Eran Zahavi facts for kids
Zahavi celebrating a goal for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 July 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Rishon LeZion, Israel | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker, advanced playmaker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1993–2003 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | ||
| 2003–2005 | Ironi Rishon LeZion | ||
| 2005–2006 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2011 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | 94 | (27) |
| 2007–2008 | → Ironi Ramat HaSharon (loan) | 45 | (9) |
| 2011–2013 | Palermo | 23 | (2) |
| 2013–2016 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 119 | (98) |
| 2016–2020 | Guangzhou R&F | 106 | (91) |
| 2020–2022 | PSV Eindhoven | 50 | (22) |
| 2022–2025 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 100 | (52) |
| International career | |||
| 2008 | Israel U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2010–2024 | Israel | 74 | (35) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 May 2025 | |||
Eran Zahavi (born on July 25, 1987) is a famous Israeli footballer. He plays as a forward, which means he's usually focused on scoring goals.
Zahavi is known for being an amazing goalscorer. He was named the best Israeli Footballer of the Year twice. He also led the Israeli Premier League in scoring for three years in a row. In 2016, he broke a very old record for the most goals scored in a single Israeli league season. Later, he became the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Chinese Super League in 2017 and broke their single-season scoring record in 2019.
He started playing for the Israel national team in 2010. He even became the team captain and is currently the top goalscorer for Israel with 35 goals.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Eran Zahavi began his football journey at a young age. He joined the youth team of Hapoel Tel Aviv when he was just six years old. When he was 16, he moved to Ironi Rishon LeZion in his hometown. Two years later, in 2005, he returned to Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Hapoel Tel Aviv Success
Zahavi grew up playing in Hapoel Tel Aviv's youth system. He joined their main team in 2006. With Hapoel, he helped them win the 2009–10 Israel State Cup and the 2009–10 Israeli Premier League title. He scored the winning goal in the very last minute of a big game against their rivals, Beitar Jerusalem, which was a very exciting moment.
In the 2010–11 season, Zahavi was the player who made the most assists (passes that lead to goals) in the Israeli Premier League. He had 13 assists that season.
Playing in Italy with Palermo
Before the 2011–12 season, Zahavi signed a five-year contract with Palermo, a club in Italy's top league, Serie A. He played for two seasons there, making 23 appearances and scoring two goals.
Return to Maccabi Tel Aviv
In December 2012, Zahavi decided he wanted to come back to Israel. After some discussions, he joined Maccabi Tel Aviv in January 2013. He signed a contract for three and a half years.
During a game in November 2014, Zahavi scored a penalty goal. After this, a fan ran onto the field and attacked him. Zahavi reacted, and he was sent off the field. This caused more fans to run onto the field, and the game had to be stopped.
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At the start of the 2015–16 season, Zahavi became the new captain of Maccabi Tel Aviv. In August 2015, he scored two goals in a big European game against Czech team Viktoria Plzeň, helping his team win. He also scored two important goals against Swiss side Basel in the Champions League playoffs. These goals helped Maccabi Tel Aviv reach the Champions League group stage. Zahavi was the top scorer in the Champions League qualifying rounds with 7 goals in 5 games.
That season, Zahavi scored an amazing 35 goals in 36 league games. This set a new Israeli record for the most league goals in a single season. The old record had stood since 1954–55!
Moving to China with Guangzhou R&F
On June 29, 2016, Zahavi joined Guangzhou R&F in the Chinese Super League. He was the second Israeli footballer to play in China. The deal was reportedly worth $12.5 million over two and a half years.
He made his first appearance for Guangzhou R&F on July 2, coming on as a substitute. He scored his first goal just 15 minutes later and also made an assist, helping his team win 4–2.
On July 13, Zahavi scored three goals (a hat-trick) in just 19 minutes in a Chinese FA Cup match. He came on in the second half and helped his team win 3–0. He scored another hat-trick in October, earning him the nickname "the King of Yuexiushan."
Zahavi ended his first half-season in China with 11 league goals in 15 games. In December 2016, there were reports that another Chinese club offered $20 million for him, which would have been the highest transfer fee ever for an Israeli footballer. In January 2017, Zahavi signed a new contract with Guangzhou R&F until 2020, reportedly earning $7 million per season.
In July 2017, he scored four goals in one game, helping Guangzhou win 6–2. Zahavi finished the 2017 season with 27 league goals, winning the Chinese Super League Golden Boot Award (for top scorer). He was also named the Most Valuable Player in the league and was chosen for the CSL team of the year.
In November 2019, Zahavi broke the Chinese Super League's record for the most goals in a single season, scoring his 29th goal.
Playing in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven
On September 20, 2020, Zahavi signed a two-year contract with Eredivisie team PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He played his first game for them on October 1, 2020, in a UEFA Europa League match. He scored a goal and made an assist, helping his team win 2–0.
In July 2021, Zahavi scored three goals and made an assist in a big 5–1 win against Galatasaray in a Champions League qualifying match.
In March 2022, Zahavi was named the UEFA Europa Conference League Player of the Week. This was because he scored two goals in a game against Danish side Copenhagen, helping his team win 4–0. He was also named the Eredivisie Player of the Month for March, as he scored in all three games he played that month. Zahavi scored his eighth European goal of the season in the Conference League quarter-finals, matching a PSV club record from the 1970s.
Zahavi left PSV Eindhoven after the 2021–22 season when his contract ended.
Second Time at Maccabi Tel Aviv
In June 2022, Zahavi returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv on a two-year contract. He had played for them before from 2013 to 2016. He was also named the captain of the club again.
In December 2023, UEFA named Zahavi the UEFA Europa Conference League Player of the Week. This was after he scored two goals against Belgian team Gent, helping Maccabi Tel Aviv win 3–1 in the group stage.
Playing for Israel
Zahavi played his first game for the senior Israel team on September 2, 2010, in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Malta. He scored his first goal for the national team on September 10, 2013, against Russia in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
On March 24, 2019, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Austria in a 4–2 home win during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers. On June 7, 2019, Zahavi scored another hat-trick, this time against Latvia, in a 3–0 away win during the same qualifiers. He scored a total of eleven goals in that qualifying campaign, making him one of the top goalscorers overall.
On October 14, 2020, during a UEFA Nations League match against Slovakia, Zahavi scored three goals in just 20 minutes. This helped Israel come back from being 0–2 down to win 3–2. With five goals, he was one of the top goalscorers across all divisions of the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League.
On September 1, 2021, Zahavi scored his fourth international hat-trick in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Faroe Islands, helping Israel win 4–0. Three days later, he scored two more goals in a World Cup qualifying match against Austria, which Israel won 5–2. Even though he missed the last two matches due to injury, Zahavi scored a total of eight goals during those qualifiers, making him one of the top scorers.
In September 2022, Zahavi took a break from the Israel national team due to a disagreement. However, in November 2023, he returned to play for the team in the remaining UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches.
About His Life
Eran Zahavi was born and grew up in Rishon LeZion, Israel. His parents are Israeli-Jewish. His father moved to Israel from France, and his mother was born in Israel. He has an older brother named Avi.
Zahavi completed his mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He also has a French passport because his father was born in France. This helps him play for certain football leagues in Europe. Zahavi is a religious person and does not play football on the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur.
In May 2021, while Zahavi was away for a game, his house in Amsterdam was targeted by criminals. His family was home at the time. In December 2021, his house was broken into again when he and his family were away.
Career Statistics
Club Games
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hapoel Tel Aviv | 2006–07 | Israeli Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 1 | — | 42 | 12 | |||
| 2009–10 | 33 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 | — | 55 | 13 | |||
| 2010–11 | 33 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 5 | — | 50 | 17 | |||
| Total | 94 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 29 | 6 | — | 149 | 42 | |||
| Ironi Ramat HaSharon (loan) |
2006–07 | Liga Leumit | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 2 | |||
| 2007–08 | 28 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 32 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 45 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 50 | 12 | ||||
| Palermo | 2011–12 | Serie A | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 26 | 2 | ||||
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2012–13 | Israeli Premier League | 16 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 8 | ||
| 2013–14 | 34 | 29 | 1 | 1 | — | 11 | 5 | — | 46 | 35 | ||||
| 2014–15 | 33 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 48 | 35 | |||
| 2015–16 | 36 | 35 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 56 | 49 | ||
| Total | 119 | 98 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 28 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 168 | 127 | ||
| Guangzhou R&F | 2016 | Chinese Super League | 15 | 11 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | 19 | 17 | |||
| 2017 | 30 | 27 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | 34 | 31 | |||||
| 2018 | 26 | 20 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 29 | 22 | |||||
| 2019 | 28 | 29 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 29 | |||||
| 2020 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | |||||
| Total | 106 | 91 | 11 | 12 | — | — | — | 117 | 103 | |||||
| PSV Eindhoven | 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 25 | 11 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 6 | — | 33 | 17 | ||
| 2021–22 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 1 | — | 16 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 20 | |||
| Total | 50 | 22 | 6 | 1 | — | 22 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 79 | 37 | |||
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2022–23 | Israeli Premier League | 32 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | 41 | 26 | |
| 2023–24 | 35 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 | — | 55 | 39 | |||
| 2024–25 | 33 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 15 | ||
| Total | 100 | 52 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 25 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 140 | 80 | ||
| Career total | 537 | 301 | 54 | 35 | 29 | 14 | 106 | 50 | 3 | 3 | 729 | 403 | ||
International Games
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | 2010 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 11 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 5 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 9 | |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 74 | 35 | |
Awards and Achievements
Hapoel Tel Aviv
- Israeli Premier League: 2009–10
- Israel State Cup: 2009–10, 2010–11
Maccabi Tel Aviv
- Israeli Premier League: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Israel State Cup: 2014–15
- Toto Cup: 2014–15, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Israel Super Cup: 2024
PSV Eindhoven
- KNVB Cup: 2021–22
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2021
Individual Awards
- Israeli Premier League Most Assists: 2010–11
- Israeli Footballer of the Year: 2013–14, 2014–15
- Israeli Premier League Top scorer: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Chinese Super League Player of the Year: 2017
- Chinese Super League Top scorer: 2017, 2019
- Chinese Super League Team of the Year: 2017, 2019
- Eredivisie Player of the Month: March 2022
See also
In Spanish: Eran Zahavi para niños
- List of top international men's football goal scorers by country
- List of Chinese Super League hat-tricks
- List of Jewish footballers
- List of Jews in sports
- List of Israelis
- List of Israel international footballers
