Patrick Yazbek
Patrick Yazbek is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC and the soccer team|Australia national team].
Early life
Having begun playing soccer aged three, Yazbek joined Austral Soccer Club's under-5s. In 2010, he moved Football NSW's "Skill Acquisition Program". Yazbek then played for other youth teams, namely Club Marconi, Sydney United, Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC.Club career
Sydney FC
After making the bench a few times during the 2020–21 A-League season, Yazbek signed a two-year scholarship contract with Sydney FC in July 2021.He made his senior debut in the 2021 FFA Cup round of 32, in a 4–2 victory over Sydney Olympic. Yazbek's A-League debut came on 12 December 2021, as a substitute in a 2–0 defeat to Central Coast Mariners. On 19 December, he made his starting debut for Sydney FC in a 2–1 win over Wellington Phoenix.
Viking FK
On 2 February 2023, Norwegian Eliteserien club Viking announced the signing of Yazbek. On 15 April 2023, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 home win against Lillestrøm.Nashville SC
On 22 July 2024, Yazbek joined Major League Soccer club Nashville SC. He made his league debut on 24 August against Austin FC but was removed from the match in the first half. Yazbek was suspended for the following two matches for a violation of the league's anti-discrimination policy. According to Outsports, the suspension was a result of Yazbek's use of a homophobic slur during the match after a foul was called against him.International career
Youth
Yazbek was selected for the Australia national under-23 team ahead of their 2022 [AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification|qualifiers] for the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. He played in both of Australia's games against Indonesia in October 2021, helping his side qualify for the final tournament. In the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, Yazbek played six games; Australia finished in fourth place, losing the third place match against Japan.Senior
Yazbek was named in the Australia squad for the 2026 [FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round|2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying] matches against Lebanon, the country in which his parents were born in and who he was also eligible to represent. Lebanon manager Miodrag Radulović criticised Yazbek for his decision to represent Australia, saying he "would be better to be one of the leaders in our team than sitting on the bench ." Yazbek did not feature in the first match at Western Sydney Stadium on 21 March, instead making his debut on 26 March at the Canberra Stadium, managing one assist for John Iredale in a 5–0 victory.Ahead of Australia's 2026 FIFA [World Cup qualification (AFC)|2026 World Cup qualification] matches against China and Japan, Socceroos coach Tony Popovic called up Yazbeck as an injury replacement for Massimo Luongo and Connor Metcalfe.