{{Short description|Kosovan footballer (born 1999)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Ismajl Beka |image = |caption = |fullname = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|10|31|df=y}} |birth_place = Frauenfeld, Switzerland |height = 1.97 m |position = Centre-back |currentclub = Grasshopper |clubnumber = 30 |youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2016 |youthclubs1 = Wil |years1 = 2016–2019 |clubs1 = Wil U21 |caps1 = 47 |goals1 = 6 |years2 = 2018–2020 |clubs2 = Wil |caps2 = 7 |goals2 = 0 |years3 = 2020–2022 |clubs3 = Rapperswil-Jona |caps3 = 44 |goals3 = 5 |years4 = 2022 |clubs4 = Wil |caps4 = 6 |goals4 = 1 |years5 = 2022–2026 |clubs5 = Luzern |caps5 = 35 |goals5 = 1 |years6 = 2025 |clubs6 = Luzern II |caps6 = 11 |goals6 = 0 |years7 = 2026– |clubs7 = Grasshopper |caps7 = 4 |goals7 = 0 |nationalyears1 = 2017–2018 |nationalteam1 = Kosovo U19 |nationalcaps1 = 5 |nationalgoals1 = 0 |nationalyears2 = 2023– |nationalteam2 = Kosovo |nationalcaps2 = 1 |nationalgoals2 = 0 |club-update = 17 May 2026 |nationalteam-update = 12 September 2023 }} '''Ismajl Beka''' (born 31 October 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Swiss Super League side Grasshopper. Born in Switzerland, he plays for the Kosovo national team.<ref name=sw>{{soccerway}}</ref>
==Club career== ===Rapperswil-Jona=== On 10 February 2020, Beka signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Swiss Promotion League club Rapperswil-Jona.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcrj.ch/2020/02/fcrj-mit-vier-neuen-im-kader/|title=FCRJ mit vier Neuen im Kader|trans-title=FCRJ with four new players in the squad|language=German|publisher=Telegrafi|date=10 February 2020|access-date=1 September 2022|archive-date=1 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901204241/https://fcrj.ch/2020/02/fcrj-mit-vier-neuen-im-kader/|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the transfer, his debut and the league was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. His debut with Rapperswil-Jona came on 6 August in the 2019–20 Swiss Cup quarter-final against Sion after being named in the starting line-up.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2020/08/06/switzerland/schweizer-pokal/fc-rapperswil-jona/fc-sion/3182333/|title=Rapperswil-Jona vs. Sion 1–2|website=Soccerway|access-date=6 August 2020}}</ref> His league debut with Rapperswil-Jona came nine days later in a 1–1 away draw against Bellinzona after being named in the starting line-up.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/match-report/ma9088117/lineup/|title=AC Bellinzona – FC Rapperswil-Jona (Promotion League 2020/2021, 1. Round)|website=WorldFootball.net|access-date=15 August 2020}}</ref> Four days after league debut, he scored his first goal for Rapperswil-Jona in his third appearance for the club in a 2–1 home win over Breitenrain Bern in Swiss Promotion League.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/match-report/ma9088125/lineup/|title=FC Rapperswil-Jona – FC Breitenrain Bern (Promotion League 2020/2021, 2. Round)|website=WorldFootball.net|access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref>
===Return to Wil=== On 10 June 2022, Beka signed a two-year contract with Swiss Challenge League club Wil.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcwil.ch/2022/06/10/ammeter-und-beka-stossen-zum-fc-wil-1900/|title=Ammeter und Beka stossen zum FC Wil 1900|trans-title=Ammeter and Beka join FC Wil 1900|language=German|publisher=FC Wil|date=10 June 2022}}</ref> His debut with Wil came on 17 July in a 2–0 home win against Neuchâtel Xamax after being named in the starting line-up.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcwil.ch/2022/07/18/ein-sieg-zum-saisonstart/|title=Ein Sieg zum Saisonstart|trans-title=A win to start the season|language=German|publisher=FC Wil|date=18 July 2022}}</ref> Fourteen days after debut, he scored his first goal for Wil in his third appearance for the club in a 2–0 home win over Vaduz in Swiss Challenge League.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcwil.ch/2022/08/01/drei-punkte-nach-leistungssteigerung/|title=Drei Punkte nach Leistungssteigerung|trans-title=Three points after performance increase|language=German|publisher=FC Wil|date=1 August 2022}}</ref>
===Luzern=== On 31 August 2022, Beka signed a three-year contract with Swiss Super League club Luzern and received squad number 30.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcl.ch/publication/neuer-innenverteidiger/|title=Neuer Innenverteidiger|trans-title=New centre-back|language=German|publisher=FC Luzern|date=31 August 2022}}</ref> His debut with Luzern came four days later in a 0–2 home defeat against Servette after coming on as a substitute at 69th minute in place of Leny Meyer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcl.ch/publication/niederlage-gegen-servette/|title=Niederlage gegen Servette|trans-title=Loss to Servette|language=German|publisher=FC Luzern|date=4 September 2022}}</ref> He made two further appearances from the bench in 2022.<ref name=sw/> For the second half of the season he became a fixed starter in Luzern's defense, missing just one game due to yellow card accumulation. His upward trajectory was abruptly cut short on 8 October 2023, when he was substituted due to injury after 55 minutes in a league match against Lausanne-Sport.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nach Beka-Schock geht Luzern unter |url=https://www.blick.ch/sport/fussball/superleague/super-league-fc-lausanne-sport-fc-luzern-08-10-2023-id19020524.html |publisher=Blick |access-date=23 December 2025 |language=de-ch |date=8 October 2023}}</ref> The club later confirmed that he had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and would miss the remainder of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcl.ch/publication/voraussichtliches-saisonende-fuer-ismajl-beka/|title=Voraussichtliches Saisonende für Ismajl Beka|trans-title=Probable season end for Ismajl Beka|language=de-ch|publisher=FC Luzern|access-date=23 December 2025}}</ref> Despite the injury, his contract was renewed on 15 December 2023 until summer 2026.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcl.ch/publication/der-fc-luzern-und-ismajl-beka-verlaengern-vertrag-vorzeitig/|title=Der FC Luzern und Ismajl Beka verlängern Vertrag vorzeitig|trans-title=FC Luzern and Ismajl Beka extend contract early|language=de-ch|publisher=FC Luzern|access-date=23 December 2025|date=15 December 2023}}</ref>
He returned to Luzern's matchday squad more than a year later in December 2024, but remained an unused substitute.<ref name=sw/> His return to was delayed further on 31 January 2025, when he suffered a metatarsal bone fracture in training, sidelining him for at least a further two months.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fcl.ch/publication/ismajl-beka-erleidet-mittelfussfraktur/|title=Ismajl Beka erleidet Mittelfussfraktur|trans-title=Ismajl Beka suffers metatarsal fracture|language=de-ch|publisher=FC Luzern|access-date=23 December 2025|date=31 January 2025}}</ref> He finally made his return in the final games of the 2024–25 season, making three appearances.<ref name=sw/>
===Grasshopper=== On 23 December 2025, Grasshopper announced that they had signed Beka as of 1 January 2026 for an undisclosed fee.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Grasshopper Club Zurich|url=https://www.gcz.ch/news/artikel/1/gc-zuerich-verpflichtet-ismajl-beka/|title=GC Zürich verpflichtet Ismajl Beka|date=23 December 2025|access-date=23 December 2025|language=de-ch}}</ref> He was nominated to the starting lineup in the first league match after the winter break. Unfortunately, his debut for the Swiss record champions ended with him being sent off following a high-boot challenge in the 90th minute of a 1–3 home loss to FC Thun.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Grasshopper Club Zurich|url=https://www.gcz.ch/news/artikel/1/gc-unterliegt-dem-fc-thun-mit-13/|title=GC unterliegt dem FC Thun mit 1:3|date=18 January 2026|access-date=18 January 2026|language=de-ch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Zwei Spielsperren für Mambwa und Beka |url=https://sfl.ch/de/articles/zwei-spielsperren-fur-mambwa-und-beka|publisher=Swiss Football League |access-date=19 January 2026 |language=de-ch |date=19 January 2026}}</ref>
==International career== ===Youth=== On 1 October 2017, Beka was named as part of the Kosovo U19 squad for 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ffk-kosova.com/kombetarja-u19-udhetoi-per-ne-austri/|title=Kombëtarja U19 udhëtoi për në Austri|trans-title=National U19 team traveled to Austria|language=sq|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=1 October 2017}}</ref> His debut came two days later in a 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification match against Austria U19 after being named in the starting line-up.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ffk-kosova.com/humbje-minimale-e-kombetares-u-19/|title=Humbje minimale e Kombëtares U-19 përballë Austrisë|trans-title=Minimal defeat of national U19 team against Austria|language=sq|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=3 October 2017}}</ref>
On 4 October 2018, Beka received a call-up from Kosovo U21 for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Israel U21,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ffk-kosova.com/federata/2018/10/04/prekazi-publikon-listen-e-futbollisteve-per-ndeshjen-kunder-izraelit/|title=Prekazi publikon listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjen kundër Izraelit|trans-title=Prekazi publishes the list of footballers for the match against Israel|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=4 October 2018|access-date=1 September 2022|archive-date=9 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009041201/http://www.ffk-kosova.com/federata/2018/10/04/prekazi-publikon-listen-e-futbollisteve-per-ndeshjen-kunder-izraelit/|url-status=dead}}</ref> he was an unused substitute in that match.
===Senior=== In August 2023, Beka received his first call-up to the Kosovo senior national team by head coach Primož Gliha, for two UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Switzerland and Romania.<ref>{{cite web |date=31 August 2023 |title=Përzgjedhësi Gliha publikon listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjet e shtatorit |trans-title=Selector Gliha publishes the list of footballers for the September matches |url=https://www.ffk-kosova.com/perzgjedhesi-gliha-publikon-listen-e-futbollisteve-per-ndeshjet-e-shtatorit/ |access-date=2 September 2023 |publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo |language=sq}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=31 August 2023 |title=Publikohet lista e Kombëtares së Kosovës për ndeshjet e shtatorit |url=https://kosovapress.com/publikohet-lista-e-kombetares-se-kosoves-per-ndeshjet-e-shtatorit/ |access-date=2 September 2023 |website=Kosova Press |language=sq}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Sports links}}
{{Grasshopper Club Zurich squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beka, Ismajl}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Frauenfeld Category:Footballers from Thurgau Category:Kosovan men's footballers Category:21st-century Kosovan sportsmen Category:Kosovo men's youth international footballers Category:Kosovo men's international footballers Category:Swiss men's footballers Category:Swiss people of Kosovan descent Category:Swiss people of Albanian descent Category:Sportspeople of Albanian descent Category:Men's association football central defenders Category:Swiss Promotion League players Category:FC Rapperswil-Jona players Category:Challenge League (Switzerland) players Category:FC Wil players Category:Swiss Super League players Category:FC Luzern players Category:21st-century Swiss sportsmen