Two months before the opening of the Maccabiah 2025, the live draw for group ball sports—football, basketball, 3×3 basketball and futsal—was held on May 4. Teams participating in other group ball sports such as ice hockey, rugby, baseball, beach soccer and beach volleyball were also featured.
The live draw took place at Kfar Maccabiah, led by Meriav Olejnik, chairperson of the Maccabiah Sports Department, alongside Roy Hessing, CEO of the Maccabiah and Elad Simon, the Maccabiah sports director.
The event was broadcast live to delegations in Jewish communities worldwide. The exact game schedules will be announced in early June, according to a press release.
“The games live draw brings us a huge step closer to the Maccabiah. You can already feel the excitement in the air,” said Hessing. “We work around the clock to ensure a sports experience of the highest level, and we look forward to welcoming all the athletes coming to Israel.”
In the upcoming Maccabiah, scheduled to take place from July 8 to 22, handball will return after being absent from the previous games. Additionally, beach tennis and pickleball competitions will make their debut, as will the Maccabi-Run competition, which includes four running events at distances of 1.6 km, 5 km, 10 km and a half marathon.
Surfing will also be held at the upcoming Maccabiah for the first time. This year, in addition to the surfing at sea competition, events will take place in a new wave pool that recently opened in Tel Aviv (SRF Park TLV).
In the Paralympic sports division, a wheelchair fencing competition will be held for the first time.
In the men’s soccer tournament, it was determined that Israel would play in Group A along with Argentina, Uruguay, and Great Britain, while Group B will feature the United States, France, Brazil, and Mexico.
The men’s U18 basketball tournament will bring together eight teams, divided into two groups, including two separate teams competing under the American flag. In Group I, the USA White team was drawn with Brazil, Mexico, Germany and France. In Group II, USA Blue, Israel, Argentina and Canada will compete.
The Maccabiah, held every four years with the participation of Israeli and Jewish athletes from around the globe, will be the world’s largest sporting event in 2025, the press release said,
“Against the backdrop of the events of Oct. 7, the ongoing war, and the alarming rise in anti-Semitism worldwide, this year’s Maccabiah has selected the slogan ‘More Than Ever,’ expressing the growing importance of strengthening ties between Diaspora Jews and the State of Israel,” it added.
The Maccabiah is expected to host more than 8,000 athletes from 55 countries competing in dozens of sports, alongside thousands of escorts, fans, and tourists.
“This year, ‘Maccabiah City’ will be launched for the first time—an active experience park for the whole family located at Expo Tel Aviv. It will bring the spirit of Maccabiah to the general public and Israeli families, while serving as a meeting place for Israelis and Jews from around the world,” the press release said.