Hapoel Jerusalem Leads Israel in Youth Player Development, FIFA Study Finds

A new study by FIFA's CIES Football Observatory has ranked Hapoel Jerusalem as the leading club in Israel for promoting young players. The report, which analyzed data from the start of 2026, placed the Jerusalem club first in the Israeli Premier League across three key metrics: the percentage of playing time allocated to players under 21, the number of U21 players utilized, and the youngest average squad age.

Hapoel Jerusalem dedicates 19.9% of its total playing time to players under 21. The club has featured seven different U21 players this season, averaging 2.26 young players per game. The team's average age is a mere 24.48 years old, with only one player over 30, Idan Cohen, who joined in the summer.

The club has actively integrated several players who are still teenagers into the senior squad. These include Nati Shprayo (19), Hamoudi Diab (18), Raymond Okon (18), and the youngest, Israel Dafa (17).

This focus on youth development is also reflected in the team's offensive output. Of the 12 league goals scored by Hapoel Jerusalem this season, a significant portion have come from young players. Andrew Idoko (20) and Nadim Varrassna (20) each have four goals, with Sunny Abdulsalam (19) and Ohad Elmagor contributing one goal each.

Globally, Hapoel Jerusalem ranks 66th out of clubs in the top 50 leagues worldwide for youth development, according to the CIES study.