JAFFA-TEL AVIV — The 2025 Israeli Cup final took place tonight at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, showcasing a heavyweight clash between Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
Football at a war zone. For real. (Photo courtesy: Nicole Liberman/BabaGol)
Despite both teams featuring in a combined 19 finals prior to this evening, this was curiously their first-ever meeting in the final of Israeli football’s most prestigious cup competition. Beitar entered with eight cup victories to their name, while their southern counterparts had lifted the trophy only three times.
For Be’er Sheva, the occasion—and the venue—offered a familiar setting. They also reached last year’s final at Bloomfield, only to suffer a shocking defeat to Maccabi Petach Tikva.
Ran Kozuch, who masterminded that upset with Petach Tikva, returned to the final this year—this time with Be’er Sheva. Incredibly, it marked his third consecutive cup final with a third different team—an unprecedented achievement in Israeli football. Back in 2023, he lost the final with Maccabi Netanya against this very same Beitar side.
Both teams came off strong league campaigns, albeit ending in disappointment. Be’er Sheva were locked in a heroic title race with Maccabi Tel Aviv, falling short only in the final matchdays. A crucial 1-1 draw with Beitar in Teddy Stadium just two weeks ago marked the end of their title hopes, and tensions between the fanbases have run high ever since.
Beitar, meanwhile, made their return to the upper echelon of the league after four straight seasons in the relegation playoff. Under Barak Itzhaki’s guidance, the Yellow-Blacks played attacking, fearless football and were even considered title contenders at certain stages. However, their momentum waned as the season progressed, culminating in a heavy 5-0 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv on the final matchday and a fourth-place finish.
La Familia in action. (Photo courtesy: Nicole Liberman/BabaGol)
First Half
In the 7th minute, Mayron George found space between Be’er Sheva’s center-backs after a defensive miscommunication, but squandered a clear chance in front of goal.
Six minutes later, Helder Lopes struck the post following a chaotic corner, only to leave the pitch shortly after with an injury—possibly his final appearance for the club. He was replaced by Or Blorian.
In the 22nd minute, Hapoel Be’er Sheva were awarded a penalty after a handball by Adi Yona. Dan Biton, one of Be’er Sheva’s standout players this season, confidently converted to make it 1-0. The goal held deeper emotional weight: Biton recently lost his close friend Gadi Kinda, who passed away following a prolonged hospitalization.
Dan Biton dedicates his goal to his belated friend, Gadi Kinda. (Photo courtesy: Shaul Greenfeld)
But football paused in the most surreal of ways shortly before halftime, as the real-world chaos of the region made its mark. A Red Alert siren sounded in Tel Aviv, including over Bloomfield Stadium, due to a missile launch from Yemen's Houthi forces. The game was halted for over 15 minutes as fans and players took shelter. When play resumed, the tempo had shifted, and the first half ended 1-0 to Be’er Sheva.
Second Half
Beitar emerged with renewed energy after the break and controlled possession, but failed to generate clear-cut chances.
In the 67th minute, Be’er Sheva came inches from doubling their lead as Matan Baltaxa missed a close-range header.
Just three minutes later, Beitar had their best moment of the match: Yarden Shua and Omer Atzili each had glorious opportunities to equalize, but Ofir Martziano produced a stunning double save to preserve Be’er Sheva’s lead.
The decisive blow came in the 88th minute. Substitute Zahi Ahmed weaved past a Beitar defender and slotted the ball past Miguel Silva from close range to make it 2-0. The Israeli Cup was heading south—for the third time in six years, and the fourth overall in Be’er Sheva’s history.
A final act to win the match. Be’er Sheva’s players surround Zahi Ahmad. (Photo courtesy: Nicole Liberman/BabaGol)
While Hapoel Be’er Sheva narrowly missed out on the league title, they closed their season with well-deserved silverware. Kozuch, who just a day earlier was named Israeli football’s Coach of the Year, now boasts back-to-back cup wins with two different clubs.
After the match, Beitar manager Barak Itzhaki reflected on a season of near-misses. “Our best moments were early in the season when we beat Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa in the same week,” he said. “But in football, people remember how you finish—and we just weren’t good enough.”
On the other hand, Kozuch revealed the key to maintaining his squad’s focus during the mid-game missile scare: “When we went into the locker rooms, there was only one thing written on the board—‘Stay in our zone.’”
It was a season of highs and lows for both clubs. But in the end, it was Hapoel Be’er Sheva who stayed in their zone—and left Bloomfield Stadium with the cup and a ticket to the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League. Beitar, courtesy of their league finish, will compete in the UEFA Conference League.
A well deserved title after a quality season. Hapoel Be’er Sheva lift the Israel State Cup (Photo courtesy: Nicole Liberman)
A dramatic night in Tel Aviv saw Hapoel Be’er Sheva beat Beitar Jerusalem to win the Israeli Cup, in a final halted by a Red Alert siren.