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. He 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.
Juventus U23 Having impressed in Nacional's 2018 U-20 Copa Libertadores campaign, which they won, Italian club Juventus signed him on 17 August 2018, on a five-year deal for a transfer worth €2.2 million. He made his professional debut on 28 September 2020 in Juventus U23's 2–1 league win against Pro Sesto. On 24 November, first-team manager, 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 Sporting, on 4 October, in a Champions League away match against Marseille, where he replaced Marcus Edwards early in the 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 a 2–0 home loss.
Torino On 27 July 2025, Israel joined Serie A club Torino on a three-year contract.
International career 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, 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
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsJuventus U232020–21Serie C180———202002021–22Serie C320———70390Total500———90590Juventus2020–21Serie A0000—0000002021–22Serie A0000—000000Total0000—000000Sporting CP2022–23Primeira Liga30102020—802023–24Primeira Liga100603040—2302024–25Primeira Liga11010208000220Total240807014000530Torino2025–26Serie A8010———90Career total8209070140901210
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsUruguay202310202410202510Total30
Honours Nacional U20 U-20 Copa Libertadores: 2018
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
References
External links Profile at the Uruguayan Football Association website