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Elseid Hysaj (; born 2 February 1994) is an Albanian professional Football player who plays as a full-back for club SS Lazio and the Albania national team.
He came through the youth system of KF Vllaznia before moving to Italy to join Empoli's youth sector, making his senior debut in 2012 and becoming a regular starter by the following season. During his four years with the Tuscan side, he made over 90 appearances in all competitions, playing a key role in the team’s promotion to Serie A and establishing himself as one of the most promising young full-backs in Italy. Known for his versatility on both defensive flanks, composure on the ball, and consistent performances, he attracted the attention of major Serie A clubs before joining SSC Napoli in 2015.
Across his six-year spell at Napoli (2015–2021), Hysaj evolved from a promising young defender into one of Serie A’s most reliable and tactically disciplined full-backs. Having reunited with coach Maurizio Sarri from their Empoli times, he immediately became a key starter and maintained that role through subsequent managerial changes under Carlo Ancelotti and Gennaro Gattuso. Equally adept on both flanks, Hysaj’s consistency, defensive awareness, and composure on the ball made him a cornerstone of Napoli’s backline during a period in which the club regularly challenged for the league title. He amassed over 220 appearances in all competitions, contributing to multiple top-two Serie A finishes and playing an important role in Napoli’s Coppa Italia triumph. After the expiration of his contract in 2021, Hysaj left the club as one of its longest-serving and most dependable players of the decade.
Joining SS Lazio in 2021 on a free transfer, Hysaj reunited once again with coach Sarri, becoming part of a transitional phase for the club. He quickly established himself as a flexible full-back option on both flanks, featuring regularly in his debut campaign and contributing to Lazio’s fifth-place finish in Serie A. Over the following seasons, he remained a reliable rotational presence, alternating starting duties with teammates Manuel Lazzari and Adam Marušić. During the 2022–23 season, he achieved a personal record of 43 appearances, playing a key role as Lazio finished runners-up in Serie A for the first time in over two decades. His tactical intelligence and professionalism made him a trusted figure in Sarri’s defensive system, despite reduced playing time in later campaigns. By 2025, Hysaj had surpassed the 120-appearance mark for the Biancocelesti across all competitions, further solidifying his reputation as one of the most consistent Albanian defenders to have played in Italy’s top flight.
A full international since 2013, Hysaj has been a central figure for the Albania national team for over a decade, earning more than 90 caps. Renowned for his defensive discipline, versatility on both flanks, and leadership qualities, he has represented Albania in several major campaigns, including their historic qualification for UEFA Euro 2016 and participation in the UEFA Euro 2024 finals. Serving multiple times as national team captain, Hysaj played a pivotal role during UEFA Euro and FIFA World Cup qualifying cycles, consistently anchoring the defence through different managerial eras—from Gianni De Biasi to Sylvinho. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished Albanian defenders of his generation, his international career has been marked by consistency, professionalism, and key contributions to some of Albania’s most successful periods in modern football history.
Hysaj began his youth career at age of seven with KF Shkodra, an amateur club based in his hometown. In 2007 he became part of KF Vllaznia youth team remaining for two years. While working at the home of football agent Marco Piccioli, Hysaj's father mentioned that his son was a talented footballer. As Elseid was only 10 years old at the time, Piccioli advised Gëzim to wait a few years. When Elseid turned 14, he travelled to Italy, where he was assessed by Piccioli and took part in trials with several clubs, including ACF Fiorentina, before eventually joining the Empoli FC academy.
Hysaj received his first call-up to the Empoli senior squad during the 9th matchday of the 2011–12 Serie B season, for the game against Varese on 9 October 2011, where he remained an unused substitute throughout the match. Later in the season, he was included in the matchday squad on two more occasions, in March and April 2012, but again did not feature on the field. He made his professional debut for the first team on 24 November 2011 in a Coppa Italia match against ACF Fiorentina, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 defeat.
In the two-legged final against Livorno, Hysaj once again played the entire match in both legs. The first leg on 29 May 2013 ended in a 1–1 draw, while the second leg on 2 June 2013 finished in a 1–0 defeat, meaning Livorno earned promotion to the 2013–14 Serie A with a 2–1 aggregate victory. Hysaj completed his first full season with Empoli making 35 appearances in all competitions — 30 in the league, one in the Coppa Italia, and four in the promotion playoffs — and providing one assist.
He scored his first professional goal on 17 April 2014 in a match against Virtus Lanciano. The goal came in the 4th minute after he received the ball near the edge of the penalty area, dribbled past three opponents in a zig-zag move, and fired a left-footed shot into the net. Despite his effort, Empoli lost the match 2–1, but the goal was noted by the media for its individual quality and technical execution.
Throughout the season, Hysaj emerged as a consistent presence in the first-team lineup, earning praise for his defensive maturity and tactical discipline despite his young age. A season review published on 19 April 2014 also highlighted his goal-scoring strike, underlining his increasing influence both in defence and in attack.
On 30 May 2014, Empoli secured promotion to Serie A after a six-year absence, finishing the campaign among the top teams in Serie B.
By the end of the campaign, Hysaj had gathered a total of 34 appearances and 1 goal across league and cup competitions, establishing himself as a key part of Empoli’s defence ahead of their return to Serie A.
During the season, Hysaj further developed his technical and tactical abilities, becoming known for his versatility to play on both flanks and his increasing involvement in attacking phases through overlapping runs and accurate ball distribution from the back. In February 2015, he provided two consecutive assists in Serie A matches — the first in a 2–0 home victory over Cesena, and the second a decisive pass in a 1–1 draw against Milan. These performances underlined his growing offensive contribution and maturity on the field. Following consistent performances throughout the campaign, he was selected in the Serie A Team of the Week for matchday 17 after a goalless draw against Verona. In the 2014–15 campaign, his final season with Empoli, Hysaj made a total of 36 league appearances, including 33 as a starter, and featured in three Coppa Italia matches, where Empoli were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Roma after extra time.
By the end of the season Hysaj, as one of Napoli’s most consistent performers, had featured in 37 of 38 Serie A matches, all as a starter, missing only one game due to suspension after accumulating four yellow cards. Napoli finished the season as Serie A runners-up behind Juventus.
In June 2016 UEFA described Hysaj as an "attack-minded full-back" capable of contributing effectively in both phases of play, reflecting his growing tactical versatility and importance within Napoli’s system.
In Serie A, he made 35 appearances, starting 34 of them and completing almost every match in full, confirming his status as one of the team’s most reliable players throughout the campaign. The matches he did not start were generally due to rotation during Napoli’s Champions League campaign. He was ranked third among Napoli players for total minutes across all competitions. By season’s end, his market value was estimated at €18 million, making him the most valuable player of the Albania national team. Napoli finished the Serie A campaign in third place behind Juventus and Roma.
On 21 October, he made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Napoli in the goalless home draw against Inter Milan.
In European competition, he played ten matches across the UEFA Champions League group stage and the qualifying play-off rounds. After finishing third in their group, Napoli entered the UEFA Europa League knockout phase, where they were eliminated by RB Leipzig on the away goals rule.
In Serie A, Hysaj made 35 appearances, completing nearly all of them in full, missing only two matches throughout the campaign. Napoli achieved a club-record total of 91 points, finishing as runners-up four points behind Juventus. The team also reached the quarter-finals of the 2017–18 Coppa Italia.
With the arrival of manager Carlo Ancelotti, Hysaj retained his place as a first-team regular, though he featured less frequently than in previous seasons as Ancelotti often rotated the right-back position with Nikola Maksimović and Kévin Malcuit. Over the course of the campaign, Hysaj made 27 league appearances as Napoli once again finished runners-up in Serie A. He also appeared once in the domestic cup and featured in seven European matches across the Champions League and Europa League, helping Napoli reach the quarter-finals of the latter competition, where they were eliminated by Arsenal. Despite Napoli’s exit, Hysaj earned praise from Italian and European media for his disciplined performances and improved attacking movement during the Europa League ties against FC Salzburg and Arsenal, highlighting his consistency and maturity under Ancelotti.
In November 2020, while on international duty with Albania, Hysaj tested positive for COVID-19 and remained in isolation in Albania for several days before returning to Naples after recovering and testing negative. He rejoined team training in early December after testing negative alongside his teammates.
During his absence, Napoli were eliminated from the Europa League in the intermediate stage. In the domestic cup, he featured in Napoli’s run to the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, where they were eliminated by Atalanta BC. In Serie A, Napoli finished fifth with 77 points, narrowly missing out on a UEFA Champions League qualifications spot by just one point behind Juventus and Atalanta.
During the season, discussions also emerged regarding Hysaj’s contract situation, as he entered the final year of his deal with Napoli. Reports in December 2020 suggested that while the club still considered him an important squad member, renewal talks had stalled, raising the possibility of a departure at the end of the campaign.
At the conclusion of the 2020–21 season, Hysaj left Napoli upon the expiration of his contract after six years at the club. His agent confirmed that repeated attempts to reach a renewal agreement had failed, making his departure inevitable. Hysaj himself stated that he was ready for a new challenge and that his cycle at Napoli had come to an end.
Hysaj quickly established himself as a regular starter, completing nearly all of his appearances, with occasional rotation among full-backs due to a congested calendar and Lazio's participation in the UEFA Europa League that season.
During December 2021, Hysaj underwent medical examinations after sustaining an adductor injury in the 3–1 Serie A win over Genoa CFC on 17 December; reports indicated he would miss upcoming matches as the club awaited a full diagnostic.
During February 2022, he lost his regular starting position as coach Sarri rotated his full-backs, and after week 30 he played less than 30 minutes in all matches, reflecting the reduced role. He concluded the season with 38 appearances across all competitions. Lazio finished 5th in Serie A, qualifying for the next season's Europa League. In the 2021–22 Coppa Italia, Lazio reached the quarter-finals but were eliminated by AC Milan. In the Europa League, they progressed from the group stage but were eliminated by FC Porto in the intermediate stage.
Hysaj made 43 appearances in all competitions, setting his personal record for most games in a single season with Lazio. He scored his only goal of the season on 28 May 2023, opening the scoring in the 4th minute of the 3–2 home win over Cremonese, a result that sent Lazio to second place in the league standings in the penultimate round.
Lazio finished the season as Serie A runners-up, achieving their highest league placement since the 1999–2000 title-winning campaign and their first top-two finish since 1998–99. In the domestic Coppa Italia, the team reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Juventus, while in European competitions Lazio placed third in their UEFA Europa League group and subsequently entered the newly established UEFA Europa Conference League, advancing to the round of 16.
In the domestic cup, Hysaj participated in Lazio’s progress until the semi-finals, where the team was eliminated by Juventus. He featured for the full 90 minutes in the second leg as right-midfielder, which Lazio won 2–1 but could not overturn the 2–0 defeat from the first leg, in which Hysaj had appeared for the final ten minutes. He also took part in the 2023 Supercoppa Italiana on 19 January 2024, coming on as a late substitute in the final minutes of the match against Inter, played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which Lazio lost 3–0. In the Champions League, Hysaj made five appearances as a starter, helping Lazio progress from the group stage. The team was later eliminated in the round of 16 by Bayern Munich. Hysaj played 60 minutes in the first leg, a 1–0 home victory for Lazio, but did not feature in the second leg, which ended in a 3–0 defeat.
He made his debut in that match aged 19, becoming one of the youngest players to appear for Albania in recent years.
Later next month, he made his first competitive appearance in a World Cup qualifier against Norway, coming on as a substitute in the 80th minute for Armend Dallku during a 1–0 away victory. He also appeared in the reverse fixture on 7 June 2013, entering as a late substitute for Ervin Bulku in a 1–1 draw. Later that year, he was called up for the double away fixtures against Slovenia and Iceland on 6 and 10 September 2013 respectively. Hysaj remained an unused substitute against Slovenia in the 1–0 loss.
He was recalled to the national side once again for a friendly match against Belarus on 15 November 2013.
After establishing himself in the senior setup, Hysaj briefly returned to the under-21 squad for the 2015 UEFA U21 qualifiers, debuting against Austria on 14 August 2013, where an own goal he conceded resulted in a 1–0 defeat.
He later captained the U21 side in a 0–1 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 15 October 2013, and featured against Spain in a 2–0 defeat on 18 November 2013, and Austria again, with Albania earning a 3–1 away win in the latter match.
Following his consistent performances for both the under-21 and senior teams, and retirement from international duties of Armend Dallku, Hysaj became a regular starter for Albania from the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign onwards.
Throughout the qualifiers, Hysaj remained an undisputed starter, featuring in all eight matches as Albania achieved a historic qualification for their first-ever major tournament. His versatility and composure were crucial in matches against Denmark, Serbia, and Armenia, where Albania secured key results including a decisive 3–0 away win over Armenia on 11 October 2015 that sealed qualification.
Following the qualification, Hysaj was widely regarded as one of the team’s most consistent performers, earning recognition for his tactical discipline and leadership despite his young age.
Hysaj played every minute of Albania’s Group A campaign, as the team finished third behind hosts France and Switzerland, and ahead of Romania following a 1–0 victory in the final match, with a goal by Armando Sadiku, concluding the group stage with three points and a −2 goal difference, ranking last among the third-placed teams, which led to their elimination. He was described by UEFA as an “attack-minded full-back” capable of contributing effectively in both defence and attack, highlighting his tactical maturity and versatility during the tournament. He was later listed among the candidates for the Best Young Player award of Euro 2016, praised for his balance between defensive awareness, attacking initiative, and fair play.
Hysaj added another assist in the reverse fixture on 11 June 2017, contributing to a 3–0 away victory over Israel that avenged the earlier defeat.
Following the match, coach Gianni De Biasi resigned, but Hysaj remained a consistent starter for the remainder of the campaign, even after fellow italian successor Christian Panucci. Albania ultimately finished third in Group G with 13 points.
Under Reja, Hysaj maintained his captaincy in the coach’s debut match on 8 June 2019 against Iceland, though Albania lost 1–0. In subsequent fixtures, Reja temporarily handed the armband to veteran Mërgim Mavraj, before restoring it to Hysaj for the return match against Iceland on 10 September. In that fixture, Hysaj was deployed as a right midfielder in a 3–5–2 formation and scored his first international goal, contributing significantly to Albania’s hard-fought 4–2 victory at home. Albania collected 13 points in Group H but ultimately finished fourth, thus failing to qualify for the finals. Despite the outcome, Hysaj’s leadership, versatility, and consistent performances were widely praised by both domestic and international media, consolidating his position as Albania’s long-term captain.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Hysaj’s role as team captain was temporarily assumed by veteran goalkeeper Etrit Berisha, partly due to Hysaj’s reduced club minutes at Napoli. Nevertheless, Hysaj remained a key starter throughout the qualifiers, providing defensive stability and experience as Albania achieved their highest-ever points total in a World Cup qualifying group. Albania recorded victories against Andorra, San Marino, and notably Hungary, but failed to secure points against group favourites England and Poland. Ultimately, Albania finished third in Group I, missing out on a play-off spot by just two points, but setting a national record with 18 points collected — their best-ever World Cup qualifying performance.
Hysaj’s consistency, professionalism, and experience were widely recognised during the campaign, as he led an increasingly competitive and youthful Albanian side that demonstrated progress against higher-ranked opponents.
Following the appointment of Sylvinho as Albania’s head coach in early 2023, Hysaj was reinstated in his natural right-back position, as the coach established a more balanced defensive setup with a dedicated left-back option, also reappointing Hysaj as team captain, where he featured in all three opening matches of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in March and in June 2023, during which Albania achieved two victories and one defeat.
Later in September 2023, the captaincy was officially passed to Berat Djimsiti, though Hysaj continued to serve as a senior leader and regular starter playing full 90-minutes. Albania maintained a strong run of form throughout the qualifiers, registering two additional victories and three draws, ultimately finishing top of their group for the first time in history, collecting 15 points—level with the Czech Republic but ahead on head-to-head record—thus securing qualification for the final tournament of a European Championship for only the second time ever.
In June 2024, Hysaj was included in Sylvinho’s final 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024, hosted in Germany.
He featured in Albania’s first two group matches of UEFA Euro 2024 Group B, starting against Italy and Croatia. In the opening 2–1 defeat to Italy, Hysaj was involved in the action leading to the decisive goal, drawing criticism from several media outlets. He was again criticised for his performance in the following 2–2 draw with Croatia, where Albania conceded an equaliser from his defensive side. As a result, coach Sylvinho opted to leave him on the bench for the final match against Spain giving the starting role to Iván Balliu. Albania finished bottom of the group with one point and were eliminated from the tournament.
In the opening match of the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B on 7 September 2024 against Ukraine, Hysaj returned to captaincy in the absence of Berat Djimsiti, leading Albania to a 2–1 away victory in Prague. He continued to serve as captain in the following two fixtures, but after back-to-back defeats to Georgia and the Czech Republic, coach Sylvinho opted to rotate the squad, giving the starting position to Balliu for the remaining three matches. Albania secured a home win in the return fixture against Georgia, drew with the Czech Republic, and narrowly lost to Ukraine, finishing with seven points—equal to Georgia and one behind Ukraine (8)—in a tightly contested group. As a result, Albania were relegated back to League C for the next edition.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) campaign, Hysaj featured in three of Albania’s six matches in Group K, playing the full 90 minutes in each appearance. With him on the pitch, Albania kept three consecutive clean sheets, recording two wins and one draw, results that proved decisive in keeping the team in contention for a potential play-off spot.
Hysaj is a supporter of the Socialist Party of Albania, having taken part in the 2017 electoral campaign in Shkodër.
He is also the cousin of footballers Alessio Hysaj and Daniel Hysaj, both of whom playing in the Italian Serie D.
| + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2" | Club !rowspan="2" | Season !colspan="3" | League !colspan="2" | Coppa Italia !colspan="2" | Europe !colspan="2" | Other !colspan="2" | Total |
| Empoli FC | 2011–12 | Serie B | 0 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 0 | ||||||
| 2013–14 | 1 | ||||||
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 0 | |||||
| SSC Napoli | 2015–16 | Serie A | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 0 | ||||||
| 2017–18 | 0 | ||||||
| 2018–19 | 0 | ||||||
| 2019–20 | 1 | ||||||
| 2020–21 | 0 | ||||||
| SS Lazio | 2021–22 | Serie A | 1 | ||||
| 2022–23 | 1 | ||||||
| 2023–24 | 0 | ||||||
| 2024–25 | 0 | ||||||
| 2025–26 | 0 | ||||||
| + Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals | |
| Albania | 0 |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 1 | |
| 0 | |
| 1 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
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