Hapoel Be'er Sheva Drawn in UEFA Europa League Group Stage with Seven Opponents

Following a dramatic elimination by Sabah in the Champions League playoffs, Hapoel Be'er Sheva has been placed in the UEFA Europa League group stage alongside 35 other teams. The draw took place on August 28, 2026, with Be'er Sheva assigned to the fourth and lowest seeding pot. The Europa League format this season features a single league phase where each team plays eight matches against eight different opponents, including two teams from each of the four seeding tiers, with four home and four away games. The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16, while those ranked 9th to 24th will enter a knockout playoff, and teams placed 25th to 36th will be eliminated.

The exact match schedule will be revealed by UEFA on the weekend following the draw. The group stage matches are set for the following dates: September 16-17, October 15 and 22, November 5 and 26, December 10, and January 21 and 28. Historically, ten points have been sufficient to advance, with 13 points generally securing home advantage in the playoffs and 16 points likely guaranteeing direct qualification to the round of 16.

Israeli players participating in the Europa League draw include Anan Khalaily, recently signed by Crystal Palace, which qualified through last season's Conference League victory; Karam Zoabi, who joined Portuguese cup holders Tondela competing in the second division; and Gabi Kanikovski, currently with Hungarian club Ferencváros. Financially, each group stage win awards 450,000 euros and a draw 150,000 euros. Be'er Sheva has already secured 8.6 million euros in earnings. Advancing to the knockout playoffs yields 300,000 euros, direct qualification to the round of 16 brings 1.75 million euros, with further increases for quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final, where the winner receives an additional 6 million euros plus a Champions League spot.