Wikipedia

Franco Israel

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.

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 place2024 United States
South American Games
Silver medal – second place2018 CochabambaTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 December 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 13 October 2025

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
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Juventus U23 2020–21 Serie C 180———2[b]0200
2021–22 Serie C 320———7[c]0390
Total 500———90590
Juventus 2020–21 Serie A 0000—000000
2021–22 Serie A 0000—000000
Total 0000—000000
Sporting CP 2022–23 Primeira Liga 3010202[d]0—80
2023–24 Primeira Liga 10060304[e]0—230
2024–25 Primeira Liga 11010208[d]000220
Total 240807014000530
Torino 2025–26 Serie A 8010———90
Career total 8209070140901210
  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. 1 2 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 teamYearAppsGoals
Uruguay 202310
20241[a]0
202510
Total30
  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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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. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 4 "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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