Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil (German pronunciation: [ˈmeːzut ˈøːzil], Turkish: [meˈsut œˈzil]; born 15 October 1988) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
 Özil in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mesut Özil[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 October 1988[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gelsenkirchen, West Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Westfalia 04 Gelsenkirchen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Teutonia Schalke-Nord | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Falke Gelsenkirchen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2005 | Rot-Weiss Essen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Schalke 04 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Schalke 04 II | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Schalke 04 | 30 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Werder Bremen | 71 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Real Madrid | 105 | (19) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2021 | Arsenal | 184 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Fenerbahçe | 32 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 427 | (73) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Germany U19 | 11 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Germany U21 | 16 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2018 | Germany | 92 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Honours
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Özil is often praised for his skill at being an attacking midfielder. He is known for making lots of assists. In 2011, he made the second most assists with Real Madrid in La Liga with 17 and the most assists in major European competitions with 25.
Club career
Schalke 04
In 2005, he went to the youth department of FC Schalke 04. He was a midfielder, and his number was 17. He soon played in the Ligapokal, against teams such as FC Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. He was thought to be the "next big thing," but soon left the club.
Werder Bremen
In 2008, Mesut Özil moved to Werder Bremen for a reported amount of €4.3 million, signing a contract with the German club until June 30, 2011. He soon became popular in the club, leading them to the 2009 DFB-Pokal final with the winning goal against Bayer Leverkusen. He helped the team make it to the UEFA Cup, but lost to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Real Madrid
Because of his impressive performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he made his place as one of the best young football athletes in Europe. Teams such as FC Barcelona, Manchester United. and Arsenal wanted him in their squad. Werder Bremen made an agreement with Real Madrid. The transfer amount was believed to be near €15 million. After signing, Özil said, "When the offer came in to join Real Madrid, there is no decision to make. Let's be honest – you don't refuse this club. I was in no rush to leave Werder Bremen, but this is one club you say yes to. They are an institution, a club with a fantastic history, stadium and squad full of world-class players. The prospect of performing at the Bernabeu is so awesome you jump straight in."
His first game was against Hércules, which the team won the game 3-1. His first goal was against Deportivo de La Coruña, which the team won 6-1.
Mesut Özil performed many assists, and in the 2011-12 season he was nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award. Real Madrid maintained its success, and finished in 1st place in the 2011-12 La Liga.
Arsenal
Ozil joined Arsenal in September 2013 at a transfer fee believed to be around €50 million. His first game for Arsenal was against Sunderland in which the team won 3-1, with him making an assist. He was a top performer in his first season, however his form has went down since then.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Schalke 04 II | 2005–06 | Oberliga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Schalke 04 | 2006–07 | Bundesliga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4[d] | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| Total | 30 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | |||
| Werder Bremen | 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 12 | 1 | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| 2008–09 | Bundesliga | 28 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | 14[e] | 0 | — | 47 | 5 | |||
| 2009–10 | Bundesliga | 31 | 9 | 5 | 0 | — | 10[f] | 2 | — | 46 | 11 | |||
| 2010–11 | Bundesliga | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 71 | 13 | 11 | 2 | — | 26 | 2 | — | 108 | 17 | ||||
| Real Madrid | 2010–11 | La Liga | 36 | 6 | 6 | 3 | — | 11[d] | 1 | — | 53 | 10 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 35 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 2 | 2[g] | 1 | 52 | 7 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 32 | 9 | 8 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 1 | 2[g] | 0 | 52 | 10 | ||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 105 | 19 | 19 | 3 | — | 31 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 159 | 27 | |||
| Arsenal | 2013–14 | Premier League | 26 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 1 | — | 40 | 7 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 22 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 5 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[d] | 2 | 1[h] | 0 | 45 | 8 | |
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 33 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[d] | 4 | — | 44 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7[f] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 5 | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[f] | 1 | — | 35 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 184 | 33 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 48 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 254 | 44 | ||
| Fenerbahçe | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | Süper Lig | 22 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[f] | 1 | — | 26 | 9 | |||
| Total | 32 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 37 | 9 | ||||
| İstanbul Başakşehir | 2022–23 | Süper Lig | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[i] | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 427 | 73 | 50 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 116 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 605 | 98 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2009 | 7 | 1 |
| 2010 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 9 | 5 | |
| 2012 | 13 | 6 | |
| 2013 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2014 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2017 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 92 | 23 | |
- Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Özil goal.[7]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 September 2009 | BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany |  South Africa | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 23 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa |  Ghana | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 3 | 8 October 2010 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany |  Turkey | 2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 4 | 7 June 2011 | Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan |  Azerbaijan | 1–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 5 | 2 September 2011 | Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany |  Austria | 2–0 | 6–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 6 | 4–1 | |||||
| 7 | 11 October 2011 | Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany |  Belgium | 1–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 8 | 15 November 2011 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany |  Netherlands | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 28 June 2012 | National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland |  Italy | 1–2 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 |
| 10 | 7 September 2012 | AWD-Arena, Hanover, Germany |  Faroe Islands | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 3–0 | |||||
| 12 | 11 September 2012 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria | Austria | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 12 October 2012 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |  Republic of Ireland | 3–0 | 6–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 16 October 2012 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany |  Sweden | 4–0 | 4–4 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 10 September 2013 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 11 October 2013 | Rhein-Energie Stadion, Cologne, Germany | Republic of Ireland | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17 | 15 October 2013 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | Sweden | 1–2 | 5–3 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 30 June 2014 | Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil |  Algeria | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
| 19 | 29 March 2016 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | Italy | 4–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 20 | 2 July 2016 | Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France | Italy | 1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 |
| 21 | 31 August 2016 | Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany |  Finland | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 22 | 4 September 2017 | Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany |  Norway | 1–0 | 6–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 2 June 2018 | Wörtherseestadion, Klagenfurt, Austria | Austria | 1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
Honours
Werder Bremen
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2011–12[11]
- Copa del Rey: 2010–11;[12] runner-up: 2012–13[13]
- Supercopa de España: 2012[14]
Arsenal
- FA Cup: 2013–14,[15] 2014–15,[16] 2016–17,[17] 2019–20
- FA Community Shield: 2015[18]
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2017–18[19]
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2018–19[20]
Germany U21
Germany
- FIFA World Cup: 2014;[22] third place: 2010[23]
Individual
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2008–09[24]
- kicker Attacking Midfielder of the Year: 2010[25]
- Most assists in the Premier League: 2015–16[26]
- German Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016[27][28]
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012[29]
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2012, 2013[30][31]
- Laureus Media Award: 2014[32][33]
- PFA Fans Player of the Month: April, November & December 2015[34][35]
- German Football Ambassador Public Award: 2015[36]
- Arsenal Player of the Season: 2015–16[37]
- kicker Best German Abroad: 2016[38]
