Hapoel Be'er Sheva Star's Disallowed Goal Confuses Icelandic Opponent in Champions League Qualifier

Hapoel Be'er Sheva began their European season with a 2-1 away loss to Icelandic champions Vikingur in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on July 25, 2026. The match featured a highly controversial disallowed goal by Be'er Sheva's Niv Yehoshua, which many viewed as a pivotal moment that could have changed the game's outcome. Vikingur's veteran player Gilfi Sigurdsson, who spent over a decade playing in England, admitted he did not understand the referee's decision to disallow the goal, saying, "I still don't really know what the whistle was for, and I couldn't understand it in real time." He speculated that a winger might have been offside but noted that Vikingur was tiring and Be'er Sheva was gaining control.

Looking ahead to the second leg in Hungary, which serves as Be'er Sheva's European home ground, Sigurdsson emphasized that the tie remains open, stating, "We can win and we can lose. It depends on how we play in the next game. Tonight we saw that we can compete against this team." Be'er Sheva must win the return leg to advance to the next qualifying stage, where they are likely to face Red Star Belgrade, who defeated Larne 4-0 in their first leg. If Be'er Sheva fails to overturn the deficit, they will face the loser of the Dinamo Zagreb-Thun tie, which is currently 1-1 after the first leg.