The World Cup winner with the most beautiful assist record — Germany's most controversial modern footballer.
Mesut Özil was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany in 1988, the son of Turkish immigrants. Werder Bremen developed him before Real Madrid paid £14.4 million and Arsenal paid £42.5 million for him in 2013. His first Arsenal season produced the most assists in the Premier League. He won the 2014 World Cup with Germany. His vision — the ability to thread passes through spaces that appeared geometrically impossible — was described as the finest individual playmaking ability in world football during his peak. He provided an FA Cup winner for Arsenal in 2014, ending the club's nine-year trophy drought. His Arsenal career — seven years, 254 appearances — became increasingly controversial as his effort levels and defensive contribution generated criticism from pundits and eventually cost him his place in the squad during the COVID-19 period when Arsenal removed him from his squad list. His retirement from German international football in 2018 — citing racist abuse and differential treatment by the German FA after a photo with Turkish president Erdoğan — opened a significant public debate about identity and belonging in German football.
World Cup (2014)
Career Honours
- World Cup (2014)
- Premier League (2004)
- La Liga 2x
- Copa del Rey 2x
- DFB-Pokal 2x