Israel scored a stunning 1-0 soccer win over European powerhouse Belgium in Budapest on Sunday, but it was not enough to avoid relegation from the UEFA Nations League’s top tier.
The Blue and White finished fourth in the League A Group 2 standings, despite the impressive defeat of Belgium off the foot of Yarden Shua in the 86th minute to break the deadlock. Israel needed two more goals to relegate the Red Devils instead.
Belgium is ranked 6th in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, while Israel is ranked 81st.
Heavyweights Italy and France were also in the group. Israel tied the latter 0-0 on Nov. 14, in a tense match played at the Stade de France that was marred by minor violence in the stands and outside the venue amid Israel’s war against Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Gaza and Lebanon.
The match, held in the heavily Muslim suburb of Saint-Denis north of Paris, came a week after mass assaults by Muslims on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam following a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax.
Sunday’s match was played at the Hungarian pitch of Bozsik Aréna, and was technically a home game for the Israelis because of the war. Only 675 fans attended the match at the 8,200-capacity facility. The game was played in dense fog.
