On October 5, 2026, 19-year-old footballer of the Israeli club Maccabi Netanya, Aleksei Talpa (אלכסיי טלפה), scored a goal in his first match for the Ukraine U-21 youth team against Albania. A year before that, he played for Israel U-19. Now the midfielder represents the country of his birth, continues to play in the Israeli championship, and serves in the Israeli army. On October 29, 2026, he spoke about his decision, his Ukrainian family, and the challenges in his club career.
Author: Pavel Shveiko
In an interview with ‘Ukrainian Football’, Talpa called Ukraine his homeland. He was born on June 27, 2007, in Kirovohrad — now Kropyvnytskyi, a city in central Ukraine, renamed in 2016. His family moved him to Israel when he was very young. He hardly remembers the move itself, but he does remember summer trips to relatives. They still keep in touch, follow his career, and watched his debut for Ukraine.
Why did Aleksei Talpa switch from the Israel team to Ukraine
In the official database of the Israel Football Association, Talpa is recorded as having played three matches for Israel U-19 and scored one goal. His debut took place on September 4, 2025, against Estonia, and his last match was on October 8 against Luxembourg. U-19 means the youth team up to 19 years old, U-21 means the youth team up to 21 years old. The adult national team of Ukraine is not yet in question.
In 2026, Dmitry Pelin, the manager of the Ukrainian U-19 team, contacted the footballer. Aleksei wanted to participate even in the youth Euro, but his previous application for Israel prevented this. He consulted with his father and agent; both supported the decision. His father, who previously played amateur football, himself dreamed of seeing his son in the Ukrainian national team.
The paperwork and change of football representation took about a month. During a trip to Ukraine for a passport, Talpa met with U-21 coach Dmitry Mikhaylenko. In September, a call-up followed. In the Israeli club, his decision was not particularly discussed, although some teammates supported it.
The word ‘naturalization’, which appears in sports headlines, can be misleading here. Talpa was born in Ukraine, and the Israeli federation lists his citizenship as Israeli. Changing the national team does not in itself mean renouncing Israeli citizenship.
Similar biographies are found in the opposite direction. Nikk.Agency Israel News previously reported on Viktor Tsygankov, born in Israeli Nahariya, but playing for Ukraine.
In a friendly match on October 5 in Eger, Hungary, the Ukrainians played with Albania 2:2. Talpa earned a penalty and converted it himself. The Ukrainian Football Association records the goal in the 54th minute, some reports in the 55th. In the 56th, Dmitry Bogdanov put Ukraine ahead, in the 69th Daniil Vashchenko was sent off, and in the 90th Erald Maksuti equalized.
Talpa said that his teammates entrusted him with the penalty and he was not nervous before the shot. Right after the match, he called his father. In the new team, he quickly made friends with Oleksandr Soroka and Bogdanov, and Mikhaylenko is considering him for several positions.
Maccabi Netanya: Ukrainian national team player without a permanent place in the lineup
Talpa’s football career began in Israel at the age of six when his father took him to the Beitar Tubruk academy in Netanya. In April 2026, Aleksei debuted in the top division of Israel — Ligat ha’Al. Before that, he scored in a training game of the youth team against the main squad of Maccabi, after which he was invited to train with the adults. A week later, the debut took place, attended by the whole family.
However, on October 29, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that Talpa still does not receive regular playing practice. Under coach Roni Levy, he was mainly used on the flank, although he is more accustomed to the positions of attacking midfielder — ‘ten’ or ‘eight’.
Talpa is left-footed, often plays on the right. He considers dribbling, passing, and field vision his strong qualities. He is currently working on physical fitness and shooting. He characterizes the Israeli championship as difficult, with great attention to defense. In the Ukrainian youth team, according to his observations, they focus more on ball possession and positional play, while in Israeli clubs — on pressing and actions without the ball. Maccabi itself tries to control the ball.
Among his favorite players, he names Messi, Iniesta, Kvaratskhelia, and Tsygankov. He follows Real Madrid, sympathizes with Shakhtar Donetsk, and dreams of playing with Messi and working under Guardiola.
Ukrainian family, Israeli army, and plans for Spain
At home, Talpa’s family mainly celebrates Ukrainian holidays and cooks Ukrainian food, especially borscht. According to the footballer, Israeli religious traditions are less common in the family. He followed the adult Ukrainian national team even before the invitation, although he rarely watched the Ukrainian championship.
After club training, Aleksei goes to serve in the Israeli army, where he usually spends two to three hours. He is not currently studying. For Israeli readers, this is a familiar problem for young athletes: military service and professional sports require schedule coordination, although conscription rules and possible benefits vary. Talpa himself considers combining service with football his main difficulty.
He also talked about military restrictions: during hostilities, matches in Israel were held without spectators. At the time of the interview, the footballer spoke of a lull after the truce.
Talpa’s immediate goal is to regularly start in the lineup of Maccabi Netanya. After one or two successful seasons in Israel, he hopes to move to a strong European club. He is most attracted to the Spanish championship. But first, he needs to secure a stable place in the club’s lineup where he grew up as a footballer.