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. Known for his ball control, technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation.

Born and raised in Gelsenkirchen, Özil began his senior club career playing for hometown club Schalke 04, before signing with Werder Bremen in 2008, aged 19. Özil established himself as one of Germany's most promising players at Werder Bremen, helping the club win the DFB-Pokal and reach the 2009 UEFA Cup final in his debut season. His performances earned him a move to Real Madrid in 2010. There, he won the 2010–11 Copa del Rey before helping the club win the 2011–12 La Liga title with a then-record 100 points. He was named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2012 and 2013.

In 2013, Özil joined Arsenal for a fee of up to £42.5 million (€50 million), becoming the most expensive German player in history and Arsenal's record signing at the time. He made over 250 appearances for the club and helped end its nine-year trophy drought by winning the 2013–14 FA Cup, before adding two more FA Cups. In 2015–16, he recorded 19 assists in the Premier League, nearly matching the competition's single-season record, as Arsenal challenged for the league title. In 2021, Özil joined Fenerbahçe on a free transfer; after his contract with the club was terminated in 2022, he signed with İstanbul Başakşehir, before retiring in 2023.

A German international for over nine years, Özil holds the record for the most German national team Player of the Year awards (five). He made his senior debut for the Germany national team in 2009 at age 20, and appeared in five major tournaments. He was the top assist provider at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, where he helped Germany twice reach the semi-final. Özil helped Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but retired from international competition in 2018, alleging what he saw as discrimination and disrespect by the German Football Association (DFB) and German media.