Israel at the FIFA World Cup
This is a record of Israel's results at the FIFA World Cup. They have qualified for the tournament on one occasion, in 1970.[1] Israel qualified for the 1970 World Cup as an Asian team. Nowadays Israel competes in the European zone as a member of UEFA.
History
In 1934 and 1938 Mandatory Palestine competed in the World Cup. In 1970 Israel competed in the World Cup for the first time. FIFA states in reference to the 1930s Palestine Mandate team that the 'Palestine team' that had participated in previous competitions in the 1930s was actually the forerunner of today's Israel team and as such bears no relation to the national team of the Palestinian authority.[2] However, the region currently known as Palestine is considered "one of the first Asian teams to compete in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers".[3]
Record at the FIFA World Cup
| Israel's FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Confederation | |
As .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Mandatory Palestine (Eretz Israel) |
As Mandatory Palestine (Eretz Israel) | |||||||||||||||||
 1930 |
did not enter | did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 1934 |
did not qualify | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | Africa/Asia | |||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 1938 |
2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Europe | ||||||||||
As  Israel |
As Israel | |||||||||||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 1950 |
did not qualify | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | Europe | |||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 1954 |
3rd | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||
 1958 |
Play-off | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | CAF/AFC | ||||||||||
 1962 |
Final Round | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 14 | UEFA | ||||||||||
 1966 |
3rd | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | |||||||||||
 1970 |
Group stage | 12th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Squad | Final Round | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | AFC/OFC | |
 1974 |
did not qualify | Zone A Final | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | ||||||||||
 1978 |
First round | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||
 1982 |
5th | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | UEFA | ||||||||||
| 1986 |
2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 6 | OFC | ||||||||||
 1990 |
Play-off | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||||
 1994 |
6th | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 27 | UEFA | ||||||||||
 1998 |
3rd | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 7 | |||||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}  2002 |
3rd | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 2006 |
3rd | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 10 | |||||||||||
 2010 |
4th | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 10 | |||||||||||
 2014 |
3rd | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 14 | |||||||||||
 2018 |
4th | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 15 | |||||||||||
 2022 |
3rd | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 21 | |||||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 2026 |
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 1/22 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
- *Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out
1970 FIFA World Cup
At the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Israel participated for the first time. Israel qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 1970, along with El Salvador and Morocco.[1]
Although it was reported in the build-up to the final draw that seedings would be used, as had been the case at the previous two World Cup Finals,[4][5] the FIFA Organising Committee ultimately announced that there would be no seeding of teams.[6] Instead, the sixteen teams were divided into four 'geographical groupings', which also took into account the teams' strengths and even political considerations;[7] the system ensured that Israel and Morocco would not be drawn to face each other after Morocco had earlier threatened to withdraw from the tournament, as they had done from the Olympic football tournament two years earlier,[8] if that were the case.[9]
1970 Qualifying Round
1970 Qualifying Round 1
During the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification Israel received a First round bye in the first round and moved directly to the Second round.
1970 Qualifying Round 2
In the second round, North Korea, quarter-finalists at the previous tournament, were disqualified after refusing to play in Israel for political reasons.[10][11]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 4 |
| 2 |  New Zealand |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 |
| — |  North Korea (W) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(W) Withdrew
| 28 September 1969 | Israel | 4 – 0 | New Zealand | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel[12] |
Spiegler  48'Spiegel 65'Feigenbaum 72', 86' |
Referee: Nassiri (Iran) |
| 1 October 1969 | Israel | 2 – 0 | New Zealand | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel[12] |
| Spiegler 24' Spiegel 33' |
Referee: Nassiri (Iran) |
1970 Qualifying Final Round
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Israel |
2–1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia |
1–0 | 1–1 |
1970 FIFA World Cup Group 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Uruguay |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | |
| 3 | Sweden |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Israel |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
          Uruguay
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Israel
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  Italy
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 Israel
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Head coach: Emmanuel Scheffer
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Yitzchak Vissoker | 18 September 1944 (aged 25) | 17 | Hapoel Petah Tikva |
| 2 | DF | Shraga Bar | 24 March 1948 (aged 22) | 13 | Maccabi Netanya |
| 3 | DF | Menachem Bello | 26 December 1947 (aged 22) | 25 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 4 | MF | David Primo | 5 May 1946 (aged 24) | 18 | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| 5 | DF | Zvi Rosen | 23 June 1947 (aged 22) | 16 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 6 | DF | Shmuel Rosenthal | 22 April 1947 (aged 23) | 23 | Hapoel Petah Tikva |
| 7 | MF | Itzhak Shum | 1 September 1948 (aged 21) | 8 | Hapoel Kfar Saba |
| 8 | FW | Giora Spiegel | 27 July 1947 (aged 22) | 19 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 9 | FW | Yehoshua Feigenbaum | 5 December 1947 (aged 22) | 15 | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| 10 | FW | Mordechai Spiegler | 19 August 1944 (aged 25) | 36 | Maccabi Netanya |
| 11 | MF | George Borba | 12 July 1944 (aged 25) | 10 | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| 12 | MF | Yisha'ayahu Schwager | 10 February 1946 (aged 24) | 6 | Maccabi Haifa |
| 13 | FW | Yechezekel Chazom | 1 January 1947 (aged 23) | 4 | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| 14 | MF | Danny Shmulevich-Rom | 29 November 1940 (aged 29) | 24 | Maccabi Haifa |
| 15 | FW | Rachamim Talbi | 17 May 1943 (aged 27) | 25 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 16 | DF | Yochanan Vollach | 14 May 1945 (aged 25) | 4 | Hapoel Haifa |
| 17 | FW | Eli Ben Rimoz | 1 January 1947 (aged 23) | 2 | Hapoel Jerusalem |
| 18 | MF | Moshe Romano | 6 May 1946 (aged 24) | 6 | Shimshon Tel Aviv |
| 19 | MF | Roni Shuruk | 24 February 1946 (aged 24) | 8 | Hakoah Maccabi Ramat Gan |
| 20 | DF | David Karako | 11 February 1945 (aged 25) | 6 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 21 | GK | Yechiel Hameiri | 20 August 1946 (aged 23) | 1 | Hapoel Haifa |
| 22 | GK | Yair Nossovsky | 29 June 1937 (aged 32) | 3 | Hapoel Kfar Saba |
Qualifier history
Through the 2014 qualifier, Israel has entered the qualifiers for the World Cup on 19 occasions. In 1934 and 1938 Palestine, under the British Mandate, competed. As Israel was established in place of Palestine in 1948, Israel began competing in 1950. In all years but 1970 Israel failed to qualify for the World Cup.
At the 1934 FIFA World Cup, Mandatory Palestine competed in the Africa and Asia Group 12 qualifying round.[13] Mandatory Palestine finished in second place and was eliminated.
The Palestine football team consisted of nine British footballers, six Jewish footballers and one Arab footballer.[14] FIFA states in reference to the 1930s Palestine Mandate team that the 'Palestine team' that had participated in previous competitions in the 1930s was actually the forerunner of today's Israel team and as such bears no relation to the national team of the Palestinian authority.[2] However, the region currently known as Palestine is considered "one of the first Asian teams to compete in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers".[3]
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Egypt |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 5.500 | 4 |
| 2 | Palestine, British Mandate |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 0.182 | 0 |
| — |  Turkey (W) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
(W) Withdrew
- Matches
| 16 March 1934 | Egypt | 7 – 1 | Palestine, British Mandate | Cairo, Egypt |
| El-Tetsh 11', 35', 51' Taha 21', 79'Latif 43', 87' |
Nudelman 61' |
Stadium: British Army Ground Attendance: 13,000 Referee: Stanley Wells (England) |
| 6 April 1934 | Palestine, British Mandate | 1 – 4 | Egypt | Tel Aviv, Palestine/Eretz Israel |
| Sukenik 54' |
Latif 2' El-Tetsh 7', 22' Fawzi 35' |
Stadium: Palms Stadium Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Frederick Goodsby (England) |
- Squad
Coaches: 
Egon Pollak, 
Shimon Ratner
16/03/1934:
GK: Willy Berger (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
DF: Avraham Reznik (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Pinhas Fiedler (Maccabi Hasmonean)
MF: Zalman Friedman (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Gedalyahu Fuchs (Hapoel Haifa), Yohanan Sukenik (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
FW: Amnon Harlap (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Ferenc Kraus (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Paul Kastenbaum (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Haim Reich, Avraham Nudelman (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
06/04/1934:
GK: Willy Berger (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
DF: David Weinberg (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Pinhas Fiedler (Maccabi Hasmonean)
MF: Zalman Friedman (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Gedalyahu Fuchs (Hapoel Haifa), Yohanan Sukenik (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
FW: Amnon Harlap (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Ya'akov Levi-Meir (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Ya'akov Zelivanski (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Haim Reich, Avraham Nudelman (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
At the 1938 FIFA World Cup, Mandatory Palestine competed in the UEFA Group 6 qualifying round.[15] Hungary as the strongest team of this group was seeded. Greece and Mandatory Palestine would play against each other on a home-and-away basis, with Hungary playing against the winner at home. Mandatory Palestine lost to Greece in the First Round, and finished in third and last place.
In 1938 World Cup marked the second (1934 being the first) and final time Mandatory Palestine competed in the World Cup. FIFA states in reference to the 1930s Palestine Mandate team that the 'Palestine team' that had participated in previous competitions in the 1930s was actually the forerunner of today's Israel team and as such bears no relation to the national team of the Palestinian authority.[2]
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Greece |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4.000 | 4 |
| 2 | Palestine, British Mandate |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0.250 | 0 |
- Matches
| 22 January 1938 | Palestine, British Mandate | 1 – 3 | Greece | Tel Aviv, Palestine/Eretz Israel |
| Neufeld 36' |
Report | Vikelidis 15', 30' Migiakis 73' |
Stadium: Maccabiah Stadium Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Mohammed Youssef (Egypt) |
| 20 February 1938 | Greece | 1 – 0 | Palestine, British Mandate | Athens, Greece |
| Vikelidis 88' (pen.) |
Report | Stadium: Stadio Leoforos Alexandras Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Mika Popovic (Yugoslavia) |
- Game 1
- Mandatory Palestine vs Greece
| Palestine (British Mandate) |
1 — 3 (final score after 90 minutes) |
Greece |
|
Manager: Team:
Substitutes: none Unused Substitutes:
Scorers:
|
Half-time: Competition: Date: Kick off: Venue: Attendance: Referee: Assistants: Match rules: |
Manager: Team:
Substitutes:
Unused Substitutes:
Scorers:
|
- Game 2
- Greece vs Mandatory Palestine
| Greece |
1 — 0 (final score after 90 minutes) |
Palestine (British Mandate) |
|
Manager: Team:
Substitutes:
Unused Substitutes:
Scorers:
|
Half-time: Competition: Date: Kick off: Venue: Attendance: Referee: Assistants: Match rules: |
Manager: Team:
Substitutes: none Unused Substitutes:
Scorers:
|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}
- Squad
Head coach: Egon Pollak
| Pos. | Player | DoB | Games played |
Goals | Minutes played |
Sub off | Sub on | |
|
Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Avraham Beit haLevi | 1915 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 90 | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| FW | Jerry Beit haLevi | 14 November 1912 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | - | 90 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| FW | Shuka Brashedski | 1914 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 90 | - | Hapoel Haifa |
| GK | Israel Elsner | 1909 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | - | 90 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| MF | Gdalyahu Fuchs | 1911 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | - | 90 | Hapoel Haifa |
| FW | Mila Ginzburg | 1918 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 90 | - | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| GK | Julius Klein | 1907 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 90 | - | Hapoel Haifa |
| MF | Yosef Libermann | 1909 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 90 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| FW | Gaul Machlis | 1918 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 90 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| MF | Menahem Mirmovich | 1919 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 90 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| FW | Peri Neufeld | 1913 | 2 | 1 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 90 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| FW | Avraham Nudelmann | 1910 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 90 | - | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| FW | Natan Pentz | 1917 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | - | 90 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| DF | Avraham Reznik | 1909 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 90 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| FW | Yona Stern | 1908 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | - | 90 | Hapoel Haifa |
| MF | Yohanan Sukenik | 1910 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 90 | - | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
At the 1950 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 3 qualifying round. Israel finished in third and last place.[16]
This World Cup was the first for Israel, although they previously competed in 1934 and 1938 as Mandatory Palestine. FIFA states in reference to the 1930s Palestine Mandate team that the 'Palestine team' that had participated in previous competitions in the 1930s was actually the forerunner of today's Israel team and as such bears no relation to the national team of the Palestinian authority.[2]
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Yugoslavia |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 4 |
| 2 | Israel |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 0 |
Source:[17]
- Matches
Israel competed in Group 3, which had 3 teams each. The strongest team, France, was seeded. The winner of the First Round would move on to the Final Round. Israel lost to Yugoslavia in the First Round and was eliminated.
| 21 August 1949 | Yugoslavia | 6–0 | Israel | Belgrade, Yugoslavia |
| Pajević 12', 19', 26' Senčar 44'Ž. Čajkovski 63'Bobek 83' (pen.) |
Report | Stadium: JNA Stadion Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Giovanni Galeati (Italy) |
| 18 September 1949 | Israel | 2–5 | Yugoslavia | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Glazer 65', 76' |
Report | Valok 19', 64' Bobek 20'Z. Čajkovski 41'Ž. Čajkovski 82' |
Stadium: Maccabiah Stadium Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Yosef Kinstlich (Cyprus) |
At the 1954 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 10 qualifying round. Israel finished in third and last place.[18]
- Standings
| Final table | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Yugoslavia |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 8 | X | 1:0 | 1:0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2. | Greece |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | 0:1 | X | 1:0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3. | Israel |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 | 0:1 | 0:2 | X | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
- Matches
| 8 November 1953 | Yugoslavia | 1 – 0 | Israel | Skopje, Yugoslavia |
| Milutinović |
Report | Referee: Alsteen (Belgium) |
| 8 March 1954 | Israel | 0 – 2 | Greece | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Report | Kokkinakis Kamaras |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: Buchmüller (Switzerland) |
| 21 March 1954 | Israel | 0 – 1 | Yugoslavia | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Report | Zebec |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: Leafe (England) |
At the 1958 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the Africa and Asia qualification round. The round was conducted in a knockout stage format.[19] Israel won its group by default because its three opponents, Turkey, Indonesia and Sudan, refused to play.
The national team was placed in the African/Asian zone and was drawn to play against Turkey in the first round. However, Turkey withdrew in protest of being placed in the African/Asian zone (instead of the European Zone), and Israel advanced to the second round without playing a match, along with Indonesia, Egypt and Sudan. Israel was drawn to play Indonesia, but, as Indonesia refused to play in Israel and as FIFA rejected their request to play against Israel on neutral ground, Indonesia withdrew and Israel advanced to the regional finals, again without playing a match, alongside Sudan. In the final round, Sudan refused to play Israel for political reasons and withdrew. FIFA had imposed a rule that no team would qualify without playing at least one match, after it had happened in several previous World Cups. Wales, which finished second in its group behind Czechoslovakia, was drawn into a play-off, which they won.
- CAF / AFC Preliminary Round - Group 2
Turkey refused to compete in the Asian group, so Israel advanced to the Second Round automatically.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel |
advanced | ||||||
| — | Turkey |
withdrew | ||||||
- CAF / AFC second round
Indonesia withdrew after FIFA rejected their request to play against Israel on neutral ground. Israel advanced to the Final Round automatically.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Israel |
advanced | ||||||
| 1= | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Sudan |
advanced | ||||||
| — | Egypt |
withdrew | ||||||
| — |  Indonesia |
withdrew | ||||||
- CAF / AFC Final Round
Sudan refused to play against Israel for political reasons, so Israel would technically qualify automatically, but before the qualification rounds began, FIFA ruled that no team would qualify without playing at least one match (except for the defending champions and the hosts), and Israel had yet to play any.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel |
advanced | ||||||
| — | Sudan |
withdrew | ||||||
- UEFA / AFC Play-off
A special play-off was created between Israel and the runner-up of one of the UEFA Groups, where the teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis, with the winner qualifying. After Belgium refused, Wales, the runner-up of UEFA Group 4, was the team drawn from the UEFA group runners-up.[20]
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Wales |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 4 |
| 2 | Israel |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
- Matches
| 15 January 1958 | Israel | 0 – 2 | Wales | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Report | L. Allchurch 38' Bowen 65' |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: Maurice Guigue (France) |
| 5 February 1958 | Wales | 2 – 0 | Israel | Cardiff, Wales |
| I. Allchurch 76' Jones 80' |
Report | Stadium: Ninian Park Referee: Klas Schipper (Netherlands) |
At the 1962 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 7 qualifying round. The round was conducted in a knockout stage format. The five teams in this group played in a knockout stage on a home-and-away basis, with Israel finishing in second place, after losing to Italy in the finals.[21]
- Bracket
| First Round | Second Round | Final | ||||||||
| Italy | - | |||||||||
| bye | - | |||||||||
| Italy | - | |||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Romania | withdrew | |||||||||
| Romania | - | |||||||||
| bye | - | |||||||||
| Italy | 4 6 | |||||||||
| Israel | 2 0 | |||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ethiopia | - | |||||||||
| bye | - | |||||||||
| Ethiopia | 0 2 | |||||||||
| Israel | 1 3 | |||||||||
| Israel | 1 6 | |||||||||
 Cyprus | 1 1 | |||||||||
- Matches
- First Round
Israel defeated Cyprus to advance to the Second Round.
| 13 November 1960 | Cyprus .svg.png.webp){kind=small} | 1 – 1 | Israel | Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Shialis |
Report | Kofman 31' |
Referee: Bajić (Yugoslavia) |
| 27 November 1960 | Israel | 6 – 1 | Cyprus | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Levi 14', 30', 66' Stelmach 61', 88'Nahari 34' |
Report | Shialis |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: Bajić (Yugoslavia) |
- Second round
Israel defeated Ethiopia to advance to the Final Round.
| 14 March 1961 | Israel | 1 – 0 | Ethiopia | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Glazer 69' |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: Zsolt (Hungary) |
| 19 March 1961 | Israel | 3 – 2 | Ethiopia | Haifa, Israel |
| Glazer 27', 77' Stelmach 59' |
Mengistu Tesfaye |
Referee: Pósa (Hungary) |
- Final round
Israel lost to Italy in the Final Round to be eliminated.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 4 |
| Israel |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 0 |
| 15 October 1961 | Israel | 2 – 4 | Italy | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Stelmach 15' Young 38' |
Report | Lojacono 53' (pen.) Altafini 79'Corso 87', 90' |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: Takow (Bulgaria) |
| 4 November 1961 | Italy | 6 – 0 | Israel | Turin, Italy |
| Sivori 16', 52', 65', 88' Corso 59'Angelillo 69' |
Report | Referee: Asensi Martin (Spain) |
- Squad
Head coach: 
Gyula Mándi
At the 1966 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 1 qualifying round, finishing in third and last place.[22] Israeli referee Menachem Ashkenazi also participated in the World Cup, officiating the Group 1 game between France and Mexico, as well as the Quarter-finals game between Portugal and North Korea.[23]
- Standings
| Final table | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} |
 |
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Belgium |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 6 | X | 5:0 | 1:0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2. | Bulgaria |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 6 | 3:0 | X | 4:0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 3. | Israel |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | -11 | 0 | 0:5 | 1:2 | X | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
- Matches
| 9 May 1965 | Belgium | 1 – 0 | Israel | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |
| Jurion 24' (pen.) |
Report | Attendance: 21,699 Referee: Poulsen (Denmark) |
| 13 June 1965 | Bulgaria | 4 – 0 | Israel | Slavia Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Kotkov 16', 39' Asparuhov 67'Kitov 69' |
Report | Attendance: 18,770 Referee: Talu (Turkey) |
| 10 November 1965 | Israel | 0 – 5 | Belgium | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Report | Van Himst 24', 33', 69' Thio 31'Puis 48' |
Attendance: 48,355 Referee: Sbardeua (Italy) |
| 21 November 1965 | Israel | 1 – 2 | Bulgaria | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Talbi 48' |
Report | Kolev 31' Asparuhov 81' |
Attendance: 28,213 Referee: Babauczek (Austria) |
- Squad
Head coach: Milovan Ćirić
At the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the AFC and OFC qualifying round, losing in the Zone A finals.[24] The 1974 World Cup was Israel's last as an official member of the AFC, as they resigned the Asian Games Federation in 1974.[25]
- Classification matches
Based on the results of the classification match Israel was assigned to Group 2 with Thailand and Malaysia.
| 16 May 1973 | Israel | 2 – 1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Japan | Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul |
| 19:45 KST (UTC+09) | Mordechai Spiegler 5' Moshe Onana 61' |
Shusaku Hirasawa 27' |
Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Boskovic (Australia) |
- Group 2
Israel finished in first place in Group 2, moving on to the semi-finals with South Korea.
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 5 |
| 2 |  South Korea |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 4 |
| 3 |  Malaysia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 |
| 4 |  Thailand |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |
- Matches
| 19 May 1973 | Israel | 3 – 0 | Malaysia | Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul |
| 17:25 KST (UTC+09) | Farkas 50' Itzhak Shum 62'Moshe Onana 82' |
Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Aing Kim Ean (Khmer Republic) |
| 21 May 1973 | Israel | 6 – 0 | Thailand | Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul |
| 18:00 KST (UTC+09) | George Borba 12' Mordechai Spiegler 62' Itzhak Shum 69' Zvi Rozen 73', 84' Moshe Onana 78' |
Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Dhillon (Singapore) |
| 23 May 1973 | South Korea | 0 – 0 | Israel | Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul |
| 19:45 KST (UTC+09) | Attendance: 40,000 Referee: U Tin Thut (Burma) |
- Semifinals
Israel, defeating Japan in the semifinals, advanced to the Zone A finals to face South Korea.
| 26 May 1973 | Israel | 1 – 0 (a.e.t.) | Japan | Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul |
| 16:45 KST (UTC+09) | Moshe Onana 110' |
Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Dhillon (Singapore) |
- Finals
In the Zone A finals, Israel lost to South Korea, who moved on to the AFC/OFC Final Round.
| 28 May 1973 | South Korea | 1 – 0 (a.e.t.) | Israel | Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul |
| 19:00 KST (UTC+09) | Cha Bum-Kun 109' |
Attendance: 40,000 Referee: U Tin Thut (Burma) |
At the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the AFC and OFC Group 2 qualifying round, finishing in second place.[26] Israel, despite resigning the Asian Games Federation in 1974, was still assigned to compete in the AFC and OFC qualifying round.[25]
Additionally Israeli referee, Abraham Klein, worked games in Group 1, Group A and the third place match.[27]
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 |
| 2 | Israel |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 | Japan |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 1 |
| — | North Korea (W) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(W) Withdrew
- Matches
| 27 February 1977 | Israel | 0 – 0 | South Korea | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: McGinlay (Scotland) |
| 6 March 1977 | Israel | 2 – 0 | Japan | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: Kitabdjian (France) |
| 10 March 1977 | Japan | 0 – 2 | Israel | Ramat Gan, Israel[28] |
| Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Referee: Verbeke (France) |
| 20 March 1977 | South Korea | 3 – 1 | Israel | Seoul, Korea Republic |
| Cha Bum-Kun 23' Park Sang-In 86'Choi Chong-Dock 88' |
Malmillian 76' |
At the 1982 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 6 qualifying round, finishing in fifth and last place.[29]
Israel was previously part of the Asian Games Federation until it was disbanded in 1981. In 1982 Israel was barred joining the new Olympic Council of Asia, Israel opted to join the European Olympic Committees in the early 1990s. The 1982 World Cup Israel was not yet part of the continent group, however was assigned to it.[30]
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Scotland |
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 11 |
| 2 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Northern Ireland |
8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 9 |
| 3 | Sweden |
8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 8 |
| 4 |  Portugal |
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 7 |
| 5 | Israel |
8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 5 |
- Matches
| 26 March 1980 | Israel | 0 – 0 | Northern Ireland | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| Report | Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Stjepan Glavina (Yugoslavia) |
| 18 June 1980 | Sweden | 1 – 1 | Israel | Råsunda Stadium, Solna |
| Ramberg 35' |
Report | Damti 80' |
Attendance: 39,831 Referee: Martti Hirviniemi (Finland) |
| 12 November 1980 | Israel | 0 – 0 | Sweden | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| Report | Attendance: 45,000 Referee: George Courtney (England) |
| 17 December 1980 | Portugal | 3 – 0 | Israel | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon |
| Coelho 33', 72' Jordão 36' |
Report | Attendance: 60,000 Referee: Enzo Barbaresco (Italy) |
| 25 February 1981 | Israel | 0 – 1 | Scotland | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| Report | Dalglish 54' |
Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Otto Anderco (Romania) |
| 28 April 1981 | Scotland | 3 – 1 | Israel | Hampden Park‚ Glasgow |
| Robertson 21' (pen.), 30' (pen.) Provan 54' |
Report | Sinai 56' |
Attendance: 60,000 Referee: Gudmundur Haraldsson (Iceland) |
| 28 October 1981 | Israel | 4 – 1 | Portugal | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| Tabak 6', 18', 30' Damti 14' |
Report | Jordão 8' |
Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Sotou Afxentiou (Cyprus) |
| 18 November 1981 | Northern Ireland | 1 – 0 | Israel | Windsor Park, Belfast |
| Armstrong 27' |
Report | Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Emilio Guruceta Muro (Spain) |
- Goalscorers
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
At the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the OFC qualification round, finishing in second place.
Israel was previously part of the Asian Games Federation until it was disbanded in 1981. In 1982 Israel was barred joining the new Olympic Council of Asia, Israel opted to join the European Olympic Committees in the early 1990s. The 1986 World Cup Israel was not yet part of a continent group, therefore joining OFC.[30]
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |
|
|
 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia |
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 2 | +18 | 10 | Advance to Inter-confederation play-offs | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 8–0 | |
| 2 | Israel |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 6 | +11 | 7 | 1–2 | — | 3–0 | 5–0 | ||
| 3 | New Zealand |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 7 | 0–0 | 3–1 | — | 5–0 | ||
| 4 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Chinese Taipei |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 36 | −35 | 0 | 0–7 | 0–6 | 1–5 | — |
- Matches
| 3 September 1985 | Chinese Taipei | 0–6 | Israel | Ramat Gan, Israel[31] |
| 28', 35', 74' Turk 39' Armeli 53', 90' Malmilian |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Mircea Salomir (Romania) |
| 8 September 1985 | Israel | 5–0 | Chinese Taipei | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Cohen 7' Armeli 18' Ohana 56', 72', 79' |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Ioan Igna (Romania) |
| 8 October 1985 | Israel | 1–2 | Australia | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Armeli 65' |
46' Mitchell 50' Kosmina |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Luigi Agnolin (Italy) |
| 20 October 1985 | Australia | 1–1 | Israel | Melbourne, Australia |
| Ratcliffe 32' |
47' Cohen |
Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 27,000 Referee: José Rosa dos Santos (Portugal) |
| 26 October 1985 | New Zealand | 3–1 | Israel | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Rufer 3' Dunford 30' Walker 67' |
23' Armeli |
Stadium: Mount Smart Stadium Attendance: 10,600 Referee: Egbert Mulder (Netherlands) |
| 10 November 1985 | Israel | 3–0 | New Zealand | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Cohen 67' Selecter 75'Armeli 85' |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Attendance: 4,500 Referee: Dieter Pauly (West Germany) |
- Goalscorers
- 5 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the OFC qualification round, finishing in first place. Israel went on to face Colombia in the CONMBOL vs. OFC playoff, losing 1–0.
Israel was previously part of the Asian Games Federation until it was disbanded in 1981. In 1982 Israel was barred joining the new Olympic Council of Asia, Israel opted to join the European Olympic Committees in the early 1990s. The 1990 World Cup Israel was not yet part of a continent group, therefore joining OFC.[30]
- OFC qualification
- Round 1
In round 1, Israel received a bye and advanced to the final round directly. The remaining four teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would advance to the Second Round.
- Round 2
In round 2 Israel competed against Australia and New Zealand, finishing in first place.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Israel (A) |
4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 5 | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | |
| Australia |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 | 1–1 | — | 4–1 | |
| New Zealand |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | — |
| 5 March 1989 | Israel | 1–0 | New Zealand | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Rosenthal 7' |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Attendance: 44,500 Referee: Serge Muhmenthaler (Switzerland) |
| 19 March 1989 | Israel | 1–1 | Australia | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Ohana 67' (pen.) |
72' Yankos |
Stadium: Ramat Gan Stadium Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Manfred Neuner (West Germany) |
| 9 April 1989 | New Zealand | 2–2 | Israel | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Wright 19' Dunford 35' |
16' Rosenthal 37' Klinger |
Stadium: Mount Smart Stadium Attendance: 3,200 Referee: Claude Bouillet (France) |
| 16 April 1989 | Australia | 1–1 | Israel | Sydney, Australia |
| Trimboli 88' |
40' Ohana |
Stadium: Sydney Football Stadium Attendance: 40,320 Referee: Carlo Longhi (Italy) |
- Goal Scorers
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
- CONMEBOL vs OFC playoff
Israel, as the winning team of the OFC qualification tournament played the CONMEBOL group winner with the weakest record in a home-and-away play-off. The winner of this play-off qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Colombia  |
1–0 | Israel |
1–0 | 0–0 |
| 15 October 1989 | Colombia | 1–0 | Israel | Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla |
| 15:30 UTC–5 | Usuriaga 73' |
Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Michel Vautrot (France) |
| 30 October 1989 | Israel | 0–0 | Colombia | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Attendance: 50,000 Referee: Edgardo Codesal (Mexico) |
At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 6 qualifying round, finishing in sixth and last place.[32] Israel was previously part of the Asian Games Federation until it was disbanded in 1981. In 1982 Israel was barred joining the new Olympic Council of Asia, Israel opted to join the European Olympic Committees in the early 1990s. The 1994 World Cup was the first in which Israel competed in Europe.[30]
- Standings
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden |
10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 8 | +11 | 15 |
| Bulgaria |
10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 14 |
| France |
10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 13 |
| Austria |
10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 16 | −1 | 8 |
 Finland |
10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 18 | −9 | 5 |
| Israel |
10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 27 | −17 | 5 |
- Matches
| 28 October 1992 | Austria | 5–2 | Israel | Prater Stadium, Vienna |
| Herzog 41', 46' Polster 49'Stöger 56'A. Ogris 87' |
Report | Zohar 57', 77' |
Attendance: 12,000 Referee: João Pinto Correia (Portugal) |
| 11 November 1992 | Israel | 1–3 | Sweden | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| Banin 42' |
Report | Limpar 37' Dahlin 58'Ingesson 74' |
Attendance: 25,230 Referee: Serge Muhmenthaler (Switzerland) |
| 2 December 1992 | Israel | 0–2 | Bulgaria | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| Report | Sirakov 56' Penev 83' |
Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Vassilios Nikakis (Greece) |
| 17 February 1993 | Israel | 0–4 | France | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| Report | Cantona 28' Blanc 62', 84'Roche 89' |
Attendance: 26,000 Referee: Ryszard Wójcik (Poland) |
| 12 May 1993 | Bulgaria | 2–2 | Israel | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia |
| Stoichkov 35' (pen.) Sirakov 60' |
Report | R. Harazi 52' Rosenthal 53' |
Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Ahmet Çakar (Turkey) |
| 2 June 1993 | Sweden | 5–0 | Israel | Råsunda, Solna |
| Brolin 17', 41', 65' Zetterberg 55'Landberg 89' |
Report | Attendance: 22,042 Referee: Sergei Khusainov (Russia) |
| 16 June 1993 | Finland | 0–0 | Israel | Lahti Stadium, Lahti |
| Report | Attendance: 4,620 Referee: Volodymyr Pyanykh (Ukraine) |
| 13 October 1993 | France | 2–3 | Israel | Parc des Princes, Paris |
| Sauzée 32' Ginola 43' |
Report | R. Harazi 21' Berkovich 83'Atar 90' |
Attendance: 32,700 Referee: Alan Snoddy (Northern Ireland) |
| 27 October 1993 | Israel | 1–1 | Austria | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| Rosenthal 3' |
Report | Reinmayr 15' |
Attendance: 23,500 Referee: László Vágner (Hungary) |
| 10 November 1993 | Israel | 1–3 | Finland | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| R. Harazi 90' |
Report | Hyryläinen 54', 85' Hjelm 73' |
Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Daniel Roduit (Switzerland) |
- Goalscorers
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 5 qualifying round, finishing in third place.[33]
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulgaria |
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 9 | +9 | 18 |
| 2 | Russia |
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 5 | +14 | 17 |
| 3 | Israel |
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 13 |
| 4 | Cyprus |
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 15 | −5 | 10 |
| 5 |  Luxembourg |
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 22 | −20 | 0 |
- Matches
| 1 September 1996 | Israel | 2–1 | Bulgaria | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 18:00 UTC+3 | Harazi 34' Banin 62' |
Report | Balakov 3' (pen.) |
Attendance: 13,200 Referee: Alfredo Trentalange (Italy) |
| 9 October 1996 | Israel | 1–1 | Russia | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 18:00 UTC+3 | Brumer 65' |
Report | Kolyvanov 82' |
Attendance: 32,000 Referee: Marc Batta (France) |
| 10 November 1996 | Cyprus | 2–0 | Israel | Tsirion, Limassol |
| 18:00 UTC+2 | Gogić 9', 15' (pen.) |
Report | Attendance: 10,500 Referee: Gheorghe Constantin (Romania) |
| 15 December 1996 | Israel | 1–0 | Luxembourg | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 18:00 UTC+2 | Ohana 39' |
Report | Attendance: 24,400 Referee: John Ashman (Wales) |
| 31 March 1997 | Luxembourg | 0–3 | Israel | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City |
| 17:00 UTC+2 | Report | Zohar 11', 79' Banin 86' (pen.) |
Attendance: 6,607 Referee: René Temmink (Netherlands) |
| 30 April 1997 | Israel | 2–0 | Cyprus | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 18:00 UTC+3 | Ohana 3', 72' |
Report | Attendance: 32,000 Referee: Vasyl Melnychuk (Ukraine) |
| 8 June 1997 | Russia | 2–0 | Israel | Dinamo, Moscow |
| 19:00 UTC+3 | Radimov 8' Kosolapov 38' |
Report | Attendance: 22,000 Referee: Gerd Grabher (Austria) |
| 20 August 1997 | Bulgaria | 1–0 | Israel | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia |
| 20:00 UTC+3 | Penev 65' |
Report | Attendance: 32,000 Referee: Sándor Piller (Hungary) |
- Goalscorers
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 7 qualifying round, finishing in third place.[34]
- Standings
| Final table | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|
|
 |
 |
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Spain |
8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 4 | +17 | 20 | - | 4:0 | 2:0 | 4:1 | 5:0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2. | Austria |
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 15 | 1:1 | - | 2:1 | 2:0 | 2:0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | ||
| 3. | Israel |
8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 12 | 1:1 | 1:1 | - | 3:1 | 2:0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 4. | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 1:2 | 1:1 | 0:0 | - | 5:0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 3 | ||
| 5. | Liechtenstein |
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 23 | -23 | 0 | 0:2 | 0:1 | 0:3 | 0:3 | - | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
- Matches
| 3 September 2000 | Israel | 2–0 | Liechtenstein | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:20 UTC+3 | Mizrahi 1' Balili 80' |
Report | Referee: Richard O'Hanlon (Ireland) |
| 7 October 2000 | Spain | 2–0 | Israel | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
| 21:30 UTC+2 | Gerard 20' Hierro 54' |
Report | Referee: Claude Colombo (France) |
| 11 October 2000 | Israel | 3–1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 19:25 UTC+2 | Berkovich 12' Abuksis 62'Katan 76' |
Report | Akrapović 48' |
Referee: Dick Jol (Netherlands) |
| 28 March 2001 | Austria | 2–1 | Israel | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna |
| 20:30 UTC+2 | Baur 9' Herzog 42' (pen.) |
Report | Baur 6' (o.g.) |
Referee: Alfredo Trentalange (Italy) |
| 2 June 2001 | Liechtenstein | 0–3 | Israel | Rheinpark, Vaduz |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report | Revivo 3' Tal 7'Nimni 18' |
Referee: Lassin Isaksen (Faroe Islands) |
| 6 June 2001 | Israel | 1–1 | Spain | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:00 UTC+3 | Revivo 4' |
Report | Raúl 63' |
Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden) |
| 1 September 2001 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0–0 | Israel | Koševo, Sarajevo |
| 20:15 UTC+2 | Report | Referee: Dieter Schoch (Switzerland) |
| 27 October 2001 | Israel | 1–1 | Austria | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 19:30 UTC+2 | Gershon 55' (pen.) |
Report | Herzog 90+1' |
Referee: Vítor Melo Pereira (Portugal) |
- Goalscorers
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 4 qualifying round, finishing in third place.
- Standings
| Legend |
|---|
| Group winners and two best runners-up among all groups directly qualified for the finals |
| Remaining group runners-up advanced to the play-offs |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|
|
 |
|
 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France |
10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 20 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 3–0 | ||
| Switzerland |
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 18 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 6–0 | ||
| Israel |
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 10 | +5 | 18 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | ||
| Republic of Ireland |
10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 17 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | ||
| Cyprus |
10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 20 | −12 | 4 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | ||
| Faroe Islands |
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 27 | −23 | 1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 |
- Matches
| 2004-09-04 | France | 0–0 | Israel | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 21:00 | (Report) | Attendance: 43,527 Referee: René Temmink (Netherlands) |
| 2004-09-08 | Israel | 2–1 | Cyprus | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:50 | Benayoun 64' Badir 75' |
(Report) | Konstantinou 59' |
Attendance: 21,872 Referee: Sergey Shmolik (Belarus) |
| 2004-10-09 | Israel | 2–2 | Switzerland | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:05 | Benayoun 9', 48' |
(Report) | Frei 26' Vonlanthen 34' |
Attendance: 37,976 Referee: Mark Shield (Australia) |
| 2004-11-17 | Cyprus | 1–2 | Israel | GSP Stadium, Nicosia |
| 19:00 | Okkas 45' |
(Report) | Keisi 17' Nimni 86' |
Attendance: 1,624 Referee: Sten Kaldma (Estonia) |
| 2005-03-26 | Israel | 1–1 | Republic of Ireland | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 19:50 | Abbas Souan 90' |
(Report) | Morrison 43' |
Attendance: 32,150 Referee: Valentin Ivanov (Russia) |
| 2005-03-30 | Israel | 1–1 | France | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:50 | Badir 83' |
(Report) | Trezeguet 50' |
Attendance: 32,150 Referee: Markus Merk (Germany) |
| 2005-06-04 | Republic of Ireland | 2–2 | Israel | Lansdowne Road, Dublin |
| 19:30 | Harte 5' Keane 11' |
(Report) | Avi Yehiel 39' Avi Nimni 45+1' |
Attendance: 36,000 Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece) |
| 2005-09-03 | Switzerland | 1–1 | Israel | St. Jakob-Park, Basel |
| 17:30 | Frei 6' |
(Report) | Keisi 20' |
Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy) |
| 2005-09-07 | Faroe Islands | 0–2 | Israel | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn |
| 18:00 | (Report) | Nimni 54' Katan 79' |
Attendance: 2,240 Referee: Pieter Vink (Netherlands) |
| 2005-10-08 | Israel | 2–1 | Faroe Islands | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 21:10 | Benayoun 1' Zandberg 90+1' |
(Report) | Samuelsen 90+3' |
Attendance: 31,857 Referee: Bernhard Brugger (Austria) |
- Goalscorers
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group 2 qualifying round, finishing in fourth place.
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland |
10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 8 | +10 | 21 | Qualification to 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 2 |  Greece |
10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 10 | +10 | 20 | Advance to second round |
| 3 |  Latvia |
10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 15 | +3 | 17 | |
| 4 | Israel |
10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 10 | +10 | 16 | |
| 5 | Luxembourg |
10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 25 | −21 | 5 | |
| 6 |  Moldova |
10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 18 | −12 | 3 |
- Matches
The match schedule was established at a meeting in Israel on 8 January 2008.[36]
| 6 September 2008 | Israel | 2–2 | Switzerland | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:55 UTC+3 | Benayoun 73' Sahar 90+2' |
Report | Yakin 45' Nkufo 56' |
Attendance: 29,600 Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden) |
| 10 September 2008 | Moldova | 1–2 | Israel | Zimbru Stadium, Chişinău |
| 20:30 UTC+3 | Picusceac 1' |
Report | Golan 39' Saban 45' |
Attendance: 10,500 Referee: César Muñiz Fernández (Spain) |
| 11 October 2008 | Luxembourg | 1–3 | Israel | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg |
| 20:15 UTC+2 | Peters 14' |
Report | Benayoun 2' (pen.) Golan 54'Tuama 81' |
Attendance: 3,562 Referee: Igor Egorov (Russia) |
| 15 October 2008 | Latvia | 1–1 | Israel | Skonto Stadions, Riga |
| 19:00 UTC+3 | Koļesņičenko 89' |
Report | Benayoun 50' |
Attendance: 7,100 Referee: Vladimír Hriňák (Slovakia) |
| 28 March 2009 | Israel | 1–1 | Greece | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 21:00 UTC+2 | Golan 55' |
Report | Gekas 42' |
Attendance: 38,000 Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy) |
| 1 April 2009 | Greece | 2–1 | Israel | Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion |
| 21:30 UTC+3 | Salpingidis 32' Samaras 67' (pen.) |
Report | Barda 60' |
Attendance: 22,794 Referee: Olegário Benquerença (Portugal) |
| 5 September 2009 | Israel | 0–1 | Latvia | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 21:00 UTC+3 | Report | Gorkšs 59' |
Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Knut Kircher (Germany) |
| 9 September 2009 | Israel | 7–0 | Luxembourg | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 21:00 UTC+3 | Barda 9', 21', 43' Baruchyan 15'Golan 58'Sahar 62', 84' |
Report | Attendance: 7,038 Referee: Michael Svendsen (Denmark) |
| 10 October 2009 | Israel | 3–1 | Moldova | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 21:00 UTC+2 | Barda 22', 70' Ben Dayan 65' |
Report | Calincov 90+2' |
Attendance: 8,700 Referee: Kevin Blom (Netherlands) |
| 14 October 2009 | Switzerland | 0–0 | Israel | St. Jakob-Park, Basel |
| 20:00 UTC+2 | Report | Attendance: 38,500 Referee: Alexandru Tudor (Romania) |
- Goalscorers
- 6 goals
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 1 goal
- Attendance
| Team | Highest | Lowest | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | 38,000 | 7,038 | 20,668 |
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Israel competed in the UEFA Group F qualifying round, finishing in third place.
- Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |
|
|
 |
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia |
10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 5 | +15 | 22 | Qualification to 2014 FIFA World Cup | — | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | |
| 2 | Portugal |
10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 21 | Advance to second round | 1–0 | — | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | |
| 3 | Israel |
10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 14 | +5 | 14 | 0–4 | 3–3 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | Azerbaijan |
10 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 9 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | ||
| 5 | Northern Ireland |
10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 17 | −8 | 7 | 1–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 6 | Luxembourg |
10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 26 | −19 | 6 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 0–6 | 0–0 | 3–2 | — |
- Matches
The match schedule was determined at a meeting in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, on 25 November 2011.[37][38]
| 7 September 2012 | Azerbaijan | 1–1 | Israel | Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku |
| 21:00 UTC+5 | Abishov 65' |
Report | Natcho 50' |
Attendance: 22,211 Referee: Matej Jug (Slovenia) |
| 11 September 2012 | Israel | 0–4 | Russia | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:00 UTC+3 | Report | Kerzhakov 7', 64' Kokorin 18'Fayzulin 78' |
Attendance: 28,131 Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England) |
| 12 October 2012 | Luxembourg | 0–6 | Israel | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg |
| 21:00 UTC+2 | Report | Radi 4' Ben Basat 12'Hemed 27', 74', 90+1'Melikson 61' |
Attendance: 2,631 Referee: Leontios Trattou (Cyprus) |
| 16 October 2012 | Israel | 3–0 | Luxembourg | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 18:00 UTC+2 | Hemed 13', 48' Ben Basat 35' |
Report | Attendance: 20,400 Referee: Harald Lechner (Austria) |
| 22 March 2013 | Israel | 3–3 | Portugal | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 14:45 UTC+2 | Hemed 24' Ben Basat 40'Gershon 70' |
Report | Alves 2' Postiga 72'Coentrão 90+3' |
Attendance: 38,600 Referee: Stéphane Lannoy (France) |
| 26 March 2013 | Northern Ireland | 0–2 | Israel | Windsor Park, Belfast |
| 19:45 UTC±0 | Report | Refaelov 77' Ben Basat 84' |
Attendance: 11,200 Referee: Hannes Kaasik (Estonia) |
| 7 September 2013 | Israel | 1–1 | Azerbaijan | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:45 UTC+3 | Shechter 73' |
Report | Amirguliyev 61' |
Attendance: 21,250 Referee: Stefan Johannesson (Sweden) |
| 10 September 2013 | Russia | 3–1 | Israel | Petrovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg |
| 19:00 UTC+4 | V. Berezutski 49' Kokorin 52'Glushakov 74' |
Report | Zahavi 90+3' |
Attendance: 21,107 Referee: Manuel Gräfe (Germany) |
| 11 October 2013 | Portugal | 1–1 | Israel | Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon |
| 20:45 UTC+1 | Costa 28' |
Report | Ben Basat 85' |
Attendance: 48,317 Referee: Tom Harald Hagen (Norway) |
| 15 October 2013 | Israel | 1–1 | Northern Ireland | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 20:00 UTC+3 | Ben Basat 43' |
Report | Davis 72' |
Attendance: 12,785 Referee: Laurent Duhamel (France) |
- Goalscorers
- 6 goals
- 1 goal
Record players
Ten players were fielded in all three of Israel's group matches in 1970 by coach Emmanuel Scheffer, making them record World Cup players for their country.
| Rank | Player | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shraga Bar | 3 |
| Yehoshua Feigenbaum | 3 | |
| David Primo | 3 | |
| Zvi Rosen | 3 | |
| Shmuel Rosenthal | 3 | |
| Yisha'ayahu Schwager | 3 | |
| Itzhak Shum | 3 | |
| Giora Spiegel | 3 | |
| Mordechai Spiegler | 3 | |
| Itzhak Vissoker | 3 |
Goalscorers
The only Israeli goal at a FIFA World Cup was scored by team captain Mordechai Spiegler in their 1–1 draw against Sweden on 7 June 1970.
References
- "FIFA World Cup: Milestones, facts & figures. Statistical Kit 7" (PDF). FIFA. 26 March 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2013.
- "FIFA Fact Sheet: History of the FIFA World Cup (TM) Preliminary Competition (see page 43)" (PDF). FIFA. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- "Palestine (PLE)". FIFA. 2010. Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
- "Ability and politics govern the draw". The Times. London. 19 December 1969. p. 11.
- "Top teams to be seeded". The Times. London. 8 January 1970. p. 11.
- "FIFA World Cup: Seeded teams 1930–2010" (PDF). FIFA. November 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2012.
- "Brasil, Alemanha e Italia querem o Grupo Dois" (in Portuguese). Jornal do Brasil. 11 January 1970.
- "Football at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games: Men's Football". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013.
- "Africa in the FIFA World Cup: Part 3 – The Seventies". Currybet.net. 2 December 2009. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
- "North Korea out". The Times. London. 5 July 1969. p. 7.
- Glanville, Brian (2010). The Story of the World Cup. Faber and Faber. p. 167.
- Both matches were played in Israel.
- World Cup 1934 Qualifying
- "A long wait for a home game". Reuters. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- WORLD CUP 1938 - QUALIFYING
- World Cup 1950 Qualifying
- Europe Qualifiers
- "World Cup 1954 qualifications". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
- World Cup 1958 Qualifying
- The Joy of Six International Play-offs
- World Cup 1962 qualifications
- World Cup 1966 qualifications
- 1966 FIFA World Cup
- World Cup 1974 qualifications
- "Israel make their mark - UEFA.com". uefa.com. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- "World Cup 1978 qualifications". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- World Cup 1978 finals
- Japan played its "home" match against Israel away at Israel.
- "World Cup 1982 qualifications". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- "Israel". eurolympic.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014.
- All home matches of Chinese Taipei were played away instead.
- World Cup 1994 qualifications Archived 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- World Cup 1998 qualifications
- World Cup 2002 Qualifying
- 2006 UEFA Group 4 Standings
- "Yossi Benayoun: 'We should qualify'". Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- "Azerbaijan begins with home match against Israel – MATCH SCHEDULE". 25 November 2011. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
- 2014 matches
- Israel 2014
External links
- Israel at FIFA.com
- List of Israeli Matches at RSSSF
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