| 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 | ||
| Mostcaps | Arik Benado (39)[3] | ||
| Top scorer | Alon Mizrahi (15)[4] | ||
| FIFA code | ISR | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Israel 2–2Greece  (Xanthi,Greece; 21 November 1990) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Israel 6–0Austria  (Herzliya,Israel; 26 October 1993) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
Israel 0–4Spain  (Herzliya,Israel; 13 October 1998) Israel 0–4Portugal  (Groningen,Netherlands; 16 June 2007) Israel 0–4Italy  (Tel Aviv,Israel; 8 June 2013) | |||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in2007) | ||
| Best result | Semi-finals (2023) | ||
TheIsrael national under-21 football team (Hebrew:הנבחרת הצעירה של ישראל בכדורגל עד גיל 21) is the national under-21football team ofIsrael, and is controlled by theIsrael Football Association (IFA). It is considered to be the feeder team for the seniorIsrael national football team.
This team consists of Israeli players aged 21 or under at the start of each two-yearUEFA 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 ofUEFA. A draw in a qualifier againstGreece 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 asHaMoshava Stadium inPetah 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 theFrench Under-21 team 2–1 on aggregate.
There is no Under-21 World Cup, although there is anUnder-20 World Cup. European U-21 teams compete for theEuropean 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 the2007 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 ofTurkey andWales. In the two-legged play-off againstFrance for a place in the final stage, the team achieved a surprising 1–1 draw in France, and won the home match 1–0, withAmir Taga scoring in stoppage time.
Note: The year of the tournament represents the year in which it ends.
| 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 | |
| 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 | Israel | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 18 | −13 | 3 | 1–5 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — |
The four play-off winners qualify for thefinal tournament.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Croatia  | 3–3(5–4p) | Denmark | 2–1 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Slovakia | 3–5 |  Ukraine | 3–2 | 0–3 |
Republic of Ireland  | 1–1(1–3p) | Israel | 1–1 | 0–0 (a.e.t.) |
Iceland  | 1–2 | Czech Republic | 1–2 | 0–0 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 9 | Advance toknockout 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 |
In the knockout stage,extra time and apenalty shoot-out are used to decide the winners if necessary. AsFrance qualified as hosts andEngland are ineligible for the2024 Summer Olympics, their results will be used to determine whether an Olympic play-off match would be required and who would participate.[5]
| 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 | |||||||||
Win Draw Loss
v Israel| 23 September 2022UEFA 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) |
v Republic of Ireland| 27 September 2022UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification Play-off 2nd leg | Israel | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–1p) | 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 the2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
v Israel| 22 June 2023 (2023-06-22)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[6] Referee:Willy Delajod (France) |
v Israel| 25 June 2023 (2023-06-25)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[7] Referee:Rade Obrenović (Slovenia) |
v Czech Republic| 28 June 2023 (2023-06-28)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[8] Referee:Duje Strukan (Croatia) |
v Israel| 1 July 2023 (2023-07-01)UEFA European Under-21 Championship Quarter-finals | Georgia | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–4p) | Israel | Boris Paichadze Stadium,Tbilisi,Georgia |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) | Report | Attendance: 44,338[9] Referee:Espen Eskås (Norway) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
v England| 5 July 2023 (2023-07-05)UEFA European Under-21 Championship Semi-finals | Israel | 0–3 | England | Adjarabet Arena,Batumi,Georgia |
| 19:00 (Israel Summer Time) | Report |
|
Israel has qualified for the2024 Summer Olympics.
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| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Guy Luzon |
| Assistant Coach | Haim Cohen |
| Fitness Coach | Yossi Kakun |
| Lidor Ganon | |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Victor Buchnik |
| Analyst | Liron Glat |
Bolded names denote players who have been capped for thesenior team.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GK | Dor Binyamini | (2005-05-06)6 May 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| 1GK | Ofek Melika | (2005-01-23)23 January 2005 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
| 1GK | Shon Ben Nesher | (2005-10-01)1 October 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Maccabi Herzliya | |
| 2DF | Noam Ben Harush | (2005-05-13)13 May 2005 (age 20) | 11 | 1 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
| 2DF | Nikita Stoinov | (2005-08-24)24 August 2005 (age 20) | 9 | 0 | Dinamo București | |
| 2DF | Ido Cohen | (2005-02-17)17 February 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 0 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | |
| 2DF | Maor Yashilirmak | (2005-01-16)16 January 2005 (age 20) | 5 | 0 | F.C. Ashdod | |
| 2DF | Denis Kulikov | (2004-08-24)24 August 2004 (age 21) | 3 | 0 | Maccabi Netanya | |
| 2DF | Noam Schwartz | (2006-07-15)15 July 2006 (age 19) | 3 | 0 | Hapoel Kfar Shalem | |
| 2DF | Yonatan Laish | (2005-01-27)27 January 2005 (age 20) | 2 | 0 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |
| 3MF | Niv Yehoshua | (2005-01-28)28 January 2005 (age 20) | 12 | 1 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | |
| 3MF | Ran Binyamin | (2004-02-06)6 February 2004 (age 21) | 11 | 4 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| 3MF | Adi Yona | (2004-04-17)17 April 2004 (age 21) | 11 | 1 | Beitar Jerusalem | |
| 3MF | Tai Abed | (2004-08-03)3 August 2004 (age 21) | 10 | 2 | Jong PSV | |
| 3MF | Bar Lin | (2004-08-08)8 August 2004 (age 21) | 6 | 1 | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | |
| 3MF | Yanai Distelfeld | (2005-08-01)1 August 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 1 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |
| 3MF | Roy Nawi | (2004-03-04)4 March 2004 (age 21) | 6 | 0 | Hapoel Haifa | |
| 3MF | Roei Alkukin | (2004-04-07)7 April 2004 (age 21) | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| 3MF | Dagats Worko | (2004-08-01)1 August 2004 (age 21) | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Ramat Gan | |
| 4FW | Mohamad Abu Rumi | (2004-03-10)10 March 2004 (age 21) | 11 | 1 | Ironi Kiryat Shmona | |
| 4FW | Sayed Abu Farchi | (2006-05-11)11 May 2006 (age 19) | 8 | 0 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
| 4FW | Daniel Dappa | (2007-09-21)21 September 2007 (age 18) | 5 | 1 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
| 4FW | Karem Zoabi | (2006-05-03)3 May 2006 (age 19) | 5 | 0 | Rio Ave | |
| 4FW | Eyad Khalaily | (2006-07-02)2 July 2006 (age 19) | 4 | 0 | Maccabi Bnei Reineh | |
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 | Nitai Greis | (2004-07-08)8 July 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Oliveirense | v. Slovenia, 10 October 2025 |
| GK | Tamir Stoller | (2004-08-01)1 August 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Ironi Modi'in | v. Bulgaria, 5 June 2025 |
| DF | Jonatan Agiyapong | (2004-08-01)1 August 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Bnei Yehuda | v. Slovenia, 10 October 2025 |
| DF | Or Israelov | (2004-09-02)2 September 2004 (age 21) | 2 | 0 | Estoril | v. Bulgaria, 5 June 2025 |
| DF | Ilay Feingold | (2004-08-23)23 August 2004 (age 21) | 3 | 0 |  New England Revolution | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Guy Dezent | (2005-11-01)1 November 2005 (age 20) | 3 | 0 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Bashar Abdah | (2004-12-01)1 December 2004 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Hadera | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| MF | Amit Lemkin | (2005-10-26)26 October 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | v. Slovenia, 6 October 2025INJ |
| MF | Lior Kasa | (2005-09-27)27 September 2005 (age 20) | 3 | 0 | Maccabi Haifa | v. Netherlands, 9 September 2025 |
| MF | Liran Hazan | (2006-05-10)10 May 2006 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | v. Netherlands, 9 September 2025 |
| MF | Ido Oli | (2005-09-27)27 September 2005 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Jerusalem | v. Bulgaria, 5 June 2025 |
| MF | Liam Hermesh | (2004-03-12)12 March 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 |  Sheriff Tiraspol | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| MF | Anis Porat Ayash | (2005-04-15)15 April 2005 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Haifa | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| FW | Amir Ganah | (2004-09-07)7 September 2004 (age 21) | 10 | 0 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | v. Slovenia, 10 October 2025 |
| FW | Mor Buskila | (2004-08-01)1 August 2004 (age 21) | 1 | 0 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | v. Slovenia, 10 October 2025 |
| FW | Idan Gorno | (2004-08-09)9 August 2004 (age 21) | 7 | 1 | Charlotte | v. Netherlands, 9 September 2025 |
| FW | Elad Madmon | (2004-02-10)10 February 2004 (age 21) | 6 | 1 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
| FW | Ori Azo | (2005-07-17)17 July 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | F.C. Ashdod | v. Cyprus, 25 March 2025 |
INJ Withdrew due to injury or illness | ||||||
| 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.
| 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.
| Domestic leagues |
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| Domestic cups |
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| Defunct competitions | |||||||
| National teams |
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| Related tonational team | |||||||
| International tournaments | |||||||
| Other articles | |||||||
| Lists | |||||||
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