Özil, Mesut (1988-…), was a German professional soccer player. Soccer is called football in much of the world. He played for the German national team, commonly known as Die Adler (The Eagles), from 2009 to 2018. Özil was one of the game’s best midfielders and playmakers. In soccer, a playmaker controls a team’s offense, often coordinating scoring chances through precise passing. For a discussion of soccer positions and formations, see Soccer (Players and officials).
Özil was born on Oct. 15, 1988, in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. He began playing soccer at a young age. Özil began his professional career with his hometown FC Schalke 04 in 2006. FC stands for football club. Schalke is part of the Bundesliga, Germany’s top soccer league. In 2008, Özil transferred to Sportverein Werder Bremen.
Özil gained international stardom with his outstanding performance for Germany in the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Soon after, Özil signed with Real Madrid CF of La Liga, Spain’s top soccer league. In 2011 and 2012, Özil was named the German national team’s player of the year. In 2013, he left Real Madrid for Arsenal FC, a major English club. In 2014, Özil helped lead Germany to its fourth World Cup championship. He also played for Germany in the 2018 World Cup. Özil transferred from Arsenal to Fenerbahçe, a major Turkish club, in 2021. The following year, he left Fenerbahçe and signed with Istanbul Basaksehir, another major Turkish club. In 2023, Özil retired from soccer.
