Tai Baribo

Tai Baribo (; born 15 January 1998) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer and the Israel national team. Early life Baribo was born and raised in Eilat, Israel, to an Israeli family of Sephardi Jewish descent. He explained that as an adult he has found out that the meaning of his unusual first name is a Hebrew acronym for the phrase "The Torah of the Land of Israel". His mother Maya died of cancer when he was 11 years of age, and since then Baribo has decided that his career is dedicated to the memory of her. His father Itzik owns a Water Sports Center in Eilat, Israel, where Baribo was first noticed for his talent as an 11 years old youngster. He is the youngest of three children. He was enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a soldier in 2016, until his honorable discharge in 2019. He also holds a Portuguese passport, on account of his Sephardi Jewish ancestors, which eases the move to certain European football leagues.