Israel national under-21 football team
| Nickname(s) | הנבחרת הצעירה (The Young Chosen Team) התכולים-לבנים (The Skyblue and Whites)[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Israel Football Association | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe; 1990s–present) | ||
| Head coach | Guy Luzon[2] | ||
| Captain | Ethan Azoulay | ||
| Most caps | Arik Benado (39)[3] | ||
| Top scorer | Alon Mizrahi (15)[4] | ||
| FIFA code | ISR | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
| 2–2 Greece (Xanthi, Greece; 21 November 1990) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| 6–0 Austria (Herzliya, Israel; 26 October 1993) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| 0–4 Spain (Herzliya, Israel; 13 October 1998) 0–4 Portugal (Groningen, Netherlands; 16 June 2007) 0–4 Italy (Tel Aviv, Israel; 8 June 2013) | |||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 2007) | ||
| Best result | Semi-finals (2023) | ||
The Israel national under-21 football team (Hebrew: הנבחרת הצעירה של ישראל בכדורגל עד גיל 21) is the national under-21 football team of Israel, and is controlled by the Israel Football Association (IFA). It is considered to be the feeder team for the senior Israel national football team.
This team consists of Israeli players aged 21 or under at the start of each two-year UEFA European Under-21 Championship campaign, so players can be, and often are, up to 23 years old. Team members may also simultaneously qualify to various teams for Under-20s (for non-UEFA tournaments), Under-19s and Under 17s, or even the senior national team, so long as theymeet the respective age restriction. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level (provided the player is eligible).
The U-21 team has been constructed following Israel's acceptance as a full member of UEFA. A draw in a qualifier against Greece in Greece was Israel U-21s' first fixture during the early 1990s.
Israel U-21s do not have a permanent home. They play in stadia dotted all around Israel in an attempt to encourage fans in all areas of the country to support the team. Because of the lesser interest compared to the senior national team, smaller grounds are usually used (such as HaMoshava Stadium in Petah Tikva, Israel).
The team qualified for the European Championships for the first time in 2007, reaching the final stage held in the Netherlands, after beating the French Under-21 team 2–1 on aggregate.
Competitive history
There is no Under-21 World Cup, although there is an Under-20 World Cup. European U-21 teams compete for the European Championship, with the finals every even-numbered year. It will be held in odd-numbered years from 2007. Israel has never fared well in European Under-21 Football Championships.
The current campaign started shortly after the 2006 finals – the qualification stage of the 2007 competition. UEFA have decided to shift the next tournament forward to avoid a clash with senior tournaments taking place in even-numbered years. The competition has therefore been reduced as qualifying must be completed in a year's less time. In their three-team qualification group, Israel finished ahead of Turkey and Wales. In the two-legged play-off against France for a place in the final stage, the team achieved a surprising 1–1 draw in France, and won the home match 1–0, with Amir Taga scoring in stoppage time.
Note: The year of the tournament represents the year in which it ends.
Competitive record
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
| UEFA U-21 Championship Record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 1992 | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | ||||||||
| 1994 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 16 | |||||||||
| 1996 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 11 | |||||||||
| 1998 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 9 | |||||||||
| 2000 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 13 | |||||||||
| 2002 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 13 | |||||||||
| 2004 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 11 | |||||||||
| 2006 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2007 | Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | Squad | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 8 | ||||||||
| 2011 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 8 | |||||||||
| 2013 | Group Stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | Squad | Qualified as host | ||||||
| 2015 | Did not qualify | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 15 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2019 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 18 | |||||||||
| 2021 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 14 | |||||||||
| 2023 | Semi-final | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Squad | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 11 | |
| 2025 | Did not qualify | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 18 | ||||||||
| Total | 3/17 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 18 | - | 148 | 64 | 32 | 52 | 233 | 185 | |
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Qualifiers – Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 10 | +25 | 26 | Final tournament | — | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Poland | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 10 | +14 | 22 | 3–3 | — | 0–1 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 3 | Bulgaria | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 15 | 2–3 | 1–3 | — | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Kosovo | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 17 | −7 | 12 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | — | 2–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 5 | Estonia | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 31 | −24 | 7 | 1–10 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 18 | −13 | 3 | 1–5 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — |
Qualifiers play-offs
The four play-off winners qualify for the final tournament.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 3–3 (5–4 p) | Denmark | 2–1 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Slovakia | 3–5 | Ukraine | 3–2 | 0–3 |
| Republic of Ireland | 1–1 (1–3 p) | 1–1 | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | |
| Iceland | 1–2 | Czech Republic | 1–2 | 0–0 |
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship group stage (Final tournament)
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 | ||
| 3 | Czech Republic | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 | |
| 4 | Germany | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 |
Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, extra time and a penalty shoot-out are used to decide the winners if necessary. As France qualified as hosts and England are ineligible for the 2024 Summer Olympics, their results will be used to determine whether an Olympic play-off match would be required and who would participate.[5]
Bracket
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 1 July – Boris Paichadze Stadium | ||||||||||
| Georgia | 0 (3) | |||||||||
| 5 July – Adjarabet Arena | ||||||||||
| (p) | 0 (4) | |||||||||
| 0 | ||||||||||
| 2 July – Ramaz Shengelia Stadium | ||||||||||
| England | 3 | |||||||||
| England | 1 | |||||||||
| 8 July – Adjarabet Arena | ||||||||||
| Portugal | 0 | |||||||||
| England | 1 | |||||||||
| 1 July – Stadionul Rapid-Giulești | ||||||||||
| Spain | 0 | |||||||||
| Spain (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||
| 5 July – Stadionul Steaua | ||||||||||
| Switzerland | 1 | |||||||||
| Spain | 5 | |||||||||
| 2 July – Cluj Arena | ||||||||||
| Ukraine | 1 | |||||||||
| France | 1 | |||||||||
| Ukraine | 3 | |||||||||
Results and fixtures
Win Draw Loss
2022
Qualifiers play-offs
| 23 September 2022 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification Play-off 1st leg | Republic of Ireland | 1–1 | Tallaght Stadium, Dublin, Ireland | |
| 21:00 (Israel Summer Time) |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 6,786 Referee: Dario Bel (Croatia) |
| 27 September 2022 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification Play-off 2nd leg | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–1 p) | Republic of Ireland | Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel | |
| 20:15 (Israel Summer Time) | Report | Attendance: 22,752 Referee: Nathan Verboomen (Belgium) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
1–1 on aggregate. Israel has won 3–1 on penalties, and therefore has qualified for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
2023
| 22 June 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) | Germany | 1–1 | Ramaz Shengelia Stadium, Kutaisi, Georgia | |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 2,442[6] Referee: Willy Delajod (France) |
| 25 June 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) | England | 2–0 | Kutaisi, Georgia | |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) |
|
Report | Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium Attendance: 5,106[7] Referee: Rade Obrenović (Slovenia) |
| 28 June 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship group stage (Final tournament) | 1–0 | Czech Republic | Ramaz Shengelia Stadium, Kutaisi, Georgia | |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time)v |
|
Report | Attendance: 2,175[8] Referee: Duje Strukan (Croatia) |
| 1 July 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Quarter-finals | Georgia | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia | |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) | Report | Attendance: 44,338[9] Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| 5 July 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Semi-finals | 0–3 | England | Adjarabet Arena, Batumi, Georgia | |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) | Report |
|
Israel has qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Coaching staff
- As of 22 June 2023[2]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Guy Luzon |
| Assistant Coach | Haim Cohen |
| Fitness Coach | Yossi Kakun |
| Lidor Ganon | |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Victor Buchnik |
| Analyst | Liron Glat |
Players
Current squad
- The following players were called up for the Friendly Match on 5 June 2025 against Bulgaria; respectively.[10]
- Caps and goals correct as of: 25 March 2025, after the match against Cyprus
Bolded names denote players who have been capped for the senior team.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Ofek Melika | 23 January 2005 | 1 | 0 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
| GK | Dor Binyamini | 6 May 2005 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| GK | Tamir Stoller | 1 August 2004 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Ramat HaSharon | |
| DF | Ido Cohen | 17 February 2005 | 1 | 0 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | |
| DF | Nikita Stoinov | 24 August 2005 | 2 | 0 | Dinamo București | |
| DF | Lisav Naif Eissat | 13 January 2005 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Hadera | |
| DF | Noam Schwartz | 15 July 2006 | 0 | 0 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
| DF | Maor Yashilirmak | 16 January 2005 | 0 | 0 | F.C. Ashdod | |
| DF | Noam Ben Harush | 13 May 2005 | 3 | 0 | Hapoel Haifa | |
| DF | Or Israelov | 2 September 2004 | 2 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| DF | Yonatan Laish | 27 January 2005 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |
| MF | Tai Abed | 3 August 2004 | 4 | 1 | Jong PSV | |
| MF | Ran Binyamin | 6 February 2004 | 4 | 1 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| MF | Niv Yehoshua | 28 January 2005 | 4 | 1 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | |
| MF | Lior Kasa | 27 September 2005 | 2 | 0 | Genoa | |
| MF | Yanai Distelfeld | 1 August 2005 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |
| MF | Ido Oli | 27 September 2005 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Ramat HaSharon | |
| FW | Amir Ganah | 7 September 2004 | 8 | 0 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | |
| FW | Mohamad Abu Rumi | 10 March 2004 | 8 | 0 | Ironi Kiryat Shmona | |
| FW | Idan Gorno | 9 August 2004 | 7 | 1 | Charlotte | |
| FW | Mor Buskila | 1 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Ramat Gan | |
| FW | Eyad Khalaily | 2 July 2006 | 0 | 0 | Maccabi Haifa | |
| FW | Daniel Dappa | 21 September 2007 | 0 | 0 | Maccabi Netanya | |
Recent call-ups
The following players have previously been called up to the Israel under-21 squad in the last 12 months and remain eligible for selection.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Denis Kulikov | 24 August 2004 | 2 | 0 | Ironi Kiryat Shmona | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| DF | Ilay Feingold | 23 August 2004 | 3 | 0 | New England Revolution | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Guy Dezent | 1 November 2005 | 3 | 0 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Bashar Abdah | 1 December 2004 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Hadera | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| MF | Roy Nawi | 4 March 2004 | 4 | 0 | Hapoel Haifa | v. Estonia, 8 September 2024 |
| MF | Yanir Ben Eliezer | 11 June 2006 | 0 | 0 | Hougang United | |
| MF | Yarin Levi | 1 August 2005 | 3 | 0 | Beitar Jerusalem | v. Estonia, 8 September 2024 |
| MF | Liran Hazan | 10 May 2006 | 0 | 0 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | v. Estonia, 8 September 2024 |
| MF | Adi Yona | 17 April 2004 | 5 | 1 | Beitar Jerusalem | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| MF | Bar Lin | 8 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Haifa | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| MF | Liam Hermesh | 12 March 2004 | 0 | 0 | Maccabi Haifa | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| MF | Anis Porat Ayash | 15 April 2005 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Haifa | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| FW | Hamza Shibli | 19 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | Maccabi Bnei Reineh | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| FW | Sayed Abu Farchi | 11 May 2006 | 0 | 0 | Maccabi Bnei Reineh | v. Estonia, 8 September 2024 |
| FW | Elad Madmon | 10 February 2004 | 6 | 1 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| FW | Ori Azo | 17 July 2005 | 0 | 0 | F.C. Ashdod | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
INJ Withdrew due to injury or illness | ||||||
Records
Most capped players
| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Career | U-21 Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arik Benado | Maccabi Haifa, Beitar Jerusalem | 1992–1995 | 39 |
| 2 | Nir Sivilia | Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, Beitar Jerusalem | 1993–1997 | 34 |
| 2 | Shay Holtzman | Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi Haifa, Tzafririm Holon | 1992–1995 | 34 |
| 3 | Dekel Keinan | Maccabi Haifa, Bnei Sakhnin, Maccabi Netanya | 2003–2007 | 30 |
| 4 | Alon Halfon | Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Haifa | 1993–1995 | 29 |
| 4 | Tom Almadon | Maccabi Haifa | 2004–2007 | 29 |
| 5 | Ofer Talker | Maccabi Ironi Ashdod, Hapoel Haifa | 1992–1995 | 28 |
| 6 | Ofir Kopel | Maccabi Haifa | 1994–1997 | 27 |
| 7 | Lior Jan | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2006–2008 | 26 |
| 8 | Moshe Ohayon | Ashdod | 2001–2005 | 24 |
Note: Club(s) represents the permanent clubs during the player's time in the Under-21s. Those players in bold are still eligible to play for the team.
Leading goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Career | U-21 Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alon Mizrahi | Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv | 1992–1993 | 15 |
| 2 | Shay Holtzman | Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi Haifa, Tzafririm Holon | 1992–1995 | 14 |
| 3 | Mu'nas Dabbur | Maccabi Tel Aviv, Grasshopper | 2011–2014 | 13 |
| 4 | Nir Sivilia | Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, Beitar Jerusalem | 1993–1997 | 12 |
| 5 | Ben Sahar | Chelsea, Espanyol | 2007–2010 | 8 |
| 5 | Maor Buzaglo | Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Petah Tikva, Bnei Sakhnin, Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2007–2010 | 8 |
| 6 | Eli Abarbanel | Hapoel Petah Tikva | 1994–1999 | 7 |
| 6 | Amir Turgeman | Ironi Ashdod | 1992–1993 | 7 |
Note: Club(s) represents the permanent clubs during the player's time in the Under-21s. Those players in bold are still eligible to play for the team.
See also
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship
- Israel national football team – senior men's squad
- Israel national under-23 football team – Olympic men's squad
- Israel national under-20 football team
- Israel national under-19 football team
- Israel national under-18 football team
- Israel national under-17 football team
- Israel national under-16 football team
References
- ^ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs publication The Flag and the Emblem Archived 2007-04-17 at the Wayback Machine by art historian Alec Mishory, wherein he quotes "The Provisional Council of State Proclamation of the Flag of the State of Israel" made on 28 October 1948 by Joseph Sprinzak, Speaker.
- ^ a b "Israel Football Association - U21 National Team - Team Staff".
- ^ http://football.org.il/NationalTeam/Pages/NationalTeamAppearance.aspx?NATIONAL_TEAM_ID=943&PAGE_NUM=1
- ^ http://football.org.il/NationalTeam/Pages/NationalTeamCaptivate.aspx?NATIONAL_TEAM_ID=943&PAGE_NUM=1
- ^ "2021–23 UEFA European Under-21 Championship regulations". UEFA.
- ^ "Germany vs. Israel" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "England vs. Israel" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Israel vs. Czech Republic" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Georgia vs. Israel" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "יונה, דאפאאה וטוקלומטי בסגל הצעירה לבולגריה" (in Hebrew). ONE. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
External links
- Uefa Under-21 website Contains full results archive
- The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Contains full record of U-21 Championship hosts and additional statistics, such as the Group Winners table for the 1998 qualifiers.