Maccabi Haifa Opens Special World Cup Exhibition Featuring Club Legends and Rare Memorabilia

Maccabi Haifa officially launched a special exhibition at their museum to celebrate World Cup month, blending local football culture with the global tournament. The event brought together club legends from various eras, including heroes from the 1970 Mexico World Cup such as Yohanan Volach and Yitzhak Shweger, later representatives like Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Nikita Rukavytsya, and Twanenda Masilela, as well as current players Abdoulai Sk and Kenji Gorré.

The exhibition showcases rare items including jerseys, balls, and Adidas memorabilia, accompanied by guided tours throughout the tournament that reveal behind-the-scenes stories. Legendary former referee Avraham Klein emotionally shared a unique story about a historic jersey he had searched for 56 years, which was eventually identified by an 11-year-old visitor at the archive and is now part of the museum’s collection.

Yakubu Aiyegbeni expressed hope for a better upcoming season for Haifa and discussed the club’s new young player, Mark Oliver, who is on trial and potentially the "new Yakubu." Nikita Rukavytsya, who has opened his own academy but remains in Israel, spoke about his desire to return to Maccabi Haifa, his continued passion for football, and his views on the current team compared to the championship-winning squad he played with. Both shared their thoughts on the World Cup favorites and top scorers.

The exhibition and related events aim to deepen fans’ connection to the club’s rich history and the global football stage during the World Cup.