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Eljif Elmas

Macedonian footballer (born 1999) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eljif Elmas
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Eljif Elmas (Macedonian: Ељиф Елмас; born 24 September 1999) is a Macedonian professional footballer who plays for German Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and the North Macedonia national team. A versatile footballer, he can be deployed as a central midfielder, right midfielder, winger or forward.

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Club career

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Early career

Elmas started his career at FK Rabotnički in his native Macedonia. After a stand-out season in which he scored six league goals and led Rabotnički to a third-place finish in the Macedonian First Football League in 2016–17, he joined Turkish giants Fenerbahçe on a deal until 2022, with Fenerbahçe paying the former €300,000 for his services.[1] The attacking midfielder went on to score four goals in over 40 appearances for the Yellow Canaries in all competitions before moving to Italy in July 2019.[1]

Napoli

On 24 July 2019, Serie A club Napoli announced the signing of Elmas from Fenerbahçe.[2] The deal was worth a reported €16 million, which could rise to €19 million in total with bonuses – including a €1.5 million sell-on fee clause.[1] He was disciplined by his new club after speaking to reporters while away on international duty in November 2019 for breaching a club media blackout.[3][dead link]

Elmas scored his first Napoli goal on 3 February 2020 in a 4–2 victory against Sampdoria, helping the club securing its third win in a row in all competitions.[4] On 19 December 2021, he scored the winning goal for Napoli in a narrow away victory against AC Milan, taking over second place in Serie A.[5] Elmas went on to win the Scudetto with Napoli in 2023, the club's third title, and the first claimed outside of the Diego Maradona era.[6]

RB Leipzig and loan to Torino

On 27 December 2023, Bundesliga club RB Leipzig announced that Elmas would join the club on 1 January 2024, upon the opening of the winter transfer window, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract.[7] The transfer fee paid by the Germans was reported as €23 million by German sports magazine Kicker.[8] On 30 January 2025, Elmas returned to Italy, joining Torino on loan with an option to buy.[9]

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International career

Elmas was born in Macedonia (now North Macedonia) to a family of Turkish descent.[10][11][12] In July 2017, it was reported that then-coach of the Turkey national football team, Fatih Terim, had tried to call him up, but Elmas decided to represent his birth country.[13]

Elmas was also included in the Macedonia U21 squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Poland, being the youngest footballer in the 23-man squad.[14] On 11 June 2017, at the age of 17, Elmas debuted for the Macedonian senior squad in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Spain as a half-time substitute for Ostoja Stjepanović.[15]

On 31 March 2021, Elmas scored the winning goal for North Macedonia in a 2–1 away victory against Germany during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[16] The same year in November 2021, Elmas scored a brace in a 3–1 victory against Iceland, helping the team secure a runners-up spot in Group J, leading North Macedonia to a World Cup play-off.[17]

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Career statistics

Club

As of match played 25 May 2025[18]
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  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana

International

As of match played 9 June 2025[19]
More information National team, Year ...
  1. North Macedonia was known as Macedonia until 2019
As of match played 9 June 2025
Scores and results list North Macedonia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Elmas goal.[19]
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Honours

Napoli

References

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