Israel sports

Rishon will return to the Premier League after three years in the Leumit League, and many of the players will follow the club up to the top division, while Drucker is expected to be back as well.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Tamir Blatt scored the final nine points for his team in a 91-88 victory on their home court at Yad Eliyahu.

The blue-and-white had previously defeated Estonia 3-1, improving their 2026 World Cup qualifying record to two wins and one loss in three matches.

Team effort powers yellow-and-blue’s comeback • Reds eye adjustments in best-of-3 finals

Footvolley – a mix of beach volleyball and soccer – was born on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s as a way around laws banning soccer on the sand.

While the capital city Reds won’t be favored, they certainly will be coming into Yad Eliyahu for Game 1 with a chip on their shoulders and with something to prove.

The team that will face Estonia will be composed of some of the veteran Israeli players as well as a number of up-and-coming stars.

"This is just the beginning of a partnership that’s changing reality, and this path will prove that it’s truly unrivaled," said Paralympian Lihi Ben David.

Harper punctuates furious rally with game-winning 3 • Reds to face Mac Tel Aviv in finals

“Jerusalem was the better team,” Dimitrios Itoudis said. “We won three quarters, but the second quarter was a disaster with bad shots, and we gave up 29 points."

The blue-and-white team aims to improve its record of one win and one loss, seeking another victory against the Estonians, whom they defeated in March.