Israel Coll

Coll grew up in a poor neighborhood in Córdoba, Argentina, where he first took up football at a local club founded by evangelical Christians.[1] The club used the sport as a means of bringing children closer to religion and contributing to the community. As a professional, Coll has remained openly devout, regularly referring to his Christian faith and thanking God for his career achievements.[1]

He developed into one of the strongest players in his age group, attracting the attention of club president Raúl Villarreal, who took him under his protection and sought a team where the young midfielder could continue to grow. Villarreal later said of him: "Coll will always be our loyal ambassador. He is an excellent player, but an even better person."[1]

Despite his promise, Coll's path was not without early setbacks. Talleres, one of Córdoba's established clubs, rejected him after trials on the grounds that he dribbled too much.[1] At 18 he left Córdoba for Buenos Aires, signing with Ferro Carril Oeste of Argentina's second division. He hoped eventually to move to Boca Juniors and play alongside Carlos Tevez, but he initially struggled to impose himself in physically demanding matches and failed to establish a regular place in the lineup.[1]

At age 23, Coll returned to Córdoba and joined Central Córdoba, where he served mainly as a rotation player.[1] He experienced relegation from Argentina's second tier to the third tier before celebrating the club's subsequent promotion back to the second division — famously marking the occasion by riding a motorcycle around the pitch.[1]

In the summer of 2018 he secured a free transfer to Panachaiki in Greece's second division, becoming the only foreign player in the squad.[1] He made an immediate impression, scoring from a spectacular long-range shot in his very first match. Panachaiki's supporters responded by giving him the nickname "Messi," which stayed with him throughout his roughly year-and-a-half spell at the club.[1]

Apollon Smyrnis then recruited Coll as part of its push for promotion to Greece's top flight. The club achieved promotion in May 2020, giving Coll his first taste of top-division football at the age of 27.[1] His season in the Greek top flight was, however, described as unimpressive.[1]

The most significant chapter of his career opened in the summer of 2021 when Coll joined Apollon Limassol in Cyprus.[1] He initially attracted little attention, but within a year he had become a regular starter, beginning 30 league matches and accumulating more playing time than any other player on the team.[1] Coach Alexander Zorniger built the center of midfield around him, and Apollon won the fourth league championship in its history.[1] Coll spent four years at Apollon Limassol and played 105 matches for the club.[2] His first two European appearances for Apollon, in the previous season's Conference League qualifiers against Žilina, ended in elimination, although he scored his first European goal for the club.[1]

On February 4, 2025, Coll was reported to have landed in Israel, signed with M.S. Ashdod, and completed his first training session with the club.[3] He had taken a significant blow to his leg in his final match in Cyprus and had experienced a "dead leg" before arriving; Ashdod hoped he would recover for its match against Hapoel Be'er Sheva.[3] He quickly established himself as an important starter in central midfield, providing two assists and scoring in Ashdod's final-round relegation-survival match.[4]

That goal came in a 4–2 victory over Ironi Kiryat Shmona, after Mohammed Kna'an and Roy Levy had converted penalties, and helped secure Ashdod's place in the top division for the following season.[5]

In July 2025, Ashdod announced an extension of Coll's contract for another season.[4] However, in December 2025 the club announced his departure; Coll returned to Argentina after playing four matches that season, starting the club's first three fixtures.[6] In a farewell statement he said: "It was an honor to wear Ashdod's shirt. Thank you to everyone who was part of my time here."[6]

Coll's reputation at Apollon rested on an all-action midfield role. He was described as a classic box-to-box midfielder with a good left foot, the ability to play penetrating through balls, a very high work rate, and a statistical ranking among the leading ball recoverers.[1] His positive character and on-field leadership were credited with helping Apollon through decisive late-season matches, and within a year he had become one of the club's most popular figures.[1] By the time of his move to Ashdod, he was described as one of the stars of Cypriot football.[2]

His profile also grew through an episode during Apollon's championship celebrations, when he sang a highly popular Greek pop song without realizing the performance was being broadcast live on television.[1] The song's original performer, Eleni Foureira, subsequently traveled from Greece to Cyprus to perform it alongside him.[1]

A December 4, 2025 Sport5 report said that Coll had signed with Ashdod in February 2024.[6] That date conflicts with a February 3, 2025 report that the 31-year-old midfielder was about to join Ashdod from Apollon Limassol.[2] Walla's next-day report stated that he had landed, signed, and completed his first training session on February 4, 2025.[3] Sport5's July 2025 contract-extension report also said he had joined at the end of the previous January transfer window, supporting an early-2025 move.[4] The article therefore uses February 2025; the later 2024 reference appears to be a reporting error. The age descriptions — 31 in February 2025 and 32 in December 2025 — are not necessarily inconsistent, because a birthday may have fallen between the reports.[2][6]