Famous Israeli Football Players

Nicknamed The Kid and The Diamond from Dimona, Israeli footballer Yossi Benayoun has led his country’s national team as its captain. He now serves Beitar Jerusalem as its sporting director. Starting his career at 17, he has represented teams such as Maccabi Haifa, Liverpool, and Chelsea.

Eran Zahavi is an Israeli football player. One of the most important players of the current national team, Zahavi was adjudged Israeli Footballer of the Year in 2013 and 2014. Over the years, he has also been a star player in the Israeli Premier League, finishing as the top goal-scorer in three consecutive seasons starting from the 2013–14 season.

Avram Grant is an Israeli football coach and manager known for his work with popular teams like Chelsea Football Club, Portsmouth, and West Ham United. He also coached the Ghana national football team from 2014 to 2017, helping the team reach the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Final where they lost to the Ivory Coast in a penalty shoot-out.

Tomer Hemed is an Israeli football player who plays as a striker for the Israel national team and the Australian club Western Sydney Wanderers FC. One of the most important members of the national team, Hemed won the Israel Footballer of the Year award for his performance in the 2017–18 season.

Moanes Dabour is an Arab-Israeli football player who plays as a forward for the Israel national team and the Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. During the 2012–13 season, Dabour scored 10 goals in 26 matches and helped the Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club win the Israeli League Championship, their first championship victory after a ten-year period.

Bibras Natkho is a Circassian-Israeli football player who plays for the Serbian club Fudbalski klub Partizan. He also plays for the Israel national football team. Natkho is the first player of Circassian-Muslim origin to captain the Israel national team.

Beram Kayal is an Arab-Israeli football player who currently plays in the Israeli Premier League where he represents Bnei Sakhnin F.C. Since 2008, Kayal has been an important member of the Israel national football team. A hard-working midfielder, Beram Kayal is renowned for his speed, passing ability, aggressive tackling, and high stamina level.

Tal Ben Haim is an Israeli professional football player who has represented popular teams like Chelsea, Manchester City, Portsmouth, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Renowned for his versatility, Ben Haim can play at either right back or centre back. He was last seen playing for the Beitar Jerusalem Football Club in 2021.

Ben Sahar is an Israeli football player who plays for the Israel national team and Maccabi Haifa Football Club. A striker, Sahar helped Maccabi Haifa win the 2021 Israel Super Cup as well as the Toto Cup. He has also represented other popular teams like Chelsea FC and Hapoel Tel Aviv, helping the latter win the 2010 Israel State Cup.

Lior Refaelov is an Israeli football player who plays for the Israel national team and Belgian football club Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht. From 2004 to 2011, he represented Maccabi Haifa Football Club, helping the team win the Israeli Premier League thrice. In 2015, Lior Refaelov helped Anderlecht win the Belgian Cup by scoring the winning goal in the final game.

Omer Damari is an Israeli former footballer and the present head coach of the Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club's U17 team. As a player, Damari represented teams like Hapoel Tel Aviv, playing an important role in the team's 2012 Israel State Cup victory. He also represented the Israel national football team during his playing career.

Israeli footballer Guy Luzon was part of the Maccabi Petah Tikva youth program at age 10. Though a promising sportsperson, an injury made him retire at 21. Post-retirement, he has served as a coach for teams such as Standard Liege, the U-21 Israeli team, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Maccabi Haifa.

While football legend Itzik Zohar grew up amid poverty, in a transit camp on the Israeli borders, he was encouraged to play football by his father to make him stay away from the street criminals. He is also a successful TV personality and was part of Israel’s first national beach soccer team.

Israeli striker Eran Levy is best known for his stint with the club Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa. The footballer had made his senior debut with Maccabi Haifa. He has also represented teams such as Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem and has been part of the Israeli beach soccer team, too.

Yochanan Vollach is an Israeli former footballer who played as part of the Israeli national team that competed at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. He began his sports career with a local club. He then joined the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) Nahal as an infantry soldier, simultaneously pursuing his sports career. He later ventured into a business career.