Joshua Kimmich facts for kids
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Kimmich in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Joshua Walter Kimmich | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 February 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rottweil, Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right-back, midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Bayern Munich | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | VfB Bösingen | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2013 | VfB Stuttgart | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | RB Leipzig | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | RB Leipzig | 53 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015– | Bayern Munich | 295 | (29) | |||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Germany U17 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Germany U18 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Germany U19 | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Germany U21 | 14 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | Germany | 101 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:21, 17 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:31, 8 June 2025 (UTC) |
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Joshua Walter Kimmich (born February 8, 1995) is a German professional footballer. He plays as a right-back or defensive midfielder for Bayern Munich. He is also the captain of the Germany national team. Many people think he is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is known for being able to play in many different positions. He is also known for his strong play and ability to create chances for his team. Some have compared him to former Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm.
Kimmich started his career in the youth academy of RB Leipzig. He began playing for their main team in 2013. Two years later, he joined Bayern Munich. In the 2019–20 season, Kimmich helped Bayern Munich win the treble. This means they won three major trophies in one season. After this, he was named in the UEFA Team of the Year and the FIFA FIFPro Men's World11. He was also chosen as the UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season.
Contents
Club Career
Early Football Days
Joshua Kimmich played youth football for VfB Stuttgart. In July 2013, he joined RB Leipzig. He made his first professional appearance for Leipzig on September 28, 2013. He scored his first goal on November 30, 2013. He finished the 2013–14 season with one goal in 26 games.
In the 2014–15 season, Kimmich scored his first goal on March 1, 2015. He ended that season with two goals in 29 games. Overall, he scored three goals in 53 league games for RB Leipzig.
Joining Bayern Munich
On January 2, 2015, Kimmich agreed to join Bayern Munich. He signed a five-year contract. He played his first game for Bayern on August 9, 2015. This was in a cup match against FC Nöttingen. His Bundesliga debut came on September 12, 2015, against FC Augsburg. Four days later, he played his first UEFA Champions League game. He played the full 90 minutes in his first Bundesliga start on September 19, 2015.
Kimmich played 23 league games in his first season with Bayern. He also played the full 120 minutes in Bayern's cup final win against Borussia Dortmund in May 2016.
Kimmich started the 2016–17 season by playing in the 2016 DFL-Supercup. He scored his first goal for Bayern on September 9, 2016, against FC Schalke 04. Four days later, he scored two goals in the Champions League against FC Rostov. He finished the 2016–17 season with nine goals in 40 games.
Becoming a Key Player
After Philipp Lahm retired, Kimmich started playing as a right-back. He helped Bayern win the 2017 DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund. On September 16, 2017, he made three assists in a 4–0 win against 1. FSV Mainz 05. In March 2018, Kimmich signed a new contract until June 2023. He scored in both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. However, Bayern was knocked out of the competition. Kimmich finished the 2017–18 season with six goals and 17 assists in 47 games.
On August 12, 2018, Kimmich played in the 2018 DFL-Supercup. Bayern won 5–0 against Eintracht Frankfurt. He played in every single minute of all 34 Bundesliga matches that season. He scored two goals and had 13 assists. On August 14, 2020, Kimmich scored one goal and assisted another in an 8–2 win against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final. On August 23, 2020, Kimmich made an important assist for the winning goal in the Champions League final. This helped Bayern win their first Champions League title with him.
Recent Seasons
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Kimmich started the 2020–21 season wearing the number 6 shirt. He also moved to play as a defensive midfielder. On September 30, 2020, he scored the winning goal in a 3–2 win against Borussia Dortmund in the 2020 DFL-Supercup. On October 27, he scored the winning goal in a Champions League game against Lokomotiv Moscow.
On August 23, 2021, Kimmich signed a new contract with Bayern until 2025. On January 24, 2023, he scored a goal from far away to tie the game 1–1 against 1. FC Köln in the last minute.
On October 28, 2023, he received his first red card in a senior game. On April 17, 2024, Kimmich scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Arsenal. This helped Bayern reach the semi-finals of the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League. In the second half of the 2023–24 season, he played as a right-back again.
On March 13, 2025, Kimmich extended his contract with Bayern until 2029.
International Career
On May 17, 2016, Kimmich was chosen for Germany's team for UEFA Euro 2016. He made his first international appearance on May 29, 2016, in a friendly game against Slovakia. On June 21, Kimmich started for Germany in their final group match against Northern Ireland. He played as the first-choice right-back as Germany reached the semi-finals. He was also named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament.
On September 4, 2016, Kimmich scored his first goal for the Germany national team. This was in a 3–0 win against Norway. On May 17, 2017, Kimmich was part of Germany's team for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored a great goal against Denmark in a friendly game on June 6, 2017.
On June 4, 2018, Kimmich was selected for Germany's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He played his first World Cup game against Mexico on June 17, 2018. On September 6, 2018, Kimmich started playing as a defensive midfielder for Germany.
He was selected for the UEFA Euro 2020 squad on May 19, 2021. On June 4, 2022, he scored a goal in a 1–1 draw against Italy. Ten days later, he scored again in a 5–2 win against the same team. On November 10, 2022, he was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
On June 7, 2024, Kimmich was named in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. In September 2024, he became the captain of the German national team.
On June 4, 2025, Kimmich played his 100th game for the German national team against Portugal. In this game, he assisted Florian Wirtz's goal.
How Joshua Kimmich Plays
People often praise Kimmich for being able to play in many different positions. He is good at both attacking and defending. He is also described as a smart player with good technical skills. He is quick and agile, and he always wants to win.
He has been called a "Swiss Army knife of a player" because he can play so many roles. His former coach, Pep Guardiola, once called him "one of the best defensive midfielders in the world." Kimmich has also played as a centre-back, a central midfielder, or a deep-lying playmaker. This is because he can control the game from the middle of the field. Guardiola also said that Kimmich is very intelligent and aggressive when trying to win the ball. He is strong in the air and has great vision on the field.
Amin Younes has also praised Kimmich's defensive skills. He said Kimmich is excellent at winning the ball back. Experts have compared his playing style to other famous players like İlkay Gündoğan and Philipp Lahm. Kimmich is known for his good timing in tackles. He can also dribble well and works very hard.
Kimmich is comfortable with the ball and is known for his accurate passing and crossing. He can also shoot the ball well. Kimmich has said that Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xabi Alonso, and Xavi are some of his inspirations.
Personal Life
Joshua Kimmich married his long-time girlfriend, Lina Meyer, in 2022. They have four children. Their first child, a son, was born in 2019. A daughter was born in October 2020. Their third child was born in 2022, and their fourth in 2024.
Outside Football
Kimmich started an online project called "We Kick Corona" with his Bayern Munich teammate Leon Goretzka. This project helps charities and medical groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kimmich later decided to get vaccinated against COVID. He publicly stated he regretted his earlier hesitation.
In March 2023, he appeared in the German crime TV series Tatort.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | DFB-Pokal | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| RB Leipzig | 2013–14 | 3. Liga | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | 2. Bundesliga | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 2 | |||
| Total | 53 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 55 | 3 | |||
| Bayern Munich | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 27 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 9 | |
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 29 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 6 | |
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 34 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 2 | |
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 33 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 7 | |
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 6 | |
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 3 | |
| 2022–23 | Bundesliga | 33 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 7 | |
| 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 | |
| 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 57 | 3 | |
| Total | 295 | 29 | 38 | 3 | 96 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 454 | 45 | ||
| Career total | 348 | 31 | 40 | 3 | 96 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 501 | 48 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2016 | 11 | 1 |
| 2017 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 15 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 101 | 8 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 2016 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway | 7 |  Norway |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 6 June 2017 | Brøndby Stadium, Brøndbyvester, Denmark | 14 |  Denmark |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 5 October 2017 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 23 |  Northern Ireland |
3–0 | 3–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 4 June 2022 | Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy | 65 |  Italy |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 5 | 14 June 2022 | Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany | 68 | 1–0 | 5–2 | ||
| 6 | 12 June 2023 | Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany | 77 |  Ukraine |
3–3 | 3–3 | Friendly |
| 7 | 10 September 2024 | Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 93 |  Netherlands |
2–1 | 2–2 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
| 8 | 23 March 2025 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany | 99 | Italy |
1–0 | 3–3 |
Awards and Trophies
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024–25
- DFB-Pokal: 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20
- DFL-Supercup: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022
- UEFA Champions League: 2019–20
- UEFA Super Cup: 2020
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2020
Germany U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2014
Germany
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2017
Individual Awards
- Fritz Walter Medal U19 Bronze: 2014
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016
- UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2016
- Germany national Player of the Year: 2017, 2021
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2017–18, 2019–20
- UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season: 2019–20
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2020
- FIFA FIFPro World11: 2020
- FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball: 2020
- ESM Team of the Year: 2018–19
- Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2024–25
- VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024–25
- Bundesliga Goal of the Month: May 2020, September 2020, December 2024
- IFFHS Men's World Team: 2020
See also
In Spanish: Joshua Kimmich para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
