Israeli CEOs Predict 2026 World Cup Winner as Argentine-Spanish Final Looms
Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Israeli CEOs who made early predictions on the tournament's winner were revisited to assess their accuracy. Those backing Argentina included Yaron Tzafdia, CEO of NewPan; Maor Friedman from F2 Fund; Meir Bardugo, CEO of Toto; Revital Ben Natan, CEO of Ofakim Tourism; and Eli Marzel, CEO of Tel Aviv-Jaffa Academy. Tomer Peper, CEO of Ten Bis, took a more cautious approach, mentioning Argentina among his options. Supporters of Spain included Shlomi Bachar, CEO of SodaStream; Harel Gilayon, CEO of Oppenheimer Israel; Kevin Cho, CEO of LG Israel; Uri Bilt, CEO of Lilith Cosmetics; and Yoram Avigad, CEO of Ramat HaGolan Winery. Their reasons ranged from praising Lionel Messi's career to highlighting current star players.
In parallel, Israeli tech company Juganu showcased its smart lighting and AI video analysis technology during the World Cup, installing around 500 smart lighting units with free Wi-Fi access in Philadelphia and Atlanta. During the Argentina-England semifinal in Atlanta, approximately 26,000 spectators connected to the public Wi-Fi, with some users consuming up to 12GB of data over 14 hours. Founded in 2011 and led by CEO Eyal Shiran, Juganu raised about $100 million, aiming to expand its digital fan experience model to other U.S. sports venues.
Additionally, Mekorot inaugurated the new Shiluachot water reservoir named after the late David Levy, as part of the 600 million shekel Emek HaMaayanot project. This infrastructure extends about 50 kilometers, connecting Beit She'an to the national water network and increasing water supply for households and agriculture.
In social initiatives, law firm Meitar hosted a gala for the Shelva Association, led by social entrepreneur Attorney Shir Papo. The event gathered around 200 participants from high-tech, business, and social sectors and featured a panel discussing leadership and social responsibility. Papo shared that the event was inspired by her military reserve service and a community running group supporting a family affected by a rare genetic disease. The group plans to represent Shelva at the 2026 New York Marathon.
The recent World Cup semifinal between Argentina and England achieved a 31.4% rating on Channel Kan 11, marking the highest viewership of the tournament so far, with over 3.2 million digital views on the broadcaster’s platforms.
