Israel finished second at the 2022 UEFA European U-19 Championship and third at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Ilay Feingold, a starter in both tournaments, called them life-changing moments.
“I think before all of those competitions happened, Israeli football, a lot of teams, they didn't use to let young players play, especially the big clubs,” Feingold said. “They didn't play a lot of young players, maybe one or two, and they were 22, 23, which is not very young.
“After those tournaments, they said maybe those kids can play. And then a lot of them got a chance to play, also in the big teams. So we all took those chances, and the rest is history.”
Feingold said that earning back-to-back international medals are memories that he will “take with me until the day I die,” but he hopes to accomplish so much more.
Feingold calls his love of soccer “tradition.”
Encouraged by his father, he began watching soccer at a young age and regularly jumped into school games. He eventually earned looks from Israeli academies.
His love for the beautiful game runs so deep that he had to pause when asked what he would be doing if he didn’t become a professional.
“That’s a great question,” he said. “I never thought about this because I was so focused on football since I started playing this game.”
He ultimately settled on real estate, simply because he finds it interesting.
While the drive has always been there, Feingold has seen his fair share of struggles. Success at the U-20 World Cup led to him signing with Maccabi Haifa’s first team, a storied club that has won the Israeli Championship 15 times.
It was an honor, but the next six months were difficult.
“The first half of the year, I didn't play, and I was not even one time part of the squad,” Feingold said. “I was out of the squad every game, and it was a really tough moment for me.”
Undeterred, he pushed himself daily, waiting for an opening.
“Mentally, I was always there,” he said.
On December 6, 2023, he made his debut at 18, playing 29 minutes in a scoreless draw against Villarreal in the UEFA Europa League. Eleven days later, he started in the Haifa derby, earning a 3-0 win over Hapoel Haifa.
Feingold had broken through.
Playing in front of over 20,000 diehard fans each week drove his development.
“You play soccer for those moments, for the pressure from the fans, from the game,” Feingold said. “It can give you a big motivation for every game. I think this pressure really helped me, to play in big games under pressure.”
Feingold went on to make 49 appearances for Maccabi Haifa, helping them finish second in the 2023-24 season. Working through an early setback taught him a valuable lesson.
“To be patient, to stay humble, and work hard, and try to get better every time,” Feingold said when asked what advice he’d give to young players. “I think patience is the most important thing because sometimes players are saying, ‘Oh, I'm not playing. Okay, let's go on loan. Okay, let's give up.’ But be patient. Sometimes you just have to wait for a moment, and then it's on you.”
Feingold admits that he was “a bit scared” to move away from native Israel to join the Revolution because it meant being away from his friends and family.
But he made the leap, signing a three-year contract with a one-year club option. He became a regular contributor, starting 26 games in his first season. Now, he considers New England home.
The defender has been spotted at Celtics and Patriots games and confesses to having Cape Cod chips on occasion, though he mostly eats healthy.
The transition has been smooth due to everyone at the club. He’s formed a special connection with 18-year-old Peyton Miller, who plays opposite him on the backline.
“He's one of my best friends over here, for sure,” Feingold said.
The two have shared moments, on and off the field. Both have done the “shrug” goal celebration.
Scoring goals–he had three in his first MLS season–is just one of the many new, enjoyable experiences that Feingold has encountered since moving overseas, but he remains connected to Israel.
His father, mother, aunt, and grandmother have visited him in the United States, and his pregame ritual includes reading a special gift.
“Me and my grandmother, we have a really special relationship. She's like my mother. She’s like everything,” Feingold said. “The Jewish culture, we have some sentences from the Bible. So she gave me some of them. I call them luck cards. That’s what I read before every game.”
Feingold stated that off the field, he likes his space and feels comfortable with silence and routine. When it’s game time, he does everything he can to gain three points for the Revolution.
“On the field, I’m always aiming to win a game,” Feingold said. “When I lose, I get crazy. I can't accept this, so I always try to win.”
Feingold was blunt about 2025, calling it a “failure” for missing the playoffs. While the team has only been together for just over a week, he has a better feeling about 2026.
“To be honest with you, I feel like this season, we are like a family,” Feingold said. “And I really hope that we can see that also on the pitch. With the good additions that the club has made, it could be really good.”
The Revs have added Brooklyn Raines, Ethan Kohler, Cristiano Oliviera, and Griffin Yow. The club also welcomed Marko Mitrovic as the 10th official head coach in club history.
“It's pretty early, but you can see that he's very intelligent,” Feingold said of Mitrovic. “The way he wants us to play, his mindset on the pitch and off the pitch, it's very clear. He's a really nice guy.”
One key addition, Dor Turgeman, came late last year. The striker collected three goals–with his left foot, right foot, and head–and one assist in three games.
This production isn’t surprising to Feingold, who played alongside Turgeman with youth national teams and is currently rooming with him during preseason. He emphasized his countryman’s dribbling ability and “top, top, top” finishing.
“My expectations for Dor are very high,” Feingold said. “In my opinion, he can be a real game-changer in this league. I don't speak. I'm sure that he will speak on the field.”
Feingold has high aims for himself, saying that he would love to solidify a spot as the “best right back in the league.”
He also hopes to get another call-up to the Israeli Men’s National Team. His only two senior appearances came in October 2025.
“Of course, I'm upset about that, but again, I have to push myself to try to be the best version of myself, to look at my good things and also my bad things, and try to improve them every time,” Feingold said.
“And again, as I said, patience, because I believe that they will call me again. I don't know when, but if not, that's life. But again, I'm trying to push myself, and I will be ready if they call me.”
Patience and gratitude are important pillars for Feingold. While he has an ambition to “get a transfer to a big club in Europe,” he knows that he has to stay focused on the present.
“I have a lot of work ahead of me,” Feingold said. “I know that I have to improve myself in a lot of aspects of the game. I just have to work hard and stay patient.
“Right now, I'm in a really good place. The MLS, the club, I'm really, really happy, and I'm so grateful to be here. So every time I'm here, I'm not trying to look for another club in the world. Right now, I'm in the Revs, so I do my best and give 100% in every training and every game for this club. If something will happen, something will happen.”
