Israel National Under-21 Football Team
The Israel national under-21 football team (Hebrew: הנבחרת הצעירה של ישראל בכדורגל) 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.
 | |||
| Nickname(s) | הנבחרת הצעירה (The Young Chosen Team) התכולים-לבנים (The Skyblue and Whites) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Israel Football Association | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe; 1990s–present) | ||
| Head coach | Guy Luzon | ||
| Captain | Ethan Azoulay | ||
| Most caps | Arik Benado (39) | ||
| Top scorer | Alon Mizrahi (15) | ||
| FIFA code | ISR | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Israel 2–2 Greece  (Greece; 1977) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Czech Republic 5–1 Israel (Czech Republic; 25 April 2000) | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 1968) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (1968, 1976) | ||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 2007) | ||
| Best result | Semi-finals (2023) | ||
This team consists of Israeli players aged 21 or under at the start of each two-year UEFA European Under-21 Football 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
Summer Olympics record
As U-23 team
- Rules
- 1996–present: u-23 national teams (with three 'no age limit' players allowed, after an agreement between FIFA and OIC)
- Note
- No tournament held in 1932
| Olympic Games record | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Pos. | Pld. | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1900 | did not qualify | |||||||||
| 1904 | ||||||||||
| 1908 | ||||||||||
| 1912 | ||||||||||
| 1920 | ||||||||||
| 1924 | ||||||||||
| 1928 | ||||||||||
| 1936 | ||||||||||
| 1948 | ||||||||||
| 1952 | ||||||||||
| 1956 | ||||||||||
| 1960 | ||||||||||
| 1964 | ||||||||||
| 1968 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||
| 1972 | did not qualify | |||||||||
| 1976 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | ||
| 1980 | did not qualify | |||||||||
| 1984 | ||||||||||
| 1988 | ||||||||||
| 1992 | ||||||||||
| 1996 | ||||||||||
| 2000 | ||||||||||
| 2004 | ||||||||||
| 2008 | ||||||||||
| 2012 | ||||||||||
| 2016 | ||||||||||
| 2020 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Qualified | |||||||||
| 2028 | to be determined | |||||||||
| 2032 | ||||||||||
| Total | 3/30 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 14 | |||
- *Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
- **Since 1968, Spain has sent its under-23 national team.
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 | 0 | 17 | 3 | ||||||||
 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 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 5 | ||||||||
 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 | |
| Total | 3/17 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 18 | - | 136 | 63 | 31 | 41 | 233 | 161 | |
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Qualifiers – Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | |  |  |  | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 16 | Final tournament | — | 3–1 | 11 Oct '24 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Poland | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 6 | +8 | 15 | Play-offs | 15 Oct '24 | — | 0–1 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 2–1 | |
| 3 | Bulgaria | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 12 | 2–3 | 10 Sep '24 | — | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Kosovo | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 9 | 0–3 | 11 Oct '24 | 2–2 | — | 2–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 5 | Estonia (E) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 19 | −17 | 1 | 10 Sep '24 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 15 Oct '24 | — | 7 Sep '24 | ||
| 6 | Israel (E) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 0 | 4 Sep '24 | 1–2 | 15 Oct '24 | 10 Sep '24 | 10 Oct '24 | — |
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(E) Eliminated
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) | Israel | 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 | Israel | 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.
Bracket
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 1 July – Boris Paichadze Stadium | ||||||||||
| Georgia | 0 (3) | |||||||||
| 5 July – Adjarabet Arena | ||||||||||
| Israel (p) | 0 (4) | |||||||||
| Israel | 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
Israel | 23 September 2022 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification Play-off 1st leg | Republic of Ireland | 1–1 | Israel | Tallaght Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |
| 21:00 (Israel Summer Time) |
| Report |
| Attendance: 6,786 Referee: Dario Bel (Croatia) |
Republic of Ireland | 27 September 2022 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification Play-off 2nd leg | Israel | 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 won 3–1 on penalties and qualified for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
2023
Israel | 22 June 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) | Germany | 1–1 | Israel | Ramaz Shengelia Stadium, Kutaisi, Georgia |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) |
| Report |
| Attendance: 2,442 Referee: Willy Delajod (France) |
Israel | 25 June 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) | England | 2–0 | Israel | Kutaisi, Georgia |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) |
| Report | Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium Attendance: 5,106 Referee: Rade Obrenović (Slovenia) |
Czech Republic | 28 June 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship group stage (Final tournament) | Israel | 1–0 | Czech Republic | Ramaz Shengelia Stadium, Kutaisi, Georgia |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time)v |
| Report | Attendance: 2,175 Referee: Duje Strukan (Croatia) |
Israel | 1 July 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Quarter-finals | Georgia | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | Israel | Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) | Report | Attendance: 44,338 Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
England | 5 July 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Semi-finals | Israel | 0–3 | England | Adjarabet Arena, Batumi, Georgia |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) | Report |
|
Coaching staff
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- As of 22 June 2023
| 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 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against
Poland on 21 March 2024 and 
Germany on 26 March 2024. - Caps and goals correct as of: 21 November 2023, after the match against
Kosovo
Bolded names denote players who have been capped for the senior team.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Tomer Tzarfati | 16 October 2003 | 4 | 0 | Maccabi Netanya | |
| GK | Niv Eliasi | 1 February 2002 | 2 | 0 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | |
| GK | Ran Haspia | 18 April 2003 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Petah Tikva | |
| DF | Noam Malmoud | 2 August 2002 | 4 | 0 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |
| DF | Li On Mizrahi | 24 October 2002 | 4 | 0 | Beitar Jerusalem | |
| DF | Tal Archel | 10 June 2003 | 2 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| DF | Hadar Fuchs | 13 December 2003 | 2 | 0 | Macabi Petah Tikva | |
| DF | Jonathan Mulder | 2 January 2002 | 2 | 0 | TOP Oss | |
| DF | Ilay Feingold | 23 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | Macabi Haifa | |
| DF | Roey Elimelech | 3 July 2003 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Petah Tikva | |
| DF | Rotem Keller | 9 November 2002 | 0 | 0 | Bnei Sakhnin | |
| MF | Ayano Preda | 29 April 2002 | 3 | 0 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |
| MF | Amir Ganah | 7 September 2004 | 3 | 0 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | |
| MF | Ran Binyamin | 6 February 2004 | 2 | 1 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| MF | Roy Nawi | 4 March 2004 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Petah Tikva | |
| MF | Bassam Zarura | 13 November 2002 | 1 | 0 | Maccabi Netanya | |
| MF | Adi Yona | 17 April 2004 | 1 | 0 | Beitar Jerusalem | |
| FW | Suf Podgoreanu | 20 January 2002 | 8 | 1 | Maccabi Haifa | |
| FW | Stav Nahmani | 20 January 2002 | 7 | 2 | F.C. Ashdod | |
| FW | Idan Gorno | 9 August 2004 | 6 | 1 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | |
| FW | Mohammed Abu Rumi | 10 March 2004 | 3 | 0 | Ironi Kiryat Shmona | |
| FW | Omer Senior | 23 February 2003 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| FW | Elad Madmon | 10 February 2004 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Hadera | |
| FW | Ohad Almagor | 14 May 2002 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Lior Gliklich | 2 January 2003 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Rishon LeZion | v. Ukraine, 19 November 2022 |
| GK | Maor Erlich | 3 March 2003 | 0 | 0 | F.C. Kafr Qasim | v. Bulgaria, 12 September 2023 |
| DF | Stav Lemkin | 2 April 2003 | 11 | 1 | Shakhtar Donetsk | v. Switzerland, 28 March 2023 |
| DF | Shaked Hakmon | 15 June 2002 | 1 | 0 | F.C. Ashdod | v. Bulgaria, 12 September 2023 |
| DF | Guy Dezent | 1 November 2005 | 3 | 0 | Macabi Petah Tikva | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| DF | Denis Kulikov | 24 August 2004 | 2 | 0 | Macabi Netanya | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| DF | Matan Levi | 19 February 2002 | 1 | 0 | Macabi Netanya | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| MF | Niv Gotlieb | 29 October 2002 | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Hadera | v. Ukraine, 19 November 2022 |
| MF | Noam Muche | 30 July 2003 | 1 | 0 | F.C. Ashdod | v. Bulgaria, 12 September 2023 |
| MF | El Yam Kancepolsky | 22 December 2003 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | v. Bulgaria, 12 September 2023 |
| MF | Ilay Madmon | 3 February 2003 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | v. Bulgaria, 12 September 2023 |
| MF | Ethan Azoulay | 26 May 2002 | 14 | 0 | Maccabi Netanya | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| MF | Shalev Harush | 8 May 2002 | 2 | 0 | F.C. Ashdod | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| MF | Tai Abed | 3 August 2004 | 3 | 0 | Jong PSV | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| FW | Dor Turgeman | 24 October 2003 | 7 | 1 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | v. Bulgaria, 12 September 2023 |
| FW | Or Roizman | 22 March 2002 | 2 | 0 | Hapoel Jerusalem | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| FW | Hamza Shibli | 19 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Petah Tikva | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
| FW | Bassel Khoury | 16 December 2003 | 0 | 0 | Bnei Sakhnin | v. Kosovo, 21 November 2023 |
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
References
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.
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