Franco Israel

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

Early life 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. Along with his native Uruguayan passport, Franco Israel also holds an Italian passport. 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.

Club career Early career 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. 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.

Sporting CP 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. 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. In the reverse fixture a week later, Israel made his first start, featuring in the 2–0 home loss against the same opponent.

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

International career 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.

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

Career statistics Club

Sporting CP Primeira Liga: 2023–24, 2024–25 Taça de Portugal: 2024–25

Uruguay U20 South American Games silver medal: 2018

Uruguay Copa América third place: 2024