Hapoel Jerusalem Leads Israel in Youth Player Development, FIFA Study Finds
Hapoel Jerusalem Football Club has been recognized as the leading club in Israel for developing young players, according to the latest annual report by the FIFA research institute, CIES.
The study, which analyzed data from the start of 2026, placed Hapoel Jerusalem at the top of the Israeli Premier League in three key categories: the percentage of playing time given to players under 21, the number of U21 players utilized, and the youngest average age of the squad.
Specifically, players under 21 accounted for 19.9% of the team's total playing minutes. The club fielded seven different U21 players, averaging 2.26 young players per game. The team's average age is a mere 24.48 years, with only one player over 30, Idan Cohen, who joined last summer.
The club has integrated several players under 18 into the senior squad, including Nati Shpira (19), Hamudi Diab (18), Raymond Okon (18), and Israel Dafa (17).
This focus on youth development has translated into offensive output, with young players scoring the majority of the team's 12 league goals this season. Andrew Idoko (20) and Nadim Varrassena (20) each have four goals, while Sunny Abdulsalam (19) and Ohad Almog have scored one each.
Globally, Hapoel Jerusalem ranks 66th out of clubs in the top 50 leagues worldwide for youth development, based on the metrics examined.
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