Israel’s Amputee Football Team to Play Three Friendly Matches
On Friday (06/06), Israel’s national amputee football team – founded in 2020 – will play against Belgium, Scotland, and Kosovo as preparation for the Nations League in October 2025. And also: the hope to bring in a Trophy.
Israel’s amputee football team will depart on Friday (06/06), in about a week’s time, for a tournament in Belgium. There, the team – founded about five years ago – will face Belgium, Scotland, and Kosovo. The tournament will serve as preparation for the Nations League, scheduled for October 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Since the outbreak of the war, six new players have joined the squad, including two soldiers injured in combat, one from the Golani Brigade and one from the Givati Brigade. Among the six new players is Ben Binyamin, a former Liga Alef player who was injured in a shelter near the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023. He will be part of the team traveling to both Belgium and Azerbaijan. Another name being considered is Ido Exbard, a player for Maccabi Yavne in the 2024/25 season, who spent a long period sedated and on a ventilator. His remarkable story can be read here (Part A) and here (Part B). The amputee national team believes Ido will take part in the October tournament. When we met Ido in the rehabilitation ward at Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital, he was visited by head coach Sharon Paz, team captain Tzach Shachror, and star player Ben Maman, who presented him with a jersey bearing the number 77. The atmosphere in the room was filled with belief that Ido will soon join the team. The team, founded five and a half years ago, now has around 23 players and trains twice a week throughout the season. Twice a year, it travels abroad for tournaments such as the Euro and the Nations League, as well as friendly matches. The goal in the coming months is to launch an amputee football league under the banner of leading Israeli football clubs. The team’s management is currently working with the relevant bodies to make this happen. Today, the team is supported by Volvo, Maccabi Haifa President Ya’akov (Yankele) Shahar, the Altshuler Shaham investment firm, the Israel Football Association with the encouragement of Chairman Shino Zoertz, and private donors. The goal is to win the upcoming tournament, represent Israel with honor, and bring pride to the country.
