Israel has played in one FIFA World Cup: Mexico 1970. The team advanced from the Asian qualifying section and defeated Australia 1–0 on aggregate in the final qualifying playoff. At the tournament, Israel drew 1–1 with Sweden, drew 0–0 with Italy, and lost 2–0 to Uruguay.
The route to Mexico
The 1970 campaign was Israel’s successful qualification, not merely a near miss. In the final playoff against Australia, Israel won the first leg 1–0 and drew the return leg 1–1, securing its place in the finals. FIFA’s retrospective on Israel’s Mexico 1970 campaign describes the achievement and its close matches against Sweden and Italy.
Earlier qualifying campaigns require a careful distinction between the Mandate-era association and the Israeli state. The representative team of British Mandate for Eretz Israel first entered World Cup qualifying in 1934 and lost home and away to Egypt. The State of Israel was established in 1948. UEFA’s Israel association history lays out both milestones.
Israel’s three matches in 1970
- Uruguay won 2–0.
- Sweden and Israel drew 1–1; Mordechai Spiegler scored Israel’s goal.
- Italy and Israel drew 0–0.
Israel finished fourth in its group and did not advance. The team nevertheless took two points and held the eventual finalist Italy scoreless. FIFA’s match archive lists the World Cup fixtures and goal events.
Israel has not returned to the World Cup finals. Its path changed after the country left the AFC in 1974, competed in Oceania qualifying, and joined UEFA in 1994. See the history of Israel’s move into UEFA for that chronology.