Red Star Belgrade Faces Tough Road Against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Champions League Qualifiers

The third qualifying round draw for the UEFA Champions League took place on July 20, 2026, setting up a potential matchup between Hapoel Be'er Sheva from Israel and Red Star Belgrade from Serbia. This encounter will occur only if Hapoel Be'er Sheva advances past Vikingur Reykjavik from Iceland. Serbian media reacted negatively to the draw, with Mundo Serbia describing the pair as "the toughest duo," and Kurir Sport calling it the "least favorable option" for Red Star in this round. Serbian commentator Mozart added that Hapoel Be'er Sheva is "undoubtedly one of the least desirable opponents."

Hapoel Be'er Sheva, coached by Ran Kozuch, will face the Serbian champions who feature players such as Mohamed Abu Fani and Louizos Louizo, the latter having recently transferred from Hapoel Tel Aviv. The club also includes 37-year-old Austrian Marko Arnautovic. Red Star Belgrade has a history of four Champions League campaigns, with their last participation two years ago during the inaugural group stage format. The matchup is seen as a challenging path for both teams aiming to reach the group stage of Europe's premier club competition.