‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 May 2024
Áron Yaakobishvili (
Georgian: აარონ იაკობიშვილი;
Hebrew: ארון יעקובישווילי; born 6 March 2006) is a Hungarian professional
footballer currently playing as a
goalkeeper for
Barcelona.
Early life
Yaakobishvili was born in
Budapest, Hungary to Jewish father; his father was born in Georgia and spent two years in Israel, enabling Israeli citizenship; his mother is Hungarian.[2][3] His elder brother,
Antal, is also a footballer, and currently plays for fellow Spanish club
Girona.[2][4]
Club career
Yaakobishvili joined local side Baráti Bőrlabda at the age of six in 2012, before moving to Angyalföldi Sportiskola two years later.[3][4] He spent a season with
MTK Budapest before moving to Spain in 2017 after his mother had accepted a job in
Barcelona.[4][5][6][7] On his arrival in Spain, he had a short spell with amateur side Atlètic Sant Just, before being invited on a three-day trial with
Barcelona the following year, joining the club after impressing coaches.[8][3]
Having progressed through Barcelona's La Masia academy, he signed his first professional contract with the club in February 2022.[9] In March of the same year, he trained with the Barcelona first team.[4][10] On 11 October 2023, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.[11]
International career
Yaakobishvili has represented Hungary at youth international level.[1] In June 2023, it was reported by Israeli sports journalism outlet
Sport 5 that Yaakobishvili and his brother were attempting to gain Israeli citizenship so as to represent the nation at international level.[2] However, their agent Attila Georgi denied these rumours, stating that the brothers were Hungarian and that they wanted to represent Hungary at international level.[12]
^
abcPashchatsky, Moti; Malamud, Elhanan (22 June 2023).
"שוער העתיד של ברצלונה ואחיו שיכולים לשחק בנבחרת ישראל" [The future goalkeeper of Barcelona and his brother who can play for the Israeli national team]. sport5.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 1 August 2023.