Owned and run by Pini Zahavi, Gol International has opted for discretion and a tightly focused portfolio rather than volume. From Robert Lewandowski to Luka Vušković, the agency nonetheless handles some of the most closely followed deals on the transfer market. Its history also illustrates how the rules of the agent profession have evolved, from the ban on third-party ownership to the FIFA Football Agent Regulations.
Last updated: 09/10/2026
Around forty players, a tight-knit team and very little public communication. Gol International remains a small-scale operation, far removed from the major agencies that keep adding offices and recruits. Run and owned by Pini Zahavi, often described as football's first football super-agent, it is nonetheless involved in several major deals on the transfer market, such as Robert Lewandowski's move to MLS and Luka Vušković's arrival at Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., the most expensive signing in the club's history.
For an aspiring player agent, Gol International offers an interesting example of a small-scale player agency. Its model is built on a small team, close relationships with players and confidentiality. Its history also shows how the sports agent profession has gradually become more regulated, notably with the ban on third-party ownership and then the entry into force of the FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR).
Gol International is an agency specialising in the representation and career management of footballers, owned and run by Pini Zahavi. Its exact founding date is not publicly known, but entities using the Gol brand have been active since at least 2007.
The agency relies on an operational base in Tel Aviv and a presence in London, the hub of the European transfer market. Its companies have historically been registered in Gibraltar. Its licensed staff include Pini Zahavi, the owner, as well as Humberto Paiva and Abraham Misehouy. The team has also been strengthened by the arrival of Max Bielefeld, a former transfer specialist journalist at Sky Germany, who is responsible for the German market. Pini Zahavi explained at the time that he had worked alone for many years before deciding he wanted representatives in every major market.
The Gol International portfolio is deliberately kept small, with between 40 and 50 players according to available estimates, around thirty of whom play in top-flight leagues, for a combined market value estimated at between £295 million and £330 million depending on the source, including Transfermarkt. It includes internationals such as Jonathan Tah and Christopher Nkunku.
| Criterion | Data | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Status | High-end boutique agency | Owned and run by Pini Zahavi |
| Activity under the Gol brand | Since at least 2007 | Founding date not published |
| Locations | Tel Aviv, London | Companies historically registered in Gibraltar |
| Licensed staff | Pini Zahavi, Humberto Paiva, Abraham Misehouy | According to specialist directories |
| German market | Max Bielefeld | Former Sky Germany journalist |
| Portfolio | 40 to 50 players | Around thirty in top-flight leagues |
| Combined value | Between £295 million and £330 million | Estimate, sources differ |
The positioning of Gol International rests first and foremost on Pini Zahavi's network. Pini Zahavi's career explains this positioning. Decades of relationships with European club executives came before the agency took shape. It was therefore able to draw on this network from the outset, without having to build its place in the market.
This network has a direct influence on how the agency operates. Gol International does not seek to be present in every league or to represent hundreds of players. It focuses on deals where direct access to decision-makers can make the difference. Its long-standing relationship with Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, thus played a part in Robert Lewandowski's move to Barça in 2022, and then in Hansi Flick's appointment as head coach of the Catalan club in 2024.
The transfer of Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig to Chelsea F.C. for around £52 million illustrates this capability, before his move to AC Milan in 2025, within a model in which discretion also plays an important role. Gol International communicates very little and rarely lets details of its negotiations leak out, which helps preserve confidentiality for players and clubs alike.
The name of Pini Zahavi also remains associated with Neymar's record-breaking transfer to Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in 2017, where his role as an intermediary was widely reported in the press.
The agency's portfolio brings together several types of profile, from established stars to internationals still playing, as well as young talents spotted at a very early stage.
The all-time top scorer for the Polish national team, Robert Lewandowski is one of the best-known players at Gol International. A client of Pini Zahavi since 2018, he had already joined FC Barcelona in 2022 following negotiations led by the agent. His departure from FC Barcelona at the end of his contract in June 2026 illustrates the agency's role in managing the end of a career at the very highest level. At 37, the striker is joining the Chicago Fire in MLS as a Designated Player, on a free transfer.
Pini Zahavi followed the deal through to its conclusion, taking part in discussions with the American club and exploring several options, including a Saudi offer that was turned down earlier in the year. According to the agent, the Chicago Fire offered him the second-highest salary in MLS, behind only Lionel Messi. This transfer also highlights the work involved in a free transfer, with the aim of securing the best sporting and financial terms for the player.
A Portuguese international left-back, Nuno Tavares represents another type of profile within the Gol International portfolio: that of a player whose career has been revived after a difficult spell. A product of the Benfica academy, he went on to play for Arsenal F.C., Olympique de Marseille and Nottingham Forest without managing to establish himself for any length of time.
His loan to Lazio in 2024 marked a turning point, with a string of assists early in the season that earned him a call-up to the Portugal squad. In June 2025, the Roman club signed him permanently until 2029, before he went on to play in the 2026 Coppa Italia final.
This career path shows that an agent's work is not limited to the most high-profile transfers, as it also involves finding the right club at the right time and then securing a long-term contract.
A Belgian international who played for AS Monaco and Atlético de Madrid, Yannick Carrasco represents another profile within the Gol International portfolio, with a career split between Europe and emerging leagues. A La Liga champion with Atlético in 2021, he then had a first spell in China with Dalian Yifang before joining Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League in 2023.
In June 2026, the Saudi club announced that his contract had been extended until 2027. He was coming off a season with 18 goals and 9 assists in the league.
His career also shows the importance of a network capable of working across very different markets, from Europe to the Gulf.
Luka Vušković represents the profile of young talents at Gol International. The Croatian centre-back joined the agency in 2023, aged just 16, shortly after making his professional debut with Hajduk Split, becoming the first Croatian player represented by the agency.
Spotted early on by Tottenham Hotspur F.C., he then went on a series of loans to Radomiak Radom, Westerlo and Hamburger SV, where he made his breakthrough in the Bundesliga. In July 2026, Brighton signed him for £46 million, a club record, with add-ons that could take the fee to £50 million. His market value was then estimated at around £52 million by Transfermarkt.
This career path illustrates career management carried out over several years, from the first loans through to a major transfer.
| Player | Position | Current club | Profile within the portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Lewandowski | Centre-forward | Chicago Fire (MLS) | International star at the end of his career |
| Nuno Tavares | Left-back | Lazio (Serie A) | Player revived after successive loans |
| Yannick Carrasco | Winger | Al-Shabab (Saudi Pro League) | International career outside Europe |
| Luka Vušković | Centre-back | Brighton (Premier League) | Young talent followed since the age of 16 |
The way Gol International works is based on a small team around its owner. The agency brings in partners on a deal-by-deal basis rather than maintaining a large network of offices and scouts. This choice sets it apart from player agencies that rely on volume.
Three principles emerge from its activity:
The agency also represents coaches, a segment in which a relationship of trust with club presidents matters as much as results. This is the case with Hansi Flick, who entrusted his interests to Pini Zahavi in 2024 before being appointed at FC Barcelona and then extending his contract there.
The early years of Gol International date back to a time when the agent profession was less regulated. Since then, FIFA has strengthened and clarified the rules applicable to agents, notably on the issue of third-party ownership.
Third-party ownership, or TPO (Third-Party Ownership), referred to the holding of part of a player's economic rights by a party other than their club. A fund, a company or a private investor could thus receive a percentage of the future transfer fee. This practice was widespread in South America, Portugal and Spain. Entities linked to Pini Zahavi were among the players in this market before it was banned.
FIFA banned TPO with effect from 1 May 2015. Since then, Article 18ter of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) has prohibited any agreement allowing a third party to receive compensation in connection with a player's future transfer.
That same year, the Regulations on Working with Intermediaries replaced the former licensing system. As they proved too lenient, they were in turn replaced by the FIFA Football Agent Regulations, the FFAR, which came into force in 2023. These reinstate a mandatory exam, set service fee caps and impose stricter rules on conflicts of interest.
| Period | Regulation or decision | Main effect |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Players' Agents Regulations | Licence issued by national associations |
| 2015 | Ban on TPO (Art. 18ter RSTP) | End of the holding of economic rights by third parties |
| 2015 | Regulations on Working with Intermediaries | Licence abolished, simplified registration |
| 2023 | Entry into force of the FFAR | Mandatory exam, service fee caps, transparency |
These texts form part of the wider body of FIFA regulations that every candidate needs to have studied.
Gol International shows that a football player agency can remain active on the transfer market with a limited number of clients. The quality of the network, the trust of club executives and long-term support for players remain important elements of the sports agent profession.
The profession is, however, more regulated today. An agent starting out must pass the FIFA agent exam, comply with service fee caps and apply the rules of the FFAR, particularly regarding the representation of minors. The network remains important, but it must now be backed by a sound command of the rules. Even the model of a football super-agent like Pini Zahavi now has to operate within this framework.
