Shkodran Mustafi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shkodran Mustafi

Mustafi training with Arsenal in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-04-17) 17 April 1992 (age 33)
Place of birth	Bad Hersfeld, Germany
Height	1.84 m
Playing position	Centre-back
Youth career
2000–2004	1. FV Bebra
2004–2006	SV Rotenburg
2006–2009	Hamburger SV
2009	Everton
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2009–2012	Everton	0	(0)
2012–2014	Sampdoria	51	(1)
2014–2016	Valencia	64	(6)
2016–2021	Arsenal	102	(7)
2021	Schalke 04	13	(1)
2021–2023	Levante	14	(2)
Total		244	(17)
National team
2008	Germany U16	5	(0)
2008–2009	Germany U17	24	(5)
2009–2010	Germany U18	6	(1)
2010–2011	Germany U19	9	(2)
2011–2013	Germany U20	10	(3)
2013	Germany U21	7	(0)
2014–2017	Germany	20	(2)
Honours Men's football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Winner 2014 Brazil FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 2017 Russia UEFA European Under-17 Championship Winner 2009 Germany
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Shkodran Mustafi (born 17 April 1992) is a German former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defender position.

Mustafi started his career playing for youth teams like Hamburger SV in Germany and Everton in England. He played one game for Everton before moving to Sampdoria in Italy in 2012. In 2014, he signed a five-year deal with Valencia in Spain. Two years later, he joined Arsenal in England. He played 151 games for Arsenal.

Later, he returned to Germany to play for Schalke 04 and then went back to Spain to play for Levante. Mustafi also played for the German national team. He helped Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played in the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.

Mustafi's Football Journey

Starting Out: Early Career and Everton Days

Shkodran Mustafi was born in Bad Hersfeld, Germany. His family is from Gostivar in North Macedonia. He began his football journey in the youth teams of local clubs. He played for 1. FC Bebra and SV Rotenburg. In 2006, he joined the youth setup of Hamburger SV.

In May 2009, Mustafi moved to England to join Everton. He started in their academy team. He felt very comfortable at Goodison Park, Everton's home stadium. He even turned down offers from other big clubs like Manchester City and Newcastle United.

Mustafi played his first official game for Everton on 16 December 2009. He came on as a substitute in a UEFA Europa League match against BATE Borisov. Even though he was often on the bench for Premier League games, he didn't play in any more matches for Everton.

Moving to Italy: Sampdoria Experience

In January 2012, Mustafi moved to Italy. He joined Sampdoria, a team in Serie B, which is Italy's second-highest football league. He left Everton because he wanted to play more games.

Mustafi played his first game for Sampdoria on 26 May 2012. Sampdoria was promoted to Serie A, Italy's top league, that season. He made his debut in Serie A on 11 November 2012. On 26 October 2013, he scored his first professional goal. It was the only goal in a game against Atalanta.

Playing in Spain: Valencia Adventures

On 7 August 2014, Mustafi signed a five-year contract with Valencia CF. Valencia is a team in La Liga, Spain's top football league. He played his first game for Valencia on 25 September, helping them win 3–0 at home.

A month later, he scored his first goal for Valencia. It was in a 3–1 home win against Elche. In the next game, on 2 November, Mustafi scored two goals against Villarreal. This helped Valencia move into second place in the league.

On 3 March 2016, Mustafi received a red card in a game against Barcelona. Valencia lost that game 7–0. After the match, he asked the team's fans for their forgiveness.

Mustafi playing for Valencia in 2015

Joining the Gunners: Time at Arsenal

On 30 August 2016, Mustafi joined the English club Arsenal. He made his first appearance for Arsenal on 10 September. It was a 2–1 win against Southampton. Mustafi had an amazing start, playing 18 games without a defeat. This broke a club record!

On 22 January 2017, he scored his first goal for Arsenal. It was in a 2–1 win against Burnley. He missed the 2017 FA Cup Final due to illness, but Arsenal won that game.

Mustafi played in the EFL Cup final on 25 February 2018 against Manchester City. Arsenal lost that game 3–0. He was also a substitute in the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final where Arsenal lost to Chelsea. He missed the 2020 FA Cup Final due to injury, but Arsenal won that trophy.

On 1 February 2021, Mustafi and Arsenal agreed to end his contract. During his time at Arsenal, he sometimes made mistakes that were noticed by fans.

Back to Germany and Spain: Schalke and Levante

After leaving Arsenal, Mustafi joined Schalke 04 in Germany on 1 February 2021. He signed a six-month contract. He played his first game for Schalke five days later. He played 13 games for the team and scored one goal.

On 2 September 2021, Mustafi returned to Spain. He joined Levante on a two-year deal. He faced several injuries during his time at Levante. He played only 11 games as the team was relegated from La Liga. He scored one goal for Levante.

Mustafi left Levante on 10 July 2023 when his contract ended. He officially retired from playing football on 25 June 2024. He then became an assistant coach for the German Under-17 national team. Throughout his career, he played 240 league matches in the top leagues of Italy, England, Spain, and Germany.

Representing His Country: International Career

Mustafi celebrating Germany's victory in the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Shkodran Mustafi could play for Germany, North Macedonia, or Albania. He chose to play for Germany, the country where he was born. He played for Germany's youth teams. With the Under-17 team, he won the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

In February 2014, Mustafi was called up to the senior German national squad. He made his first full international appearance on 13 May 2014. It was a friendly match against Poland.

Mustafi was chosen for Germany's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was initially not in the final squad but was called up when another player got injured. He played as a substitute in Germany's first World Cup game. He also came on as a substitute in the second match. He started as a right-back in the round of 16 match against Algeria. However, he had to leave the game due to a thigh injury. It was confirmed that he would not play any more games in that World Cup.

Mustafi was also part of the German team for UEFA Euro 2016. In Germany's first match against Ukraine, he scored a goal with his head. This was his first goal for Germany. He was also in the squad that won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. However, he was not chosen for the 2018 FIFA World Cup team. His last international game was in October 2017.

In 2016, Mustafi was even featured as a minifigure in a special collectible Lego series released by the German Football Association and The LEGO Group.

Mustafi's Personal Life

Mustafi is an Albanian from Gostivar, North Macedonia. He was born and grew up in Germany. He holds both Albanian and German citizenship. Mustafi is a practicing Muslim. In July 2016, he married Albanian model Vjosa Kaba in Gostivar. They have a daughter named Noemi, born in July 2017, and a son named Amar, born in January 2019.

Football Achievements

Mustafi holding the FIFA World Cup Trophy at Germany's victory parade in Berlin

Arsenal

• FA Cup: 2016–17, 2019–20
• EFL Cup runner-up: 2017–18
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2018–19

Germany U17

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2009

Germany

• FIFA World Cup: 2014
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2017