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| Founded | 1955; 70 years ago (1955) (as 1st tier) 1999; 26 years ago (1999) (as 2nd tier) |
|---|---|
| Country | Israel |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
| Number of clubs | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 (1999–present) 1 (1955–1999) |
| Promotion to | Premier League |
| Relegation to | Liga Alef |
| Domestic cup(s) | State Cup Toto Cup (Leumit) |
| Current champions | Hapoel Tel Aviv (12th title) (2024–25) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Sport 5 |
| Website | www |
| Current:2025–26 Liga Leumit | |
The IsraeliLiga Leumit (Hebrew:הליגה הלאומית,HaLiga HaLeumit,lit. 'National League') is the second division of the professionalIsraeli association football (soccer) league system. This second-tier league is placed directly below theIsraeli Premier League.
There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the two lowest-placed teams arerelegated toLiga Alef while the two highest-placed teams from Liga Alef are promoted in their place. The two highest-placed Liga Leumit teams arepromoted to theIsraeli Premier League while the bottom two teams from Israeli Premier League are relegated in their place.
The participating clubs were first play a conventionalround-robin schedule for a total of 30 matches, with all points accumulated by the clubs are halved.
Following this, the top eight teams will first play in a promotion playoff. To determine the promoted teams. and the eight clubs play a single round-robin schedule.
TheIsraeli State Cup winners qualify for thethird qualifying round of the2013–14 UEFA Europa League.
In addition, the bottom eight teams play out to avoid two relegation spots.
Since the 2010–11 season, one match is broadcast live onSport +5 LIVE channel on Friday or Saturday afternoons.[citation needed]
Liga Leumit came into existence at the start of the 1955–56 season, replacingLiga Alef as the top division in Israeli football. However, it was usurped as the top flight in the 1999–2000 season, when it was replaced by the Premier League. Since then it has operated as the second tier in the Israeli football league system.
The following clubs are participating in the 2025–26 season:
Table correct as at the end of the 2023–24 Israeli Liga Leumit season.