Zahavi announces retirement, the King of Yuexiu Mountain leaves behind countless classics

Written by Han Bing On January 1, 2026, following half a year without a club, 38-year-old ex-Guangzhou R&F forward Zahavi announced his retirement. He played 803 games, scored 438 goals, won 15 trophies, earned 5 league golden boots, and was named best player 3 times... Zahavi’s 19-year career was outstanding, making him one of Israel’s finest footballers and a legendary striker in the annals of the Chinese Super League.

Zahavi is the top scorer for both the Israel national team (35 goals) and Israeli professional football (261 goals), and he ranks second all-time at Maccabi Tel Aviv. His 91 goals in the Chinese Super League are second only to Elkeson’s 103, placing him second among foreign players in the league. His single-season record of 29 goals in the CSL was only surpassed in 2024 by Wu Lei’s 34 goals.

After winning the Israeli Premier League title again with Maccabi last summer, Zahavi, whose contract expired, never received a satisfactory offer. By November last year, he was already considering retirement. On the first day of 2026, he finally made his decision, writing on his personal social media, “Thank you, my football, my first and greatest love in life. Today we say goodbye on the pitch, but it’s not farewell forever.”

Zahavi’s legend began in May 2010—against Jerusalem Betar, he scored a stoppage-time winner two minutes into added time, securing Maccabi Tel Aviv’s first Israeli Premier League title in 10 years—that remains the club’s last league championship to date.

Zahavi’s career had three peak periods, two of which were at Maccabi. The first phase was from 2013 to summer 2016, during which he won 5 trophies including 3 league titles, 3 league golden boots, and 2 Israeli Footballer of the Year awards. His remarkable consistency saw him score 127 goals and provide 26 assists in 168 games. In the 2015/16 season, he set records for most goals in a league season (35) and overall competitions (49), records still unbeaten. The third phase was from 2022 to 2025, when he returned to Maccabi and scored over 25 goals in two consecutive seasons, winning 5 more trophies.

The second peak naturally came in the Chinese Super League. In summer 2016, Zahavi transferred to Guangzhou R&F for $8 million, setting a record for an Israeli domestic transfer fee. His $5 million annual salary was also a record for an Israeli player. Zahavi quickly proved his worth with an outstanding scoring rate: in the latter half of 2016, he scored 11 goals and assisted 5 in 15 CSL games, plus 6 goals and 1 assist in 4 FA Cup matches, averaging involvement in 1.2 goals per game. For the next three seasons, he maintained a rate of over one goal contribution per game, earning fans’ nickname “King of Yuexiu Mountain.”

In the 2017 and 2019 seasons, Zahavi won the CSL Golden Boot twice, breaking Elkeson’s single-season goal record with 29 goals in 2019. He scored in 9 consecutive matches against Guangzhou Evergrande, tallying 13 goals and 6 assists, earning the title of derby king. At the end of 2016 and summer 2017, another CSL club made repeated offers for him. To keep him, R&F raised his salary twice within 14 months, reaching $7 million and then $10 million per year, consecutively setting new salary records for Israeli players. However, he missed the chance to set a new transfer fee record for Israeli footballers.

Zahavi’s shooting skills were exquisite, but off the field he was often controversial. In early 2013, he returned from Italy’s Palermo to join Maccabi Tel Aviv, the fierce local rival of his hometown club, Hapoel Tel Aviv, sparking strong backlash from Hapoel supporters. In March 2014, during a derby where Maccabi trailed 1-2, Zahavi scored twice in the last 4 minutes to overturn the result, celebrating with a machine-gun shooting gesture to provoke. In November 2014, he punched a Hapoel Tel Aviv fan who invaded the pitch during a derby and was sent off with a red card.

Zahavi retired from the national team twice. In September 2017, after Israel lost 0-1 to Macedonia in the European World Cup qualifiers, Zahavi angrily threw down his captain’s armband and was banned by the football association for one year. He then voluntarily announced his retirement from the national team. However, after the ban expired in September 2018, he returned to the squad. In September 2022, Zahavi quit the national team again because he could no longer enjoy the privilege of a single room, returning only in November 2023.

What lies ahead for Zahavi post-retirement? First, he will continue investing in real estate in Israel and Dubai, expanding the Sheva café franchise. He has enrolled in FIFA coaching courses with the intention of becoming a coach. He is also considering acquiring an Israeli club and partnering with top agent Ben Shuan to establish an agency. Additionally, Zahavi will remain a football commentator for Israeli TV sports channels and radio. Even after retirement, his life remains vibrant and exciting.