Mesut Özil German Footballer From Gelsenkirchen

Mesut Özil is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Born on 15 October 1988 in Gelsenkirchen, he played for Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahçe and İstanbul Başakşehir, and won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany. He retired from professional football in March 2023.

Early life

Özil was born in Gelsenkirchen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, to a family of Turkish origin; his grandfather had come to West Germany from Zonguldak as a guest worker. Turkish was the first language he learned. As a boy he played for several youth sides in his home city between 1995 and 2000, and then spent five years with Rot-Weiss Essen before moving to the youth system of Schalke 04. He could have represented either Germany or Turkey and chose Germany.

Career

Özil's first senior club was Schalke 04. In January 2008 he left for Werder Bremen after a dispute with the club's management over contract terms. At Bremen he scored his first Bundesliga goal in April 2008, and in 2008–09 he helped the team win the DFB-Pokal, scoring the only goal in the final against Bayer Leverkusen. Bremen also reached the final of the last UEFA Cup, which they lost to Shakhtar Donetsk. In 2009–10 he took over the playmaker role and led the Bundesliga in assists.

At Real Madrid he won the Copa del Rey in 2010–11, finishing that season with 25 assists, the highest figure in any major European competition. In 2011–12 he led La Liga in assists and Real Madrid won the league with a record 100 points. He was named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2012 and 2013.

In September 2013 he joined Arsenal in what was then a record fee for a German player, up to £42.5 million. He won the FA Cup in 2013–14, which ended the club's nine-year wait for a trophy, and again in 2014–15 and 2016–17. In 2015–16 he provided 19 assists in the Premier League, one short of the single-season record, and was named Arsenal's player of the season. In January 2018 he signed a contract extension that kept him at the club until 2021. His playing time dropped sharply from the 2019–20 season, and by 2020–21 he was left out of the club's Premier League squad. His contract was terminated early in January 2021.

Özil then joined Fenerbahçe in Turkey as a free agent, a club he had supported as a child. His contract there was ended by mutual agreement in July 2022. He signed for İstanbul Başakşehir on a one-year deal, and announced his retirement on 22 March 2023, citing recurring injuries. He had made 427 appearances in top-flight football.

International career

Özil played for Germany's under-19 and under-21 teams before making his senior debut in a friendly against Norway on 11 February 2009. He played in five major tournaments. At the 2010 World Cup he started every match, scored against Ghana and led the competition in assists. At UEFA Euro 2012 he was included in the team of the tournament.

At the 2014 World Cup he started all seven of Germany's games, scored the winning goal in extra time against Algeria, and set up a goal in the 7–1 semi-final win over Brazil, before Germany beat Argentina 1–0 in the final. He also played at Euro 2016 and at the 2018 World Cup.

In May 2018, before the World Cup, he and teammate İlkay Gündoğan were photographed with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which brought criticism in Germany. On 22 July 2018 he announced his retirement from international football in a series of social media messages. He said he had been treated with disrespect and racism, singling out the then German Football Association president Reinhard Grindel, and said the media had criticised him over his Turkish background.

Recognition

Özil won the Bambi award in 2010, given for successful integration in German society. He received the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt in 2010 and 2014. He holds the record for most German national team Player of the Year awards, five in total, in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Public roles

Özil gave his 2014 World Cup winnings, estimated at £240,000, to pay for surgery for 23 sick children in Brazil. In 2025 he became a board member of the governing Justice and Development Party in Turkey.

Personal life

Özil is married to Amine Gülşe, a former Miss Turkey, whom he married in 2019. They have two children. His Instagram account had more than 26 million followers as of October 2026.