Israel's second-tier National League now has a start date. The league management has published the fixture list for the opening three rounds of the 2026/27 Liga Leumit season, with the campaign kicking off midweek on Tuesday, August 18.
According to ONE, all eight matches of round one will kick off simultaneously at 19:30, a scheduling quirk the league uses to keep the opening round on a level playing field before staggered kickoff times return from round two onward.
The headline fixture pairs two clubs with contrasting fortunes: Maccabi Bnei Reineh travel to face Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv. Reineh's trip to Tel Aviv comes just weeks after their relegation from Ligat Ha'al was confirmed, ending a four-season stay in the Israeli top flight that ended with results elsewhere - Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Haifa's wins - sealing their fate, as reported by Israel Hayom.
Elsewhere in round one, Hapoel Ra'anana host Maccabi Ahi Nazareth, Hapoel Afula welcome M.S. Ashdod, and Maccabi Jaffa take on M.S. Kiryat Yam. Hapoel Kfar Shalem meet M.S. Kfar Qasim, Hapoel Acre host Maccabi Kiryat Gat, and Ironi Modi'in face Maccabi Herzliya to round out the card.
Also on the opening night, Hapoel Rishon LeZion host Hapoel Kfar Saba, who play their home games at the modest Levita Stadium in Kfar Saba - one of the league's smaller grounds and a fixture of the second tier for years.
Rounds two and three have also been locked in: the second round is split across August 23-24, and the third across August 30-31, both with matches kicking off at 19:00 local time.
The league management noted that scheduling beyond round three will follow once the top-flight Ligat Ha'al calendar is finalised. "Additional round assignments will be published later, in parallel with the publication of the Premier League's schedule, due to shared stadiums," the league said in comments carried by ONE - a reference to the several grounds used by both divisions across the country.
Walla! Sport reported separately that the league board approved the wider 2026/27 calendar at a meeting at Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa, with league chairman Araz Kalpun saying the aim was to give clubs "as much certainty as possible at the earliest opportunity" so they can plan pre-season training and squad building around firm dates.
For Bnei Reineh, the visit to Bnei Yehuda's Hatikva Neighbourhood ground will be the first real test of a squad manager Lior Reuven is having to rebuild from scratch after an expected exodus of players following relegation, with the club working to keep hold of forward Antonio Sefer, who remains under contract for two more seasons.
