Israeli Soccer League Ranks Second Globally for Shortest Players
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
The Israeli Premier League ranks second globally for the lowest average player height, with 20.08% of minutes played by players under 1.75 meters. This places it just behind Spain's La Liga, which leads with 20.26%. The data, published by Sport 5 and based on CIES research, highlights a unique characteristic of the league's player pool.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli soccer league ranks second globally for shortest players.
- 20.08% of minutes in the Israeli league are played by players under 1.75 meters.
- Spain's La Liga is the only league with a higher percentage of short players.
- The data is based on research from the CIES Football Observatory.
- Sport 5 published the statistics on October 8, 2026.
The Israeli Premier League has secured the second position worldwide in terms of the average height of its players, trailing only Spain's La Liga. This ranking is based on the percentage of playing time allocated to players under 1.75 meters (approximately 5 feet 9 inches) tall.
According to data published by Sport 5, referencing research from the CIES Football Observatory, 20.08% of all minutes played in the Israeli Premier League are by players at or below this height threshold. For comparison, La Liga leads this metric with 20.26% of minutes played by similarly short players.
While the Israeli league may not be experiencing its peak era, this statistic highlights a unique characteristic of its player pool, placing it among the shortest leagues globally, just behind the Spanish top flight.
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