Mesut Ozil, born on October 15, 1988, in Germany, used to play soccer professionally. He was really good at passing the ball and coming up with creative plays. He could also play in different positions on the field.
He started playing for his local team, Schalke 04, then moved to Werder Bremen in 2008 when he was 19.
He did really well there and even helped the team win a cup. Because of his great performance, he got the chance to play for Real Madrid in 2010.
While he was there, the team won a big title, and he was the best at setting up his teammates to score. In 2013, he signed with Arsenal for a lot of money, making him the most expensive German player at the time.
He did great in England too, helping his team win some cups and making a lot of assists.
Later on, in 2021, he joined Fenerbahçe, a Turkish team, for free. But he left the team in 2022 and went to İstanbul Başakşehir before retiring in 2023.
For many years, he played for the German national team. He won awards for being the best German player multiple times.
He played in five big tournaments, including the World Cup and the Euro. He was really good at giving assists during the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 Euro. He played a big role in Germany winning the 2014 World Cup.
However, he decided to stop playing for the national team in 2018 because he felt that he was being treated unfairly by the German Football Association and the media.
Mesut Ozil Wikipedia Profile
| Name | Mesut Ozil |
| Nickname | German Messi German Zidane Nemo The Assist King der Rabe Der neue Diego Ozil |
| Birthday | 15 October 1988 |
| Age | 34 years old |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 5’11” |
| Weight | 168 |
| Partner | Amine Gulse Ozil |
| Kids | Eda Ozil |
| Parents | Mustafa Ozil, Gulizar Ozil |
| Siblings | Mutlu Ozil, Nese Ozil, Duygu Ozil |
| Nationality | German-Turkish |
| Profession | Soccer player |
| Net Worth | $120 million |
Early life
Özil was born on October 15, 1988, in a place called Gelsenkirchen, Germany. His parents came from Turkey.
His grandfather came to Germany from a town called Zonguldak to work. When Özil was young, he played soccer for different teams in Gelsenkirchen from 1995 to 2000.
Then he played for a team called Rot-Weiss Essen for five years.
Career
In 2005, Özil started playing soccer for Schalke 04’s young team. He played as a midfielder and wore the number 17 jersey.
He became important to the team, even filling in for another player in some matches.
But he had problems with the club’s management and left for Werder Bremen in January 2008. This caused the manager to say he wouldn’t play for Schalke again.
At Werder Bremen, Özil played well. He scored his first Bundesliga goal in April 2008. He helped his team win the DFB-Pokal in 2009 and reach the UEFA Cup final.
In the 2009-10 season, he became a key player, leading his team in assists and goals. Then, in 2010, his standout performances in the World Cup got him noticed by top clubs like Barcelona, Arsenal, and Real Madrid. Eventually, he moved to Real Madrid for around €15 million.
At Real Madrid, Özil quickly became an important player. He scored his first goal and provided many assists in his debut season. He impressed fans and media alike. He continued to shine in the next seasons, even winning the La Liga title and being praised for his skills. Later, he wore the number 10 shirt and played a big role for the team under manager José Mourinho.
In 2013, Özil transferred to Arsenal, becoming the most expensive German player ever. He continued to excel, earning a reputation for his assists and playmaking.
In 2018, he played for Germany in the World Cup but faced criticism for meeting with the Turkish president. This led to a lot of debate, and eventually, Özil retired from the national team, citing issues with discrimination.
Overall, Özil’s journey through different clubs showcased his talent and impact in soccer, but also the challenges and controversies he faced along the way.
Personal life
Özil comes from a mix of Turkish and German heritage. He describes his style of play as a combination of Turkish finesse with the ball and German determination and work ethic.
His first language was Turkish, and he went to a school where many students were from Turkish immigrant families. He grew up in Germany and attended Gesamtschule Berger Feld in Gelsenkirchen.
Özil follows the Islamic faith. He reads from the Quran before his matches and takes a moment to pray.
He also observes fasting during Ramadan, though his soccer commitments sometimes make it challenging to follow completely.
In 2016, he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Umrah. During a match in 2018, an Atlético Madrid fan threw bread at him, and Özil’s respectful gesture of kissing and placing it on his forehead was praised by many.
In 2010, he received the Bambi award for being a successful example of integration in German society.
His romantic life has had its ups and downs. He dated Mandy Capristo in 2013, but they broke up in 2014 amid rumors of his involvement with another woman. They appeared together in public events, hinting at reconciliation, but they eventually split for good. In 2017, Özil began dating Amine Gülşe, a former Miss Turkey. They got married in 2019, and their wedding was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
They have two daughters, Eda born in March 2020, and Ela born in September 2022.
In 2019, Özil and his Arsenal teammate Sead Kolašinac were targeted by armed men trying to steal their car.
Fortunately, they managed to escape unharmed and went to a nearby restaurant. This incident led to increased security measures for the players.
The attempted carjacking resulted in Özil and Kolašinac being absent from a Premier League match. On the same day, two men were arrested outside Özil’s home in an unrelated incident.
Controversies
Accusations of Tax Wrongdoing Back in December 2016, during the time when the Football Leaks exposure platform was unveiled, it was revealed that Mesut Özil, a football player, was asked by the Spanish tax authorities to pay back 2,017,152 euros in taxes.
Alongside this, a fine of 789,963 euros was slapped on him. According to info from Football Leaks, Özil supposedly managed to avoid paying taxes by using offshore companies, Swiss bank accounts, and other people as fronts.
This alleged tax misconduct stirred up a lot of disapproval from the German public. By February 2017, Özil paid the required taxes but contested the fine. By the start of 2018, the Spanish legal system hadn’t reached a conclusion about the fine yet.
Association with Extreme Right Group Mesut Özil openly supports the Gray Wolves, a Turkish organization with extreme right-wing beliefs.
This group has been linked to various violent acts and even murders. It’s banned in France and monitored by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution due to its anti-constitutional activities.
Among other things, Özil got a tattoo of a wolf with three crescent moons, which is a symbol of the Gray Wolves, on his chest. He also publicly displayed this tattoo.
Net Worth
His estimated net worth is around $120 million