Israeli Premier League Teams Face Varied Odds in 2026/27 European Football Qualifiers

As the 2026/27 European football season approaches, four Israeli Premier League teams are set to begin their qualifying campaigns for continental competitions. Hapoel Be'er Sheva, the reigning Israeli champions, will start in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League against the winner between Hungary's Győr and Iceland's Víkingur. According to Football Meets Data, Be'er Sheva is expected to advance to the third qualifying round of the Champions League, then drop to the Europa League playoff round, which they are predicted to pass, securing a spot in the Europa League group stage. FootballRankings assigns Be'er Sheva a 4% chance to reach the Champions League group stage, 45% to reach the Europa League, and 46.2% to play in the Conference League.

Maccabi Tel Aviv, having won the Israeli State Cup, will enter the second qualifying round of the Europa League, facing the winner between Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) and Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia). Football Meets Data forecasts that Maccabi Tel Aviv will clear the second round but fall in the third, then lose in the Conference League playoff round, ending their European run. FootballRankings gives them a 2.8% chance to reach the Europa League group stage and 36.3% to participate in the Conference League.

Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv have the toughest paths, both starting in the second qualifying round of the Conference League with no fallback options. Beitar will face AEK Larnaca from Cyprus, and Hapoel will play Bulgaria's Ludogorets. Both Football Meets Data and FootballRankings predict early elimination for these teams, with Beitar given a 2.6% chance to reach the Conference League group stage and Hapoel only 0.7%. To defy these odds, they must advance through three rounds: second qualifying, third qualifying, and the playoff.

These projections highlight the challenges Israeli teams face in European competitions, with Be'er Sheva holding the best prospects for deep runs, while others confront steep hurdles from the outset. The qualifiers will soon reveal which teams can surpass expectations and secure European football for the 2026/27 season.