Football at the 1961 Maccabiah Games was held in several stadiums in Israel starting on 30 August. The competition was open for men's teams only. Teams from 6 countries participated. For the first time since the establishment of Israel, the hosts didn't win the tournament, as Israel lost in the medals group to the team from United Kingdom, who went on to win the title. As part of the closing ceremony, an exhibition match was played between Israel and Juventus F.C., which resulted with a 3–3 draw.