Mohammad Abu Fani

Mohammad Abu Fani
Abu Fani in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth (1998-04-27) 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 103 (10)
2017–2018 → Hapoel Ramat Gan (loan) 26 (2)
2018–2020 → Hapoel Hadera (loan) 46 (5)
2023–2026 Ferencváros 71 (8)
2026– Red Star Belgrade 5 (1)
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 30 August 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:43, 14 October 2025 (UTC)

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.

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.

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" by far-right fans of Beitar Jerusalem.[17] 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.[20]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 August 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Maccabi Haifa 2016–17 Israeli Premier League 20———20
2018–19 Israeli Premier League 81———81
2019–20 Israeli Premier League 00—3[a]0—30
2020–21 Israeli Premier League 342404[a]1—423
2021–22 Israeli Premier League 2636111[b]11[c]1446
2022–23 Israeli Premier League 3343211[d]11[c]0487
Total 103101332932114717
Hapoel Ramat Gan (loan) 2017–18 Israeli Premier League 26230——292
Hapoel Hadera (loan) 2018–19 Israeli Premier League 18120——201
2019–20 Israeli Premier League 28410——294
Total 46530——495
Ferencváros 2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság I 2845114[e]1—476
2024–25 Nemzeti Bajnokság I 2623115[f]1—444
2025–26 Nemzeti Bajnokság I 172424[a]0—254
Total 718124332—11614
Red Star Belgrade 2026–27 Serbian SuperLiga 30002[g]0—50
Career total 249253176452134638
  1. 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, nine appearances and one goal in UEFA Conference League
  3. 1 2 Appearances in Israel Super Cup
  4. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ↑ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, thirteen appearances and one goal in UEFA Conference League
  6. ↑ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, twelve appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  7. ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 15 October 2025
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Israel 202040
202160
202230
202370
202462
202552
Total334

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
110 September 2024Bozsik Aréna, Budapest, Hungary Italy1–21–22024–25 UEFA Nations League
214 October 2024Stadio Friuli, Udine, Italy1–21–4
325 March 2025Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen, Hungary Norway1–12–42026 FIFA World Cup qualification
46 June 2025Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia Estonia3–13–1

Honours

Maccabi Haifa

Ferencváros

References

  1. ↑ "Mohammed Abu Fani". crvenazvezdafk.com. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "ההתאחדות לכדורגל בישראל - Mohamad ABU FANI".
  3. ↑ "Israel - M. Abu Fani - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway.
  4. ↑ For the First Time Since 88: Maccabi Haifa Will Finish Lower Than 5th After 0:1 in Sakhnin 14 May 2017, Sport1 (in Hebrew)
  5. ↑ An Interview With Mohammad Abu Fani Eli Benbenisti, Maccabi Haifa or Die (in Hebrew)
  6. ↑ Goldstein, Igal (15 June 2023). "עובר להונגריה: מוחמד אבו פאני חתם בפרנצווארוש". Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Ferencváros vs. Kisvárda - 20 April 2024". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  8. ↑ "Klubrekord! Sorozatban hatodszor bajnok a Ferencváros". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 20 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  9. ↑ "Ferencváros crowned Hungarian champions for sixth year in a row". 20 April 2024.
  10. ↑ FC, PAKSI (15 May 2024). "KUPAGYŐZTESEK LETTÜNK!". paksifc.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Defeat in the MOL Hungarian Cup final". www.fradi.hu. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "36. alkalommal bajnok a Ferencváros!". www.fradi.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "Gundel-Takács tizenegyest védett, de Raemaekers a Fradi javára döntötte el a kupadöntőt". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 9 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Абу Фани нови играч Црвене звезде". crvenazvezdafk.com (in Serbian). 13 June 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  15. ↑ National Player details – Abu Fani Mohammad IFA (in Hebrew)
  16. ↑ "Scotland v Israel game report". ESPN. 8 October 2020.
  17. ↑ "'Shame on them': Arab soccer player denounces racist fans who called him a terrorist". The Times of Israel.
  18. ↑ "'Shame on them': Arab soccer player denounces racist fans who called him a terrorist". The Times of Israel.
  19. ↑ "Italy defeat Israel to stay perfect at start of Nations League". ESPN. 9 September 2024.
  20. ↑ "Revived Italy sweep past Israel in Nations League amid high security". RFI. 14 October 2024.
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