Irish Star Finn Azaz Explains Choice Over Israel Despite Eligibility

Ireland's national football team announced its squad for upcoming matches, including two against Israel. Among the notable players is Finn Azaz, a 26-year-old midfielder who plays alongside Daniel Peretz at Southampton. Azaz, whose mother is Israeli and father is Irish, has previously represented the senior Irish national team.

Azaz, born in England in September 2000, explained his decision to play for Ireland instead of Israel, despite being eligible for the latter due to his mother's citizenship. In a 2024 interview, he stated, "I can represent the Israeli national team because my mother has Israeli citizenship, but I always wanted to be in Ireland. That was always my goal." He recalled that discussions about playing for Israel occurred, and he received a call from the Israeli youth team coach shortly before a match against Israel's U21 team, which led to further progress in that direction.

Azaz's career path includes youth stints at West Bromwich Albion and senior appearances for Cheltenham, Newport County, Aston Villa's second team, and Plymouth before moving to Middlesbrough. His transfer to Southampton, where he is teammates with Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, is reportedly valued at 17.4 million euros. This transfer makes him the second most expensive Jewish player ever, surpassed only by Walter Samuel's 25 million euro move from Roma to Real Madrid.