German · Gelsenkirchen, Germany · Born 24 October 1990German midfielder known for his technical ability, leadership, and success with Manchester City and FC Barcelona, including Champions League titles.
İlkay Gündoğan was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany in 1990 to Turkish immigrant parents. Manchester City paid £21 million for him from Borussia Dortmund in 2016. His seven City seasons produced five Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League Treble. He was City's captain in the Treble season — scoring both goals in the FA Cup Final against Manchester United to complete the historic achievement. He left City for Barcelona in the summer of 2023, returned to City in 2024. He reached the Euro 2024 Final with Germany. He represented Germany 82 times. His combination of passing precision, intelligent movement and reliable scoring from midfield positions — he scored 17 league goals in 2020-21 — made him one of the most complete midfielders in Premier League history during his City peak. His leadership qualities, recognised through the captaincy in the most important City season, reflect a player who contributed as much to team identity as to statistics.
Captaining Manchester City to their first Champions League title
How They Played
Box-to-box midfielder with excellent passing range and late runs into the box
Lasting Impact
Versatile midfielder who bridged German and Turkish football cultures
Career Honours
- Champions League (2023)
- Premier League 5x
- FA Cup (2023)
- Euro runner-up (Germany 2024)
- La Liga (2024)
- Champions League 2023
- Premier League 2018
- Premier League 2019
- Premier League 2021
- Premier League 2022
- Premier League 2023
- FA Cup 2019
- FA Cup 2023
- EFL Cup 2018
- EFL Cup 2019
- EFL Cup 2020
- EFL Cup 2021
- La Liga 2024
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VfL Bochum II | 2008–2009 | — | 2 | 1 |
| 1. FC Nürnberg | 2009–2011 | — | 48 | 6 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 2011–2016 | £21m | 105 | 10 |
| Borussia Dortmund II | 2012–2012 | — | 1 | 0 |
| Manchester City | 2016–2023 | £21m | 188 | 44 |
| Barcelona | 2023–2024 | — | 36 | 5 |
| Manchester City | 2024–2025 | £21m | 33 | 1 |
| Galatasaray | 2025–Present | — | 24 | 2 |
 Germany | — | — | 82 | 18 |
German Athletes