Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Israel’s men’s soccer team is headed to the Olympics for the first time since 1976

By Gabe Friedman

(JTA) — Israel’s national men’s soccer team qualified for the Olympics for the first time in nearly 50 years by making a surprising run at a major under-21 European tournament.

Israel lost to England on Wednesday in the semifinals of the UEFA European U-21 Championship, a biennial contest among the continent’s best under-21 teams. But three days earlier, after a win in the playoff round against Georgia, Israel earned a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside just 15 other countries.

Soccer at...