The Rise of Israel's Football Team: Key Players and Recent Successes

Watching Israel’s national football team evolve over the past few years has been one of the more quietly compelling narratives in European football. For a nation where the sport often lives in the shadow of basketball’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, the recent ascent feels significant, built not on fleeting luck but on a core of key players hitting their stride at the right time. I’ve followed this team closely, and what strikes me isn't just a collection of results, but a palpable shift in mentality. There’s a resilience there now that was sometimes missing before. A lot of this story, in my view, hinges on the fitness and form of individuals, a point that was hammered home recently when I was reading about another athlete’s return from injury. A coach’s comment about his player stuck with me: “Justin is cleared. It’s just a matter of him getting his game back; he hasn’t played in two months. But I think the break should help more than hurt. He was forced to take it, and he really hadn’t had a break in more than two years.” That logic – the potential benefit of an enforced reset – feels directly applicable to the Israeli squad’s own journey, particularly for its stars plying their trade in Europe’s relentless grind.

The bedrock of this rise is, without question, the emergence and consolidation of a genuine spine of talent. At the heart of it is Manor Solomon. His move to Tottenham Hotspur, despite a challenging start with injuries, marked a milestone. Here’s a player whose dribbling can change a game in an instant. I remember his spell at Fulham, where he scored in five consecutive Premier League matches – a feat no Israeli had ever achieved. That’s not just a statistic; it’s a statement. But like the athlete in that quote, Solomon’s progress was interrupted. He faced a long layoff, a forced break from the relentless schedule. Watching him return, I’d argue that period of recovery might have done him a world of good in the long run, allowing his body to reset after years of non-stop football. Then there’s Oscar Gloukh, the teenage sensation at RB Salzburg. At just 19, his vision and technical security are absurd for his age. He’s the creative hub, the one who makes everything tick, and his €7 million move from Maccabi Tel Aviv to Austria looks like an absolute steal. He represents the new breed – technically gifted, tactically aware, and developed in a system that now seems to be producing real quality.

But a team is more than its attackers. The defensive solidity, often Israel’s Achilles’ heel, has improved dramatically, and a lot of that credit goes to players like Eli Dasa, the captain and relentless right-back, and Dor Peretz anchoring the midfield. However, the real game-changer for me has been the goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz. His transfer to Bayern Munich, even as a backup, is a massive signal of his potential. Making that step up, training with world-class players every day, elevates his game and, by extension, the entire team’s confidence. It’s a psychological boost as much as a technical one. This collective growth translated into tangible success in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League, where Israel finished top of League B Group 2, securing promotion to League A for the first time ever. That was no fluke. It was a campaign built on gritty wins and a newfound belief, culminating in a decisive 2-1 victory over Albania. Promotion means they’ll now face Europe’s elite – teams like France, Spain, and Italy – regularly. That exposure is invaluable, even if the results are tough initially. It accelerates development in a way friendly matches never can.

The road ahead, of course, is steeper. Competing in League A is a different beast, and the ultimate dream remains qualifying for a first major tournament since the 1970 World Cup. The Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, while showing promise with some impressive performances, ultimately fell short, finishing third in a group with Switzerland and Romania. They missed out on automatic qualification by about 4 points, a gap that feels agonizingly close. This is where the depth of the squad will be tested. Can they maintain intensity when key players are out? The reference to an athlete’s forced break is pertinent here. The calendar is brutal. Many of Israel’s starters are playing 50+ matches a season across club and country. Managing their fitness, avoiding burnout, and ensuring that the “break,” whether enforced by injury or managed rotation, becomes a tool for rejuvenation is a critical challenge for the coaching staff. Alon Hazan has done a terrific job instilling a cohesive style, but his man-management of player fatigue might be his most important task.

From my perspective, what makes this Israeli team so engaging is its blend of veteran grit and youthful exuberance. It doesn’t feel like a golden generation that appeared out of nowhere, but rather a systematic build. There’s a clear identity forming: technically sound, hard-working, and increasingly difficult to beat. I have a personal preference for how they’re building – focusing on players in competitive European leagues rather than just the domestic scene. It raises the overall standard. The recent success isn’t a destination; it’s a platform. The upcoming Nations League A fixtures will be a brutal reality check, but also a fantastic opportunity. If players like Solomon can stay fit and use any necessary downtime as a positive reset, and if talents like Gloukh continue their meteoric rise, this team has every chance to not just participate among the best, but to occasionally shock them. The rise is real, and for a football fan, it’s been a privilege to watch it unfold. The next chapter, against Europe’s very best, is where we’ll see just how high they can truly climb.