Elseid Hysaj facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Elseid Hysaj

Hysaj playing for Napoli in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Elseid Gëzim Hysaj
Date of birth	(1994-02-02) 2 February 1994 (age 31)
Place of birth	Reç, Albania
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Full-back
Team information
Current team	Lazio
Number	23
Youth career
2001–2002	Shkodra
2002–2008	Vllaznia
2008–2012	Empoli
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2015	Empoli	102	(1)
2015–2021	Napoli	179	(1)
2021–	Lazio	96	(2)
International career‡
2010	Albania U17	3	(0)
2013–2014	Albania U21	4	(0)
2013–	Albania	90	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:14, 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:13, 7 June 2025 (UTC)

Elseid Gëzim Hysaj (born on February 2, 1994) is a professional footballer from Albania. He plays as a full-back for the Serie A club Lazio. Elseid also plays for the Albania national team.

Elseid Hysaj's Early Life

Elseid Hysaj was born in Reç, Malësi e Madhe, Albania. When he was two months old, his father, Gëzim, moved to Italy. Many Albanians went to Italy in the 1990s to find work. Elseid grew up in Shkodër with his mother and grandparents. His father worked as a bricklayer in Italy to support the family.

Elseid started playing football at age 7 with KF Shkodra. This was an amateur club in Shkodër. His coach was Taip Piraniqi. Elseid's father worked for a football agent named Marco Piccioli. He told Piccioli that his son was a talented player. Elseid was only 10 at the time, so Piccioli suggested waiting. When Elseid turned 14, he went to Italy. He tried out for different clubs, including Fiorentina. He eventually joined the Empoli academy.

Elseid Hysaj's Club Career

Playing for Empoli

Hysaj first joined the Empoli senior team for a game against Varese on October 9, 2011. He did not play in that match. He was called up two more times that season but remained on the bench. Elseid made his first professional appearance on November 24, 2011. This was in a Coppa Italia match against Fiorentina. He played the whole game, which Empoli lost 2–1.

2012–13 Season at Empoli

Hysaj played his first league game on October 20, 2012. This was against Virtus Lanciano. Empoli won 3–0 away from home. Elseid came into the game in the 67th minute. Empoli finished the 2012–13 season in 4th place. This meant they could play in the promotion playoffs. They played against Novara in the semifinals. Hysaj played all 90 minutes in both games. Empoli won the second leg 4–1.

Empoli then played Livorno in the final. Hysaj played the full 90 minutes in both final games. Livorno won the final 2–1 on total score. This meant Livorno was promoted to 2013–14 Serie A. Hysaj played 35 games for Empoli in the 2012–13 season. He played 30 league games, 1 Coppa Italia game, and 4 playoff games.

2013–14 Season at Empoli

On September 19, 2013, Hysaj signed a new contract with Empoli until 2015. He scored his first professional goal on April 17, 2014. This was in a match against Virtus Lanciano. He scored in the 4th minute with a great shot. However, Empoli still lost the match 2–1. On May 30, 2014, Empoli was promoted to Serie A. This was after six years away from the top league.

2014–15 Season at Empoli

Elseid made his Serie A debut on August 31, 2014. This was in the first game of the season against Udinese. Empoli lost 2–0. On October 31, Hysaj signed another new contract. This kept him at the club until June 2017. His salary also increased. In January 2015, Hysaj was chosen as one of the best players in Serie A for that week. This was after a game against Verona. In his last season at Empoli, Hysaj played 36 league games. He also played in 3 Coppa Italia matches.

Joining Napoli

In July 2015, Hysaj moved to Napoli. He followed his former Empoli coach, Maurizio Sarri, to the club. On August 3, 2015, Hysaj officially joined Napoli. He signed a five-year contract. The transfer fee was about €5 million. This made him the second most expensive Albanian player at the time.

2015–16 Season at Napoli

He played his first game for Napoli on August 23, 2015. This was against Sassuolo. Napoli lost 2–1. Hysaj quickly became a regular player for coach Maurizio Sarri. He played almost every minute of the games. He made his European debut on September 17, 2015. This was in a Europa League game against Club Brugge. Napoli won 5–0. Napoli won all their group games in the Europa League. In February 2016, Hysaj was named one of the best young players in Serie A.

2016–17 Season at Napoli

Hysaj played the third most minutes for Napoli that season. This included all competitions. By the end of the season, his value was €18 million. He became the most valuable player for the Albania national team.

2017–18 Season at Napoli

Hysaj played his 100th game for Napoli on October 21, 2017. This was a game against Internazionale in 2017–18 Serie A. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.

2018–19 Season at Napoli

Chelsea tried to buy Hysaj in the summer of 2018 for £43 million. However, Hysaj's agent said he was worth €60 million. At that time, Hysaj was seen as one of the best players in his position in the world.

2019–20 Season at Napoli

In the 2019–20 season, Hysaj scored his first goal for Napoli. This was against Sassuolo on July 25, 2020.

2020–21 Season at Napoli

In the 2020–21 season, Hysaj missed 13 games. This was due to injuries and having COVID-19. He played 29 games and helped with 3 assists in all competitions.

Moving to Lazio

On July 1, 2021, Hysaj moved to Lazio for free. When he joined, he sang a song called Bella ciao during a team welcome. Some Lazio fans were upset by this. This was because the song is linked to different political ideas than theirs.

2021–22 Season at Lazio

In his first season at Lazio (2021–22), Hysaj played 38 games. Seven of these were in the UEFA Europa League. He scored one goal. He helped Lazio finish 5th in the league. This meant they qualified for the Europa League next year.

2022–23 Season at Lazio

In the 2022–23 season, Hysaj played 43 games for Lazio. This was his most games yet for the club. He scored one goal and made one assist. He helped Lazio finish second in the league. They finished behind Napoli. This result helped Lazio qualify directly for the next season's UEFA Champions League.

Elseid Hysaj's International Career

Playing for Youth Teams

Hysaj with Albania U21 in 2014

Hysaj played three games for the under-17 team. These were qualifying games for the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He played against Norway, Republic of Ireland, and Malta in September 2010.

Hysaj once said in an interview that the Italian Football Federation invited him to play for Italy. But he chose to play for Albania instead. After playing well for the senior team, he also played for the under-21 team. He played in a friendly match against Austria on August 14, 2013. He also played in a qualifying game for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship against Spain.

Playing for the Senior Team

Because of his good performances with Empoli, Albania's coach, Gianni De Biasi, invited Hysaj to play for the senior team. This was for a friendly match against Georgia on February 6, 2013. He was only 18 years old when he made his debut. This made him one of the youngest players ever to play for the Albania national team.

He played his first competitive game for Albania on March 22, 2013. This was a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Norway. He came on as a substitute in the 80th minute. Albania won the game 1–0.

Euro 2016

Hysaj with Albania in 2016

On May 21, 2016, Hysaj was chosen for Albania's team for UEFA Euro 2016. On May 28, he was the captain for the first time in a warm-up game against Qatar. Albania won 3–1. He became the youngest captain ever for Albania.

Hysaj played every minute of all the group games at Euro 2016. Albania finished third in their group. They lost to France and Switzerland. They beat Romania 1–0. Albania did not move on to the next round. Hysaj was considered a candidate for the best young player of the tournament. This was because of his strong play in both attack and defense.

2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Hysaj kept his starting spot in Albania's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He played all 90 minutes in the first three matches. Albania won their first two games against Macedonia and Liechtenstein. In the next game against Spain, Albania lost 2–0. On November 12, 2016, Albania lost 3–0 at home to Israel.

Elseid Hysaj's Personal Life

On June 9, 2015, Hysaj got engaged to Fiorenza Lekstakaj, who was Miss Albania 2013. They got married in June 2019. Elseid's cousin, Daniel Hysaj, is also a professional footballer. He plays for the Italian club Taranto.

Elseid Hysaj's Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hysaj goal.

List of international goals scored by Elseid Hysaj

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	10 September 2019	Elbasan Arena, Elbasan, Albania	Iceland	2–1	4–2	UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
2	8 September 2021	Elbasan Arena, Elbasan, Albania	San Marino	4–0	5–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Elseid Hysaj's Honours

Napoli

• Coppa Italia: 2019–20
• Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 2020

See also

In Spanish: Elseid Hysaj para niños