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Mario Götze

Götze with Germany in 2011

Personal information

Full name

Mario Götze

Date of birth

3 June 1992 (age 33)

Place of birth

Memmingen, Germany

Height

1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)

Position(s)

Attacking midfielder, winger, forward

Team information

Current team

Eintracht Frankfurt

Number

Youth career

1995–1998

SC Ronsberg

1998–2001

FC Eintracht Hombruch

2001–2009

Borussia Dortmund

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2009–2013

Borussia Dortmund

(22)

2013–2016

Bayern Munich

(22)

2016–2020

Borussia Dortmund

(14)

2020–2022

PSV Eindhoven

(9)

2022–

Eintracht Frankfurt

(8)

International career^‡

2007

Germany U15

(0)

2007–2008

Germany U16

(3)

2008–2009

Germany U17

(5)

2009

Germany U21

(0)

2010–2023

Germany

(17)

Medal record

Men's football

Representing Germany
FIFA World Cup
Winner	2014 Brazil
UEFA European Championship
Third	2012 Poland-Ukraine	{{{3}}}
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Winner	2009 Germany

*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:08, 17 January 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:36, 25 March 2023 (UTC)

Mario Götze (born on June 3, 1992) is a German professional footballer. He plays for the German club Eintracht Frankfurt and the German national team. Mario Götze is known for playing as an attacking midfielder. He can also play as a winger or a forward.

He played for Borussia Dortmund from 2009 to 2013. During this time, he helped them win the Bundesliga title in 2010–11. They also won both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal in 2011–12. He was part of the team that reached the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. In 2013, Bayern Munich paid €37 million to sign him. This made him one of the most expensive German players at that time.

Mario Götze spent three seasons with Bayern Munich. He won three more league titles and two DFB-Pokal trophies. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. In 2016, he went back to Borussia Dortmund. There, he won another DFB-Pokal title and a DFL-Supercup.

Götze was first chosen to play for the German national team in 2010 when he was just 18. He was part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2012. Two years later, he scored the winning goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, making Germany champions.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Borussia Dortmund

Starting Out Strong

Mario Götze grew up playing football at Dortmund's youth academy. He joined the club when he was eight years old. He played his first Bundesliga game on November 21, 2009. He came on as a substitute in a match against Mainz 05.

During the 2009–10 season, Dortmund's coach, Jürgen Klopp, moved Götze to the main team. He played five games that season. Götze quickly became an important player for Dortmund. He helped them win the Bundesliga title in the 2010–11 season. He scored eight goals in 41 games that year. In 2010, a German football expert named Matthias Sammer said Götze was "one of the best talents Germany has ever had."

In 2011, Götze played in the German Super Cup, where Dortmund lost to Schalke 04. In January 2012, he had a hip injury. This meant he couldn't play for a while.

Götze playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2013

On March 27, 2012, Götze signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund. It would keep him at the club until 2016. However, his contract had a special rule. Another club could buy him if they paid at least €37 million. Götze said he felt "comfortable" in Dortmund and wanted to be part of the club's growth.

In April 2012, Götze was back in the squad after his hip injury. He played his first game since the injury against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Götze won the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund again in 2012. Dortmund set a new record for points in a season with 81. Götze also won the DFB-Pokal with Dortmund in 2012. They beat their rivals Bayern Munich 5–2. He scored seven goals in all games that season.

2012–13 Season Success

Götze started the 2012–13 season by losing the German Super Cup. But on the first day of the Bundesliga season, he came on as a substitute. He scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against Werder Bremen. On December 19, he scored three goals in a 5–1 win against Hannover 96 in the DFB-Pokal.

On March 5, 2013, Götze scored a goal and set up another. This helped Dortmund beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3–0. Dortmund won 5–2 overall and reached the Champions League quarter-finals. This was the first time in 15 years they had gone so far. Götze missed the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. He got a thigh injury in the semi-final against Real Madrid. Dortmund lost the final 2–1.

In his last season at Dortmund, Götze played very well with his German teammate Marco Reus. Götze scored 16 goals in all competitions that season.

Moving to Bayern Munich

Joining the Rivals

On April 23, 2013, it was announced that Götze would join Bayern Munich on July 1, 2013. Bayern had used the special rule in his contract, paying €37 million. This made Götze the most expensive German player ever at that time. Later, Mesut Özil broke this record.

Dortmund's coach, Jürgen Klopp, said Götze wanted to play for Bayern's coach, Pep Guardiola. Klopp was annoyed that the news came out just before Dortmund's Champions League semi-final. He said Dortmund couldn't convince Götze to stay because he was a "Pep Guardiola favourite."

2013–14 Season with Bayern

Götze playing for Bayern Munich in 2013

On August 11, 2013, Götze played his first game for Bayern Munich. He came on as a substitute and scored two goals. Bayern won 4–1 in a friendly match. He played his first league game for Bayern on August 24. Bayern won 2–0 against 1. FC Nürnberg. On October 19, Götze came on as a substitute and made two assists. This helped Bayern win 4–1 against 1. FSV Mainz 05.

On October 23, Götze scored his first goal for Bayern in a real game. It was in a 5–0 Champions League win against Viktoria Plzeň. He also helped Bastian Schweinsteiger score. On October 26, Götze scored his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern. It was a header in a 3–2 win against Hertha BSC. On November 23, he scored the first goal in a 3–0 win against his old club, Borussia Dortmund. He did not celebrate the goal out of respect for Dortmund fans.

In December, Götze scored a goal and assisted another in a 7–0 win against Werder Bremen. On December 17, he scored a long-range goal against Guangzhou Evergrande. This helped Bayern win 3–0 and reach the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup Final. Bayern won the final 2–0.

On January 24, 2014, Götze scored his first goal of the second half of the season. Bayern won 2–0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. On March 25, he scored in a 3–1 win over Hertha BSC. This game confirmed Bayern as Bundesliga champions. On May 3, 2014, he scored two goals and assisted two more in a 4–1 win against Hamburger SV. On May 17, he played the whole game against Borussia Dortmund in the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final. Bayern won 2–0 in extra time. Götze scored 15 goals in his first season with Bayern.

2014–15 Season

Götze playing for Bayern Münich in 2014

After helping Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Götze started the 2014–15 season. On August 14, 2014, he came on as a substitute in a 2–0 loss against Borussia Dortmund. On August 17, he scored his first goal of the season in a DFB-Pokal win. On August 22, he played in Bayern's first league game against Wolfsburg. On September 23, he scored two goals in Bayern's 4–0 win against SC Paderborn.

On October 18, Götze scored two more goals in a 6–0 win against Werder Bremen. On October 28, FIFA announced that Götze was on the list for the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or award. On November 22, he scored a great long-range goal against Hoffenheim. It was later voted the Bundesliga goal of the week. On February 14, 2015, Götze scored two goals and assisted one in an 8–0 win against Hamburger SV.

On April 28, 2015, Götze missed a penalty kick. Bayern lost to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-final. Some people, like Franz Beckenbauer, criticized Götze for not playing well. But his teammate Arjen Robben supported him. Robben said that criticism can help a player grow stronger. Götze finished the season with 15 goals in 48 games.

2015–16 Season

On August 1, 2015, Götze started his season by coming on as a substitute. On August 9, 2015, he scored a goal in Bayern's 3–1 DFB-Pokal win. In the next four games, he didn't have a big impact. On September 16, Götze came on as a substitute and scored a goal against Olympiacos. Bayern won 3–0 in the Champions League. After the game, coach Pep Guardiola praised Götze.

On September 22, 2015, Götze helped set up a goal in Bayern's 5–1 win against Wolfsburg. On September 29, he scored a goal against Dinamo Zagreb. Bayern won 5–0. On October 4, Götze scored and assisted a goal against Borussia Dortmund. Bayern won 5–1. He scored six goals in 21 games during the 2015–16 season.

Back to Borussia Dortmund

2016–17 Season

On July 21, 2016, Götze confirmed he was returning to Dortmund. He signed a four-year contract. He said he regretted leaving for Bayern Munich three years earlier. On September 11, 2016, Götze played his first official game back for Dortmund. They lost 1–0 to RB Leipzig. Even with the loss, people thought he played well. Three days later, he scored his first goal for Dortmund since his return. It was the first goal in a big 6–0 win against Legia Warszawa in the Champions League.

After some time getting used to Dortmund's style again, Götze found his form. On November 20, 2016, he helped Dortmund beat Bayern Munich 1–0. He assisted the only goal of the game. Almost a month later, he scored his first Bundesliga goal since returning to Dortmund. It was in a 2–2 draw against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. In February 2017, Götze had to stop playing. He was diagnosed with a metabolic illness called myopathy. This muscle disorder can cause tiredness and weight gain. It explained some of his fitness problems. He scored two goals in 16 games that season.

2017–18 Season

After his illness, Götze returned to play on July 14, 2017. Dortmund won a friendly match 3–2. On August 19, 2017, he started his first game in seven months. Dortmund won 3–0 against VfL Wolfsburg. He assisted a goal and worked hard. Dortmund's coach, Peter Bosz, praised Götze's performance. He said they needed to be careful with him as he fully recovered. Götze scored two goals in 32 games that season.

2018–19 Season

On February 9, 2019, Götze scored his 50th Bundesliga goal in a 3–3 draw with Hoffenheim. This meant he had never lost a match in which he scored, a record of 43 games.

2019–20 Season

On the first day of the 2019–20 Bundesliga season, Götze played his 200th game for Dortmund. He came on as a substitute in a 5–1 win against Augsburg.

On May 23, 2020, Borussia Dortmund announced that Götze would leave the club at the end of the season. His last game for the team was a 1–0 loss against Bayern Munich. He said goodbye to the club at the Westfalenstadion before Dortmund's final match.

Playing for PSV Eindhoven

On October 6, 2020, Götze joined PSV in the Netherlands for free. He signed a two-year deal. Götze scored in his first game for PSV. It was a 3–0 win against PEC Zwolle on October 18. A German sports magazine called kicker said Götze was the best player in the Eredivisie after his first few months. However, injuries affected his season.

On July 21, 2021, Götze scored two goals against Galatasaray in a Champions League qualifying game. On August 7, Götze scored in a 4–0 win against Ajax in the 2021 Johan Cruyff Shield. This win ended Ajax's 17-game unbeaten run.

On September 6, 2021, Götze signed a new contract with PSV. It would keep him at the club until 2024.

Playing for Eintracht Frankfurt

On June 21, 2022, Götze signed a three-year contract with Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.

International Career

Early Years with Germany

Götze lining up for Germany with Jérôme Boateng (centre) and Mesut Özil (right) in 2011

Mario Götze played for several German youth teams. He was then called up for his first senior match for Germany on November 17, 2010. He made his debut that day against Sweden. He came on as a substitute and became the youngest German player to play for the national team since Uwe Seeler. Götze and André Schürrle were the first German players born after Germany was reunified. He played his second game for the national team against Italy on February 9, 2011.

Götze scored his first goal for Germany against Brazil on August 10, 2011. He was 19 years and 68 days old. This made him one of the youngest goalscorers for Germany in the post-war era. He was chosen for the 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2012 on May 28, 2012. Götze played his first game in the tournament in a 4–2 win against Greece.

2014 World Cup Victory

Götze beats Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero to score the winning goal for Germany as Ezequiel Garay (left) and Martín Demichelis (centre) look on during the 2014 World Cup Final.

Götze scored four goals during the qualifying games for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was then named in Germany's squad for the main tournament. Götze started the first match against Portugal. He won a penalty kick that led to Germany's first goal. In the second match, he scored the first goal and was named the best player of the match. This was in a 2–2 draw with Ghana. Götze played less in later games, including the wins against the United States, Algeria, and France. He did not play in Germany's huge 7–1 win against Brazil in the semi-finals.

In the World Cup final against Argentina, German coach Joachim Löw brought Götze on as a substitute. He told Götze, "Show the world you are better than Messi and can decide the World Cup." Götze scored the only goal of the match in the 113th minute. He controlled a pass with his chest and then kicked the ball into the net. This gave Germany their fourth World Cup title. He was the first substitute to score a World Cup-winning goal. He was also the youngest player to score in a World Cup Final since 1966. Götze was named the best player of the match.

Euro 2016 and Return to National Team

Götze played in UEFA Euro 2016. He appeared in four matches as Germany reached the semi-finals. He started every group game but played less in the knockout rounds. Some experts criticized his performances. Around this time, Götze was also featured as a collectible Lego minifigure as part of a special series for the German Football Association.

Before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he played in a friendly game against France in November 2017. This was his first national team game in a year. However, he was not chosen for the final World Cup squad.

On November 10, 2022, Götze was named in Germany's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This was a surprise because it marked his return to the national team after five years.

How Mario Götze Plays

Mario Götze can play as a winger on either side of the field. He can also play as an attacking midfielder or a "false 9" (a forward who drops back to help in midfield). Götze was once thought to be one of the best young players in the world. He was fast and had great technique, dribbling skills, and playmaking abilities.

When he first played for Dortmund, coach Jürgen Klopp used Götze in different roles. After Shinji Kagawa left in 2012, Götze became the main attacking midfielder. For the German national team, coach Joachim Löw used Götze in the "false 9" role. More recently, Dortmund coach Lucien Favre also used him in this position.

In 2010, a German football expert named Matthias Sammer called Götze "one of the best talents Germany has ever had." A year later, German football legend Franz Beckenbauer called Götze "German Messi" because of his speed and playing style. However, Götze's speed became less sharp before he reached the usual peak age for a footballer. This was seen as one reason he left Borussia Dortmund for a second time. In 2012, Franz Beckenbauer said that Götze and Marco Reus were a classic and excellent duo.

Life Outside Football

Personal Life and Family

Mario Götze was born in Memmingen, Germany. His father is a professor. Because of his father's work, Götze lived in the United States for 18 months. His older brother, Fabian, also played football. His younger brother, Felix, plays for Rot-Weiss Essen.

Götze married his wife, Ann-Kathrin Brömmel, in May 2018. They had a son in 2020 and a daughter in 2023. Götze is Christian.

Health Challenges

In early March 2017, it was reported that Götze had a health problem. It was later found to be myopathy, a muscle disorder. This condition affects muscle fibers, meaning they don't work correctly. It can cause tiredness and weight gain. This illness helped explain some of Götze's fitness issues over several seasons.

Götze released a statement about his health. He said, "I'm currently undergoing treatment and will do everything in my power to be back in training and helping my team to achieve our common goals as soon as possible."

Sponsorships and Media

Mural of Götze commissioned by Nike in Charlottenburg, Berlin

In 2011, Götze signed a sponsorship deal with the sports company Nike. He appeared in a Nike advertisement in November 2012 with other famous footballers. In March 2014, Götze was one of the first players to wear Nike Magista boots.

Götze also appeared in an advertisement for the South Korean company Samsung. He was part of a team with other football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. On August 14, 2014, Konami announced that Götze would be on the front cover of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2015.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Borussia Dortmund	2009–10	Bundesliga	5	0	0	0	—		—		5	0
	2010–11	Bundesliga	33	6	2	0	6	2	—		41	8
	2011–12	Bundesliga	17	6	2	1	6	0	1	0	26	7
	2012–13	Bundesliga	28	10	4	4	11	2	1	0	44	16
	Total		83	22	8	5	23	4	2	0	116	31
Bayern Munich	2013–14	Bundesliga	27	10	4	1	11	3	3	1	45	15
	2014–15	Bundesliga	32	9	4	2	11	4	1	0	48	15
	2015–16	Bundesliga	14	3	2	1	4	2	1	0	21	6
	Total		73	22	10	4	26	9	5	1	114	36
Borussia Dortmund	2016–17	Bundesliga	11	1	1	0	4	1	0	0	16	2
	2017–18	Bundesliga	23	2	0	0	9	0	0	0	32	2
	2018–19	Bundesliga	26	7	2	0	6	0	—		34	7
	2019–20	Bundesliga	15	3	2	0	4	0	0	0	21	3
	Total		75	13	5	0	23	1	0	0	103	14
PSV Eindhoven	2020–21	Eredivisie	18	5	1	0	6	1	—		25	6
	2021–22	Eredivisie	29	4	5	2	17	5	1	1	52	12
	Total		47	9	6	2	23	6	1	1	77	18
Eintracht Frankfurt	2022–23	Bundesliga	32	3	6	0	7	0	1	0	46	3
	2023–24	Bundesliga	30	3	2	1	9	0	—		41	4
	2024–25	Bundesliga	13	2	3	0	4	0	—		20	2
	Total		75	8	11	1	20	0	1	0	107	9
Career total			353	74	40	12	115	20	9	2	517	108

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Germany	2010	1	0
	2011	11	2
	2012	8	1
	2013	6	3
	2014	15	7
	2015	7	3
	2016	14	1
	2017	1	0
	2018	0	0
	2019	0	0
	2020	0	0
	2021	0	0
	2022	2	0
	2023	1	0
Total		66	17

Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Götze goal.

List of international goals scored by Mario Götze
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	10 August 2011	Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany	Brazil	2–0	3–2	Friendly
2	2 September 2011	Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Austria	6–2	6–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
3	7 September 2012	AWD-Arena, Hanover, Germany	Faroe Islands	1–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	22 March 2013	Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan	Kazakhstan	2–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	26 March 2013	Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany	Kazakhstan	2–0	4–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	15 October 2013	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Sweden	2–2	5–3	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	5 March 2014	Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany	Chile	1–0	1–0	Friendly
8	6 June 2014	Coface Arena, Mainz, Germany	Armenia	5–1	6–1	Friendly
9	6 June 2014	Coface Arena, Mainz, Germany	Armenia	6–1	6–1	Friendly
10	21 June 2014	Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil	Ghana	1–0	2–2	2014 FIFA World Cup
11	13 July 2014	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Argentina	1–0	1–0 (aet)	2014 FIFA World Cup
12	3 September 2014	Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany	Argentina	2–4	2–4	Friendly
13	14 November 2014	Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany	Gibraltar	3–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
14	10 June 2015	RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany	United States	1–0	1–2	Friendly
15	4 September 2015	Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany	Poland	2–0	3–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
16	4 September 2015	Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany	Poland	3–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
17	29 March 2016	Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany	Italy	2–0	4–1	Friendly