Israel Women's International Footballers

The available sources document selected individual careers, competition squads, and match lineups rather than supplying an exhaustive all-time registry of Israel women's internationals. These records identify long-serving figures such as Karin Sandel, emerging players such as Talia Sommer and Or Divan, and representative squads from European Championship qualifying, the Nations League, World Cup qualifying, and exhibition play.[1][4] The term encompasses both established record holders and players appearing in particular senior-team selections or match reports.[5][6]

Women's football exists in 177 countries, including Israel, but a 2015 Hebrew-language study characterizes the Israeli women's game as marginal, with relatively few teams, limited funding, and a small audience.[7] Karin Sandel described the development of Israeli women's football as an "upside-down pyramid": "Normally you would create the youth league, then the women's league, and finally, the national team, but it was done backwards here."[1]

The Israel women's national team was formed in 1997, while the country's first women's football league followed in 1999.[1] Despite this atypical sequence, the national team has remained active across multiple decades, fielding players from domestic clubs and from leagues in Germany, the United States, Belgium, and other countries.[2]

Karin Sandel is Israel's record holder for women's national-team appearances. She debuted for the national side in 2005 and had accumulated 70 caps by June 2025.[1] In 2018, she was expected to equal the then-record of 47 appearances, a total she subsequently surpassed.[1][8] Sandel served as national-team captain and represented clubs in Iceland and the United States during her career.[8][9] Ynet reported in 2022 that she had effectively been removed from the squad after leading a dispute over unequal conditions for the women's and men's national teams.[9] She later became chair of Israel's football players' association and, in 2024, was elected as Europe's representative to the international FIFPRO board while playing for Hapoel Tel Aviv.[10]

Talia Sommer is a midfielder from Tel Aviv who began playing football at age four. During her first six years at Maccabi Tel Aviv, she was the only girl in the league and on her team, playing alongside boys.[1][11] She joined ASA Tel Aviv in the Women's Premier League at age 14 and made her senior Israel debut two years later.[11] In December 2025, aged 21, Sommer signed with Gotham FC, becoming the first Israeli soccer player to join the National Women's Soccer League.[11] She had previously scored three goals in four matches during Israel's 2025 promotion campaign.[1]

Or Divan received her first senior call-up at age 16 during the 2027 Women's World Cup qualifiers, making her one of the youngest players ever selected for the squad.[4] Originally from Beersheba, she moved to M.S. Kiryat Gat, where national-team head coach Menachem Koretzky cited her physical strength and ability to handle experienced foreign players.[4] She recorded 87 goals and 47 assists in 40 matches in 2023/24 and 110 goals and 52 assists in 47 matches in 2024/25, including her first national-team goal. After moving into the senior ranks, she added 17 goals and 18 assists in 30 matches in 2025/26.[4]

Sharon Beck played for Köln in Germany's Frauen-Bundesliga and entered the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying stage as the leading scorer from the first qualifying round.[3] Irena Kuznetsov, Noa Salimaogic, and Maria Almasri played together for Turbine Potsdam in Germany's second division, while Marian Awad had scored for Turkish club Fomget.[3]

Ahead of the second stage of UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying in March 2024, Israel was attached to League B after finishing first in its previous League C group with 16 points and no defeats, above Estonia, Kazakhstan, and Armenia. At the time, Israel was ranked 69th in the FIFA women's world ranking and had never qualified for the European Championship.[3]

Israel subsequently finished last in its European Championship qualifying group below Scotland, Serbia, and Slovakia.[5] In the opening matches of the 2025 Women's Nations League, it faced Bulgaria and Estonia in three-team Group 5, with the campaign marking new head coach Nisso Avitan's first matches in charge.[5] Promotion from League C back to League B was secured on May 30, 2025, when Israel defeated Estonia 3–1 through goals from Noa Slimhojits, Smadar Cohen, and Maayan Ben Yisrael.[1]

By January 2026, the team was described as holding an extended unbeaten streak while preparing to attempt qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. Belgium, Luxembourg, and Scotland were listed among its opponents, and most of the squad played for Israeli clubs, with others based in Germany, the United States, and Belgium.[2]

Documented match appearances include a 2021 World Cup qualifier against Germany in which Israel fielded Amit Beilin, Lior Edri, Irena Kuznetsov, Noam Achtel, Shahar Nekev, Shani David, Karin Sandel, Marian Awad, Opal Super, Sharon Beck, and Rachel Steinschneider. Shai Pirel, Maya Hittman, and Coral Hazan entered as substitutes in the 1–0 defeat.[6]

In a 2019 exhibition match against Chelsea Women, Israel's starting lineup consisted of Amit Cohen, Lia Barkai, Shai Sadeh, Nora Abu Shanab, Shahar Nekev, Marian Awad, Opal Super, Shira Elinav, Karin Sandel, Mor Efrayim, and Rachel Steinschneider. Vered Cohen scored Israel's goal in a 3–1 defeat.[12]

The February 2025 Nations League roster listed goalkeepers Fortuna Rubin, Amit Beilin, and Noa Kozak; defenders Meital Sharabi, Shani David, Hili Shalom, Itaf Alkisi, Irena Kuznetsov, Tomer Zacharia, and Keren Or Edri; midfielders Eliana Bird, Marian Awad, Michaela Varko, Hadas Morin, Maya Cabrera, Adi Golden, Rachel Steinschneider, and Batoul Dar-Halil; and forwards Roni Levi, Shira Elinav, Maayan Ben Israel, Talia Sommer, Eden Avital, and Noa Salimaogic.[5]

The Euro 2025 qualifying squad comprised goalkeepers Fortuna Rubin, Lama Ganama, and Agam Haviv; defenders Eliana Bird, Keren Or Edri, Irena Kuznetsov, Shani David, Shahar Nekev, Meital Sharabi, and Reut Revaha; midfielders Hadas Morin, Opal Super, Sharon Beck, Marian Awad, Eden Avital, Batoul Dar-Halil, Maya Hittman, and Talia Sommer; and forwards Shira Elinav, Vital Katz, Coral Hazan, Noa Salimaogic, Maria Almasri, and Rachel Steinschneider.[3]

The available sources document selected squads and notable players rather than a complete all-time list of every Israel women's international. The JNS article uses both "Noa Slimhojits" and "Noa Selimhodzic" without explaining whether they are alternate renderings of the same player's name.[1] The February 2025 roster report calls the selection a 23-player squad, although its printed positional lists contain 24 names.[5]

Sandel's appearance totals are time-specific rather than contradictory: a 2018 source said she was expected to equal the record of 47 caps, while a 2025 profile credited her with 70.[1][8] Ynet reported that she was pushed out of the national team following her dispute over conditions for female players, while later coverage confirms her continued involvement at club and administrative levels.[9][10]