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Franco Israel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Israel and the second or maternal family name is Wibmer.
Franco Israel
Personal information
Full name Franco Israel Wibmer[1]
Date of birth (2000-04-22) 22 April 2000 (age 26)[2]
Place of birth Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[3]
Position Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Torino
Number 81
Youth career
2010–2016 Club Artesano
2016–2018 Nacional
2018–2020 Juventus
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 Juventus U23 50 (0)
2022–2025 Sporting CP 24 (0)
2025– Torino 9 (0)
International career‡
2016–2017 Uruguay U17 6 (0)
2017 Uruguay U18 7 (0)
2018–2019 Uruguay U20 14 (0)
2023– Uruguay 3 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Uruguay
Copa América
Third place 2024 United States
South American Games
Silver medal – second place 2018 Cochabamba Team
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 December 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 13 October 2025

Franco Israel Wibmer (born 22 April 2000) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Torino and the Uruguay national team.

Early life

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Franco Israel was born on 22 April 2000 in Nueva Helvecia, a city in the Colonia Department of Uruguay. He is of maternal German descent, whereas his father's side is of Italian heritage, tracing his ancestry to Bobbio Pellice, a comune in the Piedmont region.[4] Along with his native Uruguayan passport, Franco Israel also holds an Italian passport.[5] Franco Israel has one older brother, Alec, whom he lived with during his tenure with Nacional. During his youth, Israel played basketball and football as a child, before opting for the latter, when the games of the two teams he represented began being scheduled on the same day.[6]

Club career

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Early career

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Israel started his football career in the youth ranks of local club Artesano, before joining Nacional's youth setup in 2016, moving subsequently to the city of Montevideo.[6]

Juventus U23

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Having impressed in Nacional's 2018 U-20 Copa Libertadores campaign, which they won, Italian club Juventus decided to sign him on 17 August 2018, on a five-year deal for a transfer worth €2.2 million.[7][8][6] He made his professional debut on 28 September 2020 in Juventus U23's 2–1 league win against Pro Sesto.[9] On 24 November, the first team's squad Andrea Pirlo called up Israel for a UEFA Champions League match against Ferencváros; he was eventually called up three other times in the 2020–21 season.[10]

Sporting CP

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On 5 July 2022, Israel signed a five-year contract with Portuguese club Sporting CP for a fee of €650,000 for 60% of his economic rights.[6][11] He made his competitive debut for club, on 4 October, in a Champions League away match against Marseille, where he replaced Marcus Edwards early into first half, after starting goalkeeper Antonio Adán was sent off; he conceded two goals as the match ended in a 4–1 loss.[12] In the reverse fixture a week later, Israel made his first start, featuring in the 2–0 home loss against the same opponent.[13]

Torino

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On 27 July 2025, Israel joined Serie A club Torino on a three-year contract.[14]

International career

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Franco Israel is a former Uruguay youth international. He has represented Uruguay at several tournaments including the 2019 South American U-20 Championship and the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[15][16]

In June 2023, Franco Israel received his first call-up to the senior team.[17] He made his debut on 14 June 2023 in a 4–1 win against Nicaragua.[18] In June 2024, he was named in Uruguay's 26-man squad for the 2024 Copa América.[19]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 30 November 2025[2]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Juventus U23 2020–21 Serie C 18 0 — — — 2[b] 0 20 0
2021–22 Serie C 32 0 — — — 7[c] 0 39 0
Total 50 0 — — — 9 0 59 0
Juventus 2020–21 Serie A 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021–22 Serie A 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sporting CP 2022–23 Primeira Liga 3 0 1 0 2 0 2[d] 0 — 8 0
2023–24 Primeira Liga 10 0 6 0 3 0 4[e] 0 — 23 0
2024–25 Primeira Liga 11 0 1 0 2 0 8[d] 0 0 0 22 0
Total 24 0 8 0 7 0 14 0 0 0 53 0
Torino 2025–26 Serie A 8 0 1 0 — — — 9 0
Career total 82 0 9 0 7 0 14 0 9 0 121 0
  1. ^ Includes Taça de Portugal, Coppa Italia
  2. ^ Appearances in Serie C promotion play-offs
  3. ^ One appearance in Coppa Italia Serie C, six appearances in Serie C promotion play-offs
  4. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

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As of match played 13 October 2025[2]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Uruguay 2023 1 0
2024 1[a] 0
2025 1 0
Total 3 0
  1. ^ Includes a Non-FIFA friendly played against Basque Country, which is counted as an official match by Uruguayan Football Association.

Honours

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Nacional U20

Sporting CP

Uruguay U20

Uruguay

References

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  1. ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: Uruguay" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Franco Israel at Soccerway
  3. ^ "Franco Israel". Sporting CP. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Calcio: Israel 'avevo altre offerte, ma volevo solo il Torino'". Quotidiano Sportivo (in Italian). 5 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  5. ^ PRZdesign. "Franco Israel". GBG Football Agency. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d "Franco Israel, o "Patón" que calça o 47, já defendeu livres de Cristiano Ronaldo e é reforço do Sporting".
  7. ^ "Nacional U20 vs. Independiente U20 - 24 February 2018". Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Juventus, preso il giovane portiere uruguaiano Franco Israel". Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Juventus II vs. Pro Sesto - 28 September 2020". Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  10. ^ Franco Israel at Soccerway. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Franco Israel reforça baliza leonina" [Franco Israel reinforces leonine goal] (in Portuguese). Sporting CP. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Erros de Adán e Franco Israel custaram derrota do Sporting frente ao Marselha".
  13. ^ "Depois e antes do Sporting: Marselha perde em casa, Nuno Tavares titular".
  14. ^ "Oficial: Franco Israel deixa Sporting e é reforço do Torino" (in Portuguese). 27 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  15. ^ "1 – Franco Israel – AUF". Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Datos del plantel Sub-20 de Uruguay". Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Siguen sumándose futbolistas convocados a los entrenamientos". 5 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Selección: Bielsa eligió a Matías Viña como capitán en un equipo con muchos debutantes". 14 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Uruguay presentó los 26 convocados para la Copa América, con Luis Suárez en la lista". 8 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Nacional campeón de América". 25 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  21. ^ "Amorim's Sporting Lisbon crowned Portuguese champions". 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Sporting beat Vitoria to clinch Portuguese title". Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  23. ^ "Sporting CP Wins 2025 Taça de Portugal After Extra-Time Thriller vs Benfica". Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  24. ^ "Chile 1 – 0 Uruguay" (in Spanish). 5 June 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  25. ^ "Uruguay beats Canada on penalties to finish CONMEBOL Copa América™ in 3rd Place". 14 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
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