa (15), Hapoel Haifa (1) |
| Center | 12 | Hapoel Petah Tikva (6), Maccabi Netanya (5), Hapoel Kfar Saba (1) |
| Jerusalem | 7 | Beitar Jerusalem (6), British Police (1) |
| South | 6 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva (6) |
| North | 1 | Kiryat Shmona (1) |
Footnotes
- Because of the inconsistent league programme during the 1930s and 1940s, controversy remains concerning the number of titles won by Hapoel Tel Aviv during that period. The 1934–35 championship was abandoned with Hapoel Tel Aviv leading the standings.[9] The IFA lists the title on its website.[7][10] The 1937–38 league season was also abandoned long before its end because of the Arab revolt in Palestine, once more with Hapoel Tel Aviv top of the table. As with the unfinished 1934–35 title, the Israel Football Association today lists the club as having won the 1937–38 crown. Counting both of these titles, Hapoel have five Palestine League championships and 13 in total,[10] but FIFA and UEFA only credit the club with four pre-1948 titles, giving an overall total of 12.[11][12] The club itself claims to have won 13 titles, five before independence and eight afterwards.[13] This figure is corroborated by the Israel Football Association and Ynet.[10][14]
- The competition started on 3 October 1930 and was abandoned in November 1930 as the High Commissioner ordered the British clubs to stop playing Jewish clubs due to violent incidents in matches.
- No national championship was held; instead, regional leagues took place in Tel Aviv (two divisions), Sharon, and Judah areas. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Tel Aviv district league and was recognized as champions by the IFA.[15][16] Beitar Netanya and Maccabi Rehovot won the other regional leagues.
- Due to disagreements between Maccabi and Hapoel, the league wasn't played. Each sport association held its own league, with Maccabi Petah Tikva winning the Maccabi League and Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Raanana winning the Southern and Samaria divisions of the Hapoel League, respectively.[2]
- The league was played in three regional divisions, in Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, although the Haifa division was cancelled after a few weeks. The two other divisions required over a year to finish, and a championship playoff was played with Homenetmen (Jerusalem winners), Maccabi Rishon LeZion (Tel Aviv winners) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv runners-up) participating. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the playoff and the title.[2][5][10][17]
- As the previous season was still being played during the 1942-43 football season, no new league was played.
- Two regional leagues were held instead of a national championship. Beitar Tel Aviv finished top of the Southern District league while Hapoel Tel Aviv won in the Northern District.[5][18] The IFA recognized both teams as league champions for this season.[10]
- The league was abandoned due to the outbreak of the 1947–1949 Palestine war. The IFA listed the league leaders at the time of abandonment, Nordia Tel Aviv as champions for this season.[10]
- The league was formed as a substitute for the Palestine League, which was abandoned due to the 1947–1949 Palestine war. The league was abandoned after only a handful of matches were played. The IFA listed the league leaders at the time of abandonment, Nordia Tel Aviv as champions for this season.[10]
- During the 1966–68 "double season", Mordechai Spiegler scored 38 goals; counting the two halves of the season separately, he scored 15 during 1966–67 and 23 during 1967–68.[8]
- Two regional leagues were held instead of a national championship. Beitar Tel Aviv finished top of the Southern District league while Hapoel Tel Aviv won in the Northern District.[5][18] The IFA recognized both teams as league champions for this season.[10]
- In 1944–45, two regional leagues were held instead of a national championship. Beitar Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Avivwon the two divisions, with Maccabi Rehovot and Hapoel Ramat Gan finishing as runners-up.[5][18]
- British Police ceased to exist along its parent organisation, the Palestine Police Force, in 1948.
- In 1944–45, two regional leagues were held instead of a national championship. Beitar Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Avivwon the two divisions, with Maccabi Rehovot and Hapoel Ramat Gan finishing as runners-up.[5][18]