Julian Draxler facts for kids
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Draxler playing for Germany in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Julian Draxler | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 September 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gladbeck, Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, winger | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Al Ahli | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | BV Rentfort | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | SSV Buer 07/28 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2011 | Schalke 04 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Schalke 04 | 119 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | VfL Wolfsburg | 34 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2023 | Paris Saint-Germain | 131 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Benfica (loan) | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Al Ahli | 29 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Germany U18 | 8 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Germany U19 | 2 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Germany U21 | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2022 | Germany | 58 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 05:36, 5 May 2025 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Julian Draxler (born on September 20, 1993) is a German professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for the Qatar Stars League club Al Ahli.
Draxler started his career at Schalke 04 in Germany. He made his first team debut at just 17 years old in January 2011. In May of that year, he scored the first goal in the DFB-Pokal final, helping his team win the cup. He played 171 matches for Schalke, scoring 30 goals.
In 2015, he moved to VfL Wolfsburg. Then, in January 2017, he joined Paris Saint-Germain in France.
Julian Draxler has also played for the German national team many times. He was part of the squad that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also captained the team that won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he was named the best player.
Contents
Julian Draxler's Club Journey
Starting at Schalke 04
Draxler made his first appearance in the Bundesliga (Germany's top football league) on January 15, 2011. He was only 17 years old, making him one of the youngest players ever in the league. A week later, he became the second-youngest field player to start a Bundesliga match.
On January 25, 2011, Draxler scored his first goal for Schalke 04 in a cup match against 1. FC Nürnberg. He scored in the last moments of extra time, securing a 3–2 win for his club. On April 1, 2011, he scored his first Bundesliga goal. He also scored the opening goal in the 2011 DFB-Pokal final, which Schalke won 5–0.
In the 2011–12 season, Draxler helped Schalke finish third in the Bundesliga. This meant they qualified for the Champions League. He played in 30 out of 34 league matches.
The next season, Draxler continued to be a key player. He scored important goals, including two in a 4–1 win against VfL Wolfsburg. He also scored in a 2–1 victory over rivals Borussia Dortmund. This match made him Schalke's youngest player to reach 100 competitive games. He finished the season as Schalke's joint top scorer in the Bundesliga with ten goals.
In May 2013, Draxler signed a new contract with Schalke until June 2018. He scored a crucial goal in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League against Basel, helping Schalke top their group. He also scored in the final group stage match, sending Schalke into the knockout rounds.
He played for Schalke until August 2015. His last match for the club was a 3–0 loss to VfL Wolfsburg, the team he would soon join.
Moving to VfL Wolfsburg
On August 31, 2015, Draxler joined VfL Wolfsburg on a five-year deal. He scored his first goal for Wolfsburg on September 15, 2015, in a Champions League match against CSKA Moscow. On October 31, he scored his first Bundesliga goal for the team.
In the Champions League knockout stage, Draxler scored twice against Gent, helping Wolfsburg reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. Despite this, some reports suggested he struggled to fit in with the team.
Before the 2016–17 season, Draxler said he wanted to leave Wolfsburg. Even though clubs like Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain were interested, he couldn't find a new team that summer. When he returned to play for Wolfsburg, fans booed him. He later described this period as the "worst first half of a season of my career."
Joining Paris Saint-Germain
On December 24, 2016, it was announced that Draxler would join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. The transfer was completed on January 3, 2017.
On January 7, Draxler made his first appearance for PSG in a Coupe de France match. He scored the last goal in a big 7–0 win. Seven days later, he played his first Ligue 1 match and scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. On February 1, he scored two more goals in the Coupe de France.
On February 14, Draxler scored in his first Champions League game for PSG, a 4–0 home win against Barcelona. He also scored in a 5–1 win against rivals Marseille. On April 1, Draxler scored the first goal in PSG's 4–1 win over Monaco in the 2017 Coupe de la Ligue final.
Between 2018 and 2020, Draxler won many titles with PSG, including three Ligue 1 championships. He also played in the 2020 UEFA Champions League final, where PSG lost to Bayern Munich.
He scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season on September 16, 2020. In May 2021, he extended his contract with PSG until 2024.
Loan to Benfica
On September 1, 2022, Draxler joined Benfica in Portugal on a loan for one season. He made his debut nine days later and scored his first goal on September 18 in a 5–0 win.
Playing for Al Ahli
On September 16, 2023, Draxler moved to Doha, Qatar, to join the Qatar Stars League club Al Ahli. Two days later, he signed a two-year contract with the team.
Julian Draxler's International Career
On August 9, 2011, Draxler scored in his first game for the Germany under-21 team. On May 7, 2012, he was called up to the senior German national team squad for UEFA Euro 2012. He made his debut on May 26, 2012, in a match against Switzerland. His first goal for the national team was on June 2, 2013, in a friendly game against the United States.
On May 13, 2014, Draxler was the captain for Germany in a friendly match against Poland. In June 2014, he was chosen for Germany's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in the semi-final match where Germany famously beat Brazil 7–1. On July 13, he was an unused substitute as Germany won the World Cup by defeating Argentina.
Draxler played in four of Germany's six matches at UEFA Euro 2016. He was named the best player in the match against Slovakia, where he scored a goal and helped Germany win 3–0.
Draxler was made captain of a young German squad for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored a penalty in the team's first match, a 3–2 win against Australia. After Germany won the tournament, Draxler received the Golden Ball award for being the best player.
On June 4, 2018, Germany's manager Joachim Löw included Draxler in the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Draxler played in the opening match against Mexico and in a win against Sweden. However, Germany was knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup.
Draxler was not part of Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2020.
How Julian Draxler Plays
Julian Draxler is known for his speed and skill when facing opponents one-on-one. He can use both feet well. He usually plays as a winger on the left side, but he can also play on the right or as an attacking midfielder. When he was younger at Schalke 04, he often played as an attacking midfielder, which he enjoyed the most. Draxler is also known for having a very powerful shot.
In January 2014, The Observer newspaper named Draxler as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe.
FIFA's official website describes Draxler as "tall, fast, with a keen eye for goal, and an exceptional talent in one-on-one situations from his regular position as a left-sided attacking midfielder."
Julian Draxler's Life Off the Field
Julian Draxler was born in Gladbeck, Germany. He went to school in Gladbeck before moving to a special sports school in 2011. Since he was a child, he has been a big fan of Schalke 04, often going to watch their home matches with his father.
Honours and Awards
Julian Draxler has won many titles and awards throughout his career:
With Schalke 04
- DFB-Pokal: 2010–11 (German Cup)
- DFL-Supercup: 2011 (German Supercup)
With Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22 (French League)
- Coupe de France: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21 (French Cup)
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20 (French League Cup)
- Trophée des Champions: 2017, 2020 (French Super Cup)
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2019–20 (European Champions League)
With Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2022–23 (Portuguese League)
With Germany National Team
Individual Awards
- Fritz Walter Medal U18 Gold: 2011 (Award for young German players)
- Sportschau Goal of the Year Award: 2013
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2013–14
- Bundesliga Young Player of the Year: 2013–14
- FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 2017 (Best player of the tournament)
See also
In Spanish: Julian Draxler para niños
