Mohammad Abu Fani
Israeli footballer (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mohammad Abu Fani (or Mohamad Abo-Fani,[2][3] Arabic: مُحَمَّد أَبُو فَانِيّ, Hebrew: מוחמד אבו פאני; born 27 April 1998) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade and the Israel national team.
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Abu Fani in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 27 April 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Kafr Qara, Israel | ||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Red Star Belgrade | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2017 | Maccabi Haifa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2023 | Maccabi Haifa | 102 | (10) |
| 2017–2018 | → Hapoel Ramat Gan (loan) | 26 | (2) |
| 2018–2020 | → Hapoel Hadera (loan) | 44 | (3) |
| 2023–2026 | Ferencváros | 71 | (8) |
| 2026– | Red Star Belgrade | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2016–2017 | Israel U19 | 19 | (5) |
| 2018–2020 | Israel U21 | 8 | (0) |
| 2020– | Israel | 33 | (4) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13 June 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:43, 14 October 2025 (UTC) | |||
Early life
Abu Fani was born in Kafr Qara, Israel, to a Muslim-Arab family. His father Sami Abu Fani, a former local footballer, supported Mohammad's football career from a young age. He has two sisters, Rawan and Lareen.[citation needed]
Club career
Maccabi Haifa
On 13 May 2017, Abu Fani made his debut for Maccabi Haifa in a 1–0 loss to Bnei Sakhnin, coming in as a substitute at the 46th minute.[4] At youth level, he was part of the Maccabi Haifa U-21 team which won two consecutive championships, in 2015–16 and 2016–17, as well as reaching the UEFA Youth League play off stage.[5]
Ferencváros
On 15 June 2023, Abu Fani signed for four years for Ferencváros.[6]
On 20 April 2024, the Ferencváros–Kisvárda tie ended with a goalless draw at the Groupama Aréna on the 29th match day of the 2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season[7] which meant that Ferencváros won their 35th championship.[8][9]
On 15 May 2024, Ferencváros were defeated by Paks 2–0 in the 2024 Magyar Kupa Final at the Puskás Aréna.[10][11]
Abu Fani won the 2024–25 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season with Ferencváros after beating Győr 2–1 at the ETO Park on the last match day on 24 May 2025.[12] On 9 May 2026, he won the 2025–26 Magyar Kupa season with Ferencváros by beating Zalaegerszegi TE 1–0 in the 2026 Magyar Kupa final at Puskás Aréna.[13]
Red Star Belgrade
On 13 June 2026, Abu Fani joined Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade on a three-year deal with an option for a fourth.[14]
International career
Since youth, Abu Fani played for both the under-19 and the under-21 national teams of Israel, appearing in 18 matches, and scoring three goals for the U19s.[15]
He made his senior debut for Israel on 8 October 2020 in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs away match against Scotland.[16]
Abu Fani has faced Islamophobic taunts from far-right Israeli football hooligans despite playing for the national team. During his team's 2-1 victory over Andorra at a Euro 2024 tournament qualifier, Abu Fani was booed and called a "terrorist"[17] by far-right fans of Beitar Jerusalem F.C. After the incident, Abu Fani's father said "When the opposing team swears at you, it’s a sign you’re a good player. When it comes from your fans, it hurts."[18]
On 9 September 2024, Abu Fani scored his first senior international goal against Italy in the UEFA Nations League.[19] A month later in the return match against Italy, Abu Fani scored an "Olimpico" goal directly from the corner kick.
Career statistics
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2024 | Bozsik Aréna, Budapest, Hungary |  Italy | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League |
| 2 | 14 October 2024 | Stadio Friuli, Udine, Italy | 1–2 | 1–4 | ||
| 3 | 25 March 2025 | Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen, Hungary |  Norway | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 6 June 2025 | Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia |  Estonia | 3–1 | 3–1 |
Honours
Maccabi Haifa
Ferencváros
