Israeli State Cup Draw Sets Up Tel Aviv Derby in Round of 32
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
The draw for Israel's State Cup Round of 32 has set up a Tel Aviv derby between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv, scheduled for late December 2026. This highly anticipated match occurs shortly after the two rivals compete in the Toto Cup final. Other key matchups include Maccabi Haifa hosting Hapoel Ra'anana and Beitar Jerusalem playing at home against MS Ashdod. The round features the entry of top-tier teams into the competition.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv will face off in a State Cup derby in late December 2026.
- The State Cup draw pairs the two Tel Aviv rivals just after their Toto Cup final.
- Maccabi Haifa will host Hapoel Ra'anana in the Round of 32.
- Beitar Jerusalem is set to play MS Ashdod at home.
- Hapoel Jerusalem will host Hapoel Haifa in the State Cup.
- Premier League teams enter the competition at this stage.
The draw for the Round of 32 in Israel's State Cup football competition, held Thursday at Ramat Gan Stadium, has produced a highly anticipated "Tel Aviv Derby" between fierce rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv. This matchup comes just hours after the two clubs are set to compete in the Toto Cup final at Bloomfield Stadium. The State Cup games are scheduled for the weekend of December 24-28, 2026.
This will be the third encounter of the season between the two Tel Aviv clubs, following a league match where Maccabi Tel Aviv won 4-1, and the upcoming Toto Cup final. Hapoel Tel Aviv, the current cup holders, will host the derby, aiming to leverage home-field advantage to eliminate their city rivals early in the competition. This round marks the entry of Premier League teams into the tournament.
Beyond the headline derby, the draw also set up other notable Premier League clashes. League champions Maccabi Haifa will host Hapoel Ra'anana, while Beitar Jerusalem will play at home against MS Ashdod. Hapoel Jerusalem is scheduled to host Hapoel Haifa.
The draw also included matches between teams from different league tiers. Lower division sides like Ironi Tiberias will face higher division opponents, such as Maccabi Kiryat Malachi. Other inter-league matchups include Maccabi Petah Tikva against MS Kfar Qasem, Hapoel Petah Tikva versus Hapoel Rishon LeZion, and Maccabi Netanya hosting Hapoel Kfar Saba.
Mentioned
