| Ilay Elmkies | |
| Upright: | 0.9 |
| Full Name: | Ilay Eliyahu Elmkies |
| Birth Date: | 10 March 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Nahariya, Israel |
| Height: | 1.72 m[1] |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Bnei Sakhnin |
| Clubnumber: | 6 |
| Youthclubs1: | Beitar Nahariya |
| Youthclubs2: | Maccabi Haifa |
| Youthyears3: | –2015 |
| Youthclubs3: | SV Sinsheim |
| Youthyears4: | 2015–2019 |
| Youthclubs4: | 1899 Hoffenheim |
| Years1: | 2019–2020 |
| Clubs1: | 1899 Hoffenheim II |
| Caps1: | 22 |
| Goals1: | 1 |
| Years2: | 2020–2022 |
| Clubs2: | 1899 Hoffenheim |
| Caps2: | 1 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs3: | → ADO Den Haag (loan) |
| Caps3: | 9 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs4: | → Admira Wacker (loan) |
| Caps4: | 12 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs5: | 1899 Hoffenheim II |
| Caps5: | 28 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2023– |
| Clubs6: | Bnei Sakhnin |
| Caps6: | 7 |
| Goals6: | 1 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2015–2016 |
| Nationalteam1: | Israel U16 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 9 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2016–2017 |
| Nationalteam2: | Israel U17 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 12 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2018–2019 |
| Nationalteam3: | Israel U19 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 9 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2019–2022 |
| Nationalteam4: | Israel U21 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 7 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears5: | 2019– |
| Nationalteam5: | Israel |
| Nationalcaps5: | 5 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 1 |
| Club-Update: | 15 April 2024 |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 2 June 2022 |
Ilay Eliyau Elmkies (or Elmakayes,[2] Hebrew: עילי אליהו אלמקייס; born 10 March 2000) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Israel national team.
Elmkies was born and raised in Nahariya, Israel, to an Israeli family of both Mizrahi Jewish and Sephardi Jewish (French-Jewish) descent.[3]
He also holds a French passport, on account of his Sephardi Jewish (French-Jewish) ancestors, which eases the move to certain European football leagues.[4] [5]
Elmkies speaks Hebrew and English and has quickly mastered German. A film looking at the Jewish experience in the German village of Hoffenheim during World War II aired in 2018 at the Sinsheimer Citydome. He played a leading role, and provided commentary in all three languages.
A 1899 Hoffenheim youth product in Germany, Elmkies was promoted to the club's senior reserve team 1899 Hoffenheim II in 2019.[6]
He also plays for the Israel national Under-21 team since 2019.
Elmkies received his first call-up to the senior Israel national team in October 2019 ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers matches against Austria and Latvia. He made his senior debut on 15 October 2019 in a home match against Latvia; he was substituted in the 76' minute, as his native Israel won 3–1.[7]
On 7 September 2020, he scored his first goal – an equalizer in the 91' minute for the senior Israeli squad in a 2020–21 UEFA Nations League home match against Slovakia, that ended in a 1–1 draw.[8]
Scores and results list Israel's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Elmkies goal.