Marco Reus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marco Reus

Reus for Dortmund in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(1989-05-31) 31 May 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	Dortmund, West Germany
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Attacking midfielder, winger, false nine
Club information
Current club	LA Galaxy
Number	18
Youth career
1994–1996	Post SV Dortmund
1996–2006	Borussia Dortmund
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2007	Rot Weiss Ahlen II	6	(3)
2007–2009	Rot Weiss Ahlen	43	(5)
2009–2012	Borussia Mönchengladbach	97	(36)
2012–2024	Borussia Dortmund	294	(120)
2024–	LA Galaxy	6	(1)
National team
2009	Germany U21	2	(0)
2011–2021	Germany	48	(15)
Honours Men's football Representing  Germany UEFA European Championship Bronze 2012
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 03:50, 20 October 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Marco Reus (born 31 May 1989) is a German professional footballer. He plays as a forward for the Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy. Many people think Reus is one of the best players ever for Borussia Dortmund. He is known for being good at many things, like his speed and great skills with the ball.

Reus started playing football in the youth teams at Borussia Dortmund. Later, he moved to Rot Weiss Ahlen. In 2009, he joined Borussia Mönchengladbach. His best season there was in 2012. He scored 18 goals and helped his team get into the UEFA Champions League.

After the 2011–12 season, Reus went back to his hometown club, Borussia Dortmund. With Dortmund, he won the DFB-Pokal twice, in 2017 and 2021. He also won the DFL-Supercup in 2013, 2014, and 2019. Reus played in two Champions League finals with Dortmund, in 2013 and 2024. He was the team's captain from 2018 to 2023. Reus scored over 150 goals for Dortmund. He is one of only three players to have 100 goals and 100 assists for the club in the Bundesliga. He was named German Footballer of the Year twice. He also won Bundesliga Player of the Season three times.

In August 2024, Reus joined the US-American club LA Galaxy. This was after his contract with Dortmund ended. He left Dortmund after 12 years. Just four months after joining Galaxy, Reus helped them win their first trophies.

Reus has played 48 games for the German national team. He played in two big tournaments: Euro 2012 and the World Cup 2018. However, he missed several other major tournaments because of injuries. This included the 2014 World Cup, which Germany won.

Playing for Clubs

Starting Out: Rot Weiss Ahlen

Reus was born in Dortmund, Germany. He began playing football in 1994 for a local club called Post SV Dortmund. In 1996, he joined the youth teams of Borussia Dortmund. He played there until 2006, when he moved to the U-19 team of Rot Weiss Ahlen.

In his first year at Ahlen, he played as an attacking midfielder. He scored goals in his first two games for the club's second team. The next year, he joined Ahlen's main team. They played in the German third division. He helped the team get promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. In the 2008–09 season, when he was 19, Reus became a key player. He played 27 games and scored four goals.

Moving to Borussia Mönchengladbach

Reus playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2009

On 25 May 2009, Reus signed a four-year contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach, a club in the Bundesliga. He scored his first Bundesliga goal on 28 August. It was an amazing goal after he ran 50 meters with the ball. He became a top goalscorer for the club.

In the 2011–12 season, Reus started very strong. He scored 10 goals in his first 13 matches. This included his first ever Bundesliga hat-trick in a 5–0 win against Werder Bremen.

Returning Home: Borussia Dortmund

First Seasons (2012–2014)

On 4 January 2012, Reus signed with his old club, Borussia Dortmund. He said he wanted to play for a club that could win the league and play in the Champions League. He officially rejoined Dortmund on 1 July.

In his first league game for Dortmund on 24 August, he scored a goal. Dortmund won 2–1 against Werder Bremen. On 29 September, Reus scored two goals against his former club, Mönchengladbach. Dortmund won 5–0.

In the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League, Reus scored in a 1–1 draw against Manchester City. He also scored a fantastic goal against Real Madrid in a 2–2 draw. On 21 November, Reus scored in a 4–1 win over Ajax. This helped Dortmund qualify for the next round of the Champions League.

On 16 February 2013, Reus scored three goals in a game against Eintracht Frankfurt. On 9 April 2013, he scored a very important goal in injury time against Malaga. This helped Dortmund win 3–2 and reach the Champions League semi-finals. They then beat Real Madrid to reach the final. In the final against Bayern Munich, Reus helped Dortmund get a penalty. But Bayern won the trophy in the end.

On 27 July 2013, Reus scored two goals in the 2013 DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich. Borussia Dortmund won 4–2 and lifted the trophy. He continued to score many goals in the 2013–14 season. On 29 March 2014, he scored three goals against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Reus finished that season with 23 goals and 18 assists.

Injuries and Trophies (2014–2017)

Reus playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2014

At the start of the 2014–15 season, Reus had an ankle injury. When he returned, he scored a goal and assisted another against FC Augsburg. He also scored in a Champions League game against Galatasaray. In November 2014, he got another injury that kept him out until January 2015. On 10 February, Reus signed a new contract with Dortmund until 2019. Dortmund reached the DFB-Pokal final but lost to Wolfsburg.

In the 2015–16 season, Reus scored a hat-trick in a 7–2 win against Odds BK in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League. Dortmund were knocked out of the Europa League by Liverpool in a close game. Reus scored 23 goals and made 8 assists in 43 games that season.

After another injury, Reus returned on 22 November 2016. He scored two goals and assisted one in a huge 8–4 Champions League win against Legia Warsaw. He also scored a late goal against Real Madrid, helping Dortmund win their Champions League group. In the 2017 DFB-Pokal Final, Reus got injured again. But Dortmund won the match, giving Reus his first big trophy!

Captain and Milestones (2018–2024)

Reus with Borussia Dortmund in 2018

Reus came back from injury on 10 February 2018. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against his old club, Borussia Mönchengladbach. On 9 March, he extended his contract with Dortmund until 2023. He finished the season with 7 goals in 15 games.

Before the 2018–19 season, Reus became the club captain. On 21 August 2018, he scored the winning goal in extra time in a cup match. He scored his 100th Bundesliga goal in a 4–1 win over RB Leipzig. On 27 September, he scored his 100th goal for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions. This was in a huge 7–0 win.

On 10 November 2018, Reus scored two goals in the "Der Klassiker" match against Bayern Munich. Dortmund won 3–2 and stayed at the top of the league. He finished the season with 21 goals and 14 assists. He was voted the Germany Footballer of the Year in 2019.

Reus playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2021

At the start of the 2019–20 season, Reus and his team beat Bayern Munich 2–0 in the 2019 DFL-Supercup. He scored 12 goals in 26 games that season, but a muscle injury kept him out for the rest of it.

On 6 April 2021, Reus scored against Manchester City in the Champions League. This made him Dortmund's all-time top scorer in the Champions League with 18 goals. He won the DFB-Pokal again that season, beating RB Leipzig 4–1.

On 13 February 2022, Reus scored his 150th goal for Borussia Dortmund. On 18 March 2023, he scored two goals against 1. FC Köln. This made him the second-highest goalscorer for his club in the Bundesliga. On 27 April, Reus signed a new contract until 2024. That season, Dortmund almost won the Bundesliga title. They finished with the same points as Bayern, but Bayern won because of goal difference.

On 6 July 2023, Reus decided to step down as club captain. On 1 November, he scored the winning goal in a cup match against TSG Hoffenheim. Three days later, Reus played his 400th game for Borussia Dortmund. He is only the sixth player to reach this milestone.

On 1 May 2024, Reus helped Dortmund win 1–0 against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final. Two days later, he announced he would leave Dortmund at the end of the season. In his last home game, he scored a free-kick goal and made an assist. On 1 June, he played his last game for Dortmund in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. Dortmund lost 2–0. He ended his final season with nine goals and seven assists.

New Adventure: LA Galaxy

On 15 August 2024, the Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy announced they had signed Reus. He chose to wear the number 18 shirt. He made his first game for LA Galaxy on 24 August against Atlanta United. He scored a goal and made an assist, earning him the "Player of the Match" award.

On 30 November 2024, Reus helped LA Galaxy win the MLS Western Conference final against Seattle Sounders. This sent them to the MLS Cup final. On 7 December 2024, Reus and his team won the MLS Cup for the first time in ten years. This was Reus's first league title in his professional career!

Playing for Germany

Reus with Germany in 2012

On 11 August 2009, Reus played his first game for the Germany under-21 team. In May 2010, he was called up to the senior team. But he had to miss the 2010 FIFA World Cup because of a leg injury.

On 7 October 2011, he played his first game for the senior team against Turkey. He scored his first goal for Germany on 26 May 2012 against Switzerland. On 22 June, he scored in a 4–2 win against Greece in the UEFA Euro 2012 quarter-final. Germany reached the semi-finals and won a bronze medal.

Reus was a regular player for Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification. He scored five goals. He was chosen for the World Cup finals squad. But he got an ankle injury just before the tournament. He missed out on being part of the team that won the World Cup in 2014.

He returned to play for Germany on 3 September 2014 against Argentina. He continued to play in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. However, he missed the Euro 2016 tournament due to another injury.

On 2 June 2018, Reus played for Germany again after two years. He was part of Germany's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On 17 June, he made his World Cup debut against Mexico. On 23 June, Reus started and scored his first World Cup goal against Sweden. Germany won 2–1. But Germany was knocked out of the tournament after losing to South Korea.

In May 2021, Reus decided not to play in the UEFA Euro 2020 due to being tired after the season. In November 2022, he missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup because of an ankle injury. He was interested in playing in UEFA Euro 2024 at home in Germany. But he was not chosen for the final squad. His last game for the national team was on 11 November 2021, a 9–0 win against Liechtenstein.

How Marco Reus Plays

Reus is known for being very good at many things on the field. He is fast, quick, and has great technical skills. He is also smart and can shoot well. However, he has had many injuries during his career.

In 2012, famous footballer Franz Beckenbauer said Reus and Mario Götze were a perfect duo. Reus was voted the Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 2012 and 2019. He was also named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2013.

Reus is great at moving without the ball and scoring goals with both feet. He is also good at taking free kicks. He works hard and passes the ball very accurately. He has good vision, which means he can see chances to create goals for his teammates.

Reus can play in many attacking positions. He can play as a second striker, a central striker, or a winger on either side. He prefers playing on the left side so he can shoot with his stronger right foot. He can also play as a central attacking midfielder. Besides his skills, Reus is also known for his leadership. He was the captain of Borussia Dortmund for many years.

Personal Life

Marco Reus is named after the famous Dutch football player, Marco van Basten. Reus said his parents were going to name him 'Dennis'. But they changed their minds after Van Basten scored a famous goal in the Euro 1988 final.

Reus started dating German model Scarlett Gartmann in December 2015. They had their first child in March 2019 and got married later that year. Their second child was born in January 2024.

Reus once said that if he wasn't a football player, he would want to be a pilot. He was the cover athlete for the video game FIFA 17. In March 2020, Reus and his wife donated €500,000 to help people and small businesses in his hometown of Dortmund during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Reus goal

List of international goals scored by Marco Reus

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 May 2012	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	Switzerland	3–5	3–5	Friendly
2	22 June 2012	PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland	Greece	4–1	4–2	UEFA Euro 2012
3	11 September 2012	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–0	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	12 October 2012	Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland	Republic of Ireland	1–0	6–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
5				2–0
6	26 March 2013	Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany	Kazakhstan	1–0	4–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
7				4–1
8	25 March 2015	Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany	Australia	1–0	2–2	Friendly
9	29 March 2015	Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia	Georgia	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
10	23 June 2018	Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia	Sweden	1–1	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup
11	8 June 2019	Borisov Arena, Barysaw, Belarus	Belarus	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
12	11 June 2019	Opel Arena, Mainz, Germany	Estonia	1–0	8–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
13				5–0
14	5 September 2021	Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany	Armenia	3–0	6–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
15	11 November 2021	Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany	Liechtenstein	4–0	9–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Awards and Achievements

Rot Weiss Ahlen

• Regionalliga Nord: 2007–08 (promoted)

Borussia Dortmund

• DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2016–17, 2020–21
• DFL-Supercup (German Supercup): 2013, 2019
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2012–13, 2023–24

LA Galaxy

• MLS Cup: 2024
• Western Conference (MLS): 2024

Germany National Team

• UEFA European Championship bronze: 2012

Individual Awards

• VDV Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19
• Bundesliga Breakthrough of the Season: 2011–12
• Bundesliga top assist provider: 2013–14
• Bundesliga Player of the Month: September 2018, November 2018, December 2018
• Bundesliga Goal of the Month: November 2018, February 2023, May 2024
• Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19
• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19
• Footballer of the Year in Germany: 2012, 2019
• Germany national Player of the Year: 2018
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2013
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2013–14
• Borussia Dortmund Player of the Year: 2013–14
• Goal of the Month (Germany): January 2012, June 2012, September 2012
• ESM Team of the Season: 2018–19

Images for kids

• 

  Reus playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2013

See also

In Spanish: Marco Reus para niños