Wikipedia

Felix Nmecha

Felix Kalu Nmecha (born 10 October 2000) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team.

Felix Nmecha
Nmecha warming up for VfL Wolfsburg in 2021
Personal information
Full name Felix Kalu Nmecha[1]
Date of birth (2000-10-10) 10 October 2000 (age 25)[2]
Place of birth Hamburg, Germany[3]
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[4]
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Borussia Dortmund
Number 8
Youth career
2007–2019 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 Manchester City 0 (0)
2021–2023 VfL Wolfsburg 46 (3)
2023– Borussia Dortmund 75 (7)
International career‡
2015 England U16 2 (0)
2018 Germany U18 3 (0)
2018 England U18 10 (2)
2018–2019 England U19 4 (1)
2022 Germany U21 3 (1)
2023– Germany 9 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 May 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 June 2026

Club career

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Manchester City

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Nmecha made his Manchester City debut in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against Burton Albion, replacing Oleksandr Zinchenko in the 67th minute, in which Manchester City won the game 1–0.[5] He scored the winning goal in the U18 Premier League Cup final on 19 March 2019, against Middlesbrough U18.[6] On 3 November 2020, Nmecha provided an assist for João Cancelo on his Champions League debut for City as a substitute for Kevin De Bruyne in a 3–0 home win over Olympiacos in the group stage.[7] He was released by City at the end of his contract on 30 June 2021.[8]

Wolfsburg

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Nmecha joined VfL Wolfsburg after leaving Manchester City, shortly after his brother Lukas made the same move.[9] In his two seasons at the club, he played 50 competitive matches, including two Champions League games during the 2021–22 season, and scored three goals during his second season in Bundesliga,[10] in which he netted a brace against Bochum in a 4–0 win.[11]

Borussia Dortmund

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On 3 July 2023, Nmecha signed for Borussia Dortmund on a five-year contract.[12] His transfer was controversial for Dortmund's supporters due to comments and social media posts made in the past by Nmecha which were regarded as homophobic and transphobic.[13][14][15] This included one instance in which Nmecha associated the term "pride" with the devil.[16] On 25 October 2023, he scored his first goal for Dortmund in a 1–0 away victory against Newcastle United at St James' Park in the Champions League, which was also his first goal in the competition.[17]

International career

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Nmecha represented both Germany and England at youth international level.

On 17 March 2023, he received his first call-up to the German senior national team for the friendlies against Peru and Belgium.[18] He scored his first international goal in a 1–1 away draw against Hungary in November 2024, in the UEFA Nation's League.[19]

On 21 May 2026, he was selected in Germany's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[20] On 14 June 2026, Nmecha scored Germany's first goal of the World Cup to take 1–0 lead over Curaçao in an eventual 7–1 win.[21][22]

Personal life

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The son of a German mother and an Igbo Nigerian father, Nmecha and his elder brother Lukas (who also plays professionally for Leeds United) were born in Hamburg, but moved to England with their family in 2007. After honing their skills in the Hamburg borough of Altona, the switch to Manchester brought the young Nmechas to the attention of Premier League team Manchester City. Both went on to join the club's academy.[23]

Nmecha is a Christian. He has said, "Every time I go on the field, it's not about me, it's about glorifying God."[24]

In September 2025, Nmecha caused controversy when he shared a post voicing grief over the assassination of Charlie Kirk.[16]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 16 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Manchester City U21 2018–19[25] ————4[c]040
2019–20[26] ————1[c]010
2020–21[27] ————1[c]010
Total ————6060
Manchester City 2018–19[25] Premier League 000010000010
2019–20[26] Premier League 000000000000
2020–21[27] Premier League 0010001[d]0—20
Total 001010100030
VfL Wolfsburg 2021–22[28] Bundesliga 16000—2[d]0—180
2022–23[29] Bundesliga 30320———323
Total 46320—20—503
Borussia Dortmund 2023–24[30] Bundesliga 20110—8[d]1—292
2024–25[31] Bundesliga 26410—9[d]15[e]1416
2025–26[32] Bundesliga 29230—10[d]3—425
Total 75750—2755111213
Career total 12110701030511117016
  1. ↑ Includes FA Cup, DFB-Pokal
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup
  3. 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  5. ↑ Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup

International

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As of match played 14 June 2026[33]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Germany 202310
202421
202530
202631
Total92
Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Nmecha goal.[33]
List of international goals scored by Felix Nmecha
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
119 November 2024Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary3 Hungary1–01–12024–25 UEFA Nations League A
214 June 2026NRG Stadium, Houston, United States9 Curaçao1–07–12026 FIFA World Cup

Honours

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Borussia Dortmund

References

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  1. ↑ "2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Felix Nmecha: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "Felix Nmecha". 11v11. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "Felix Nmecha". Borussia Dortmund. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Burton Albion 0-1 Manchester City (0-10 agg): Sergio Aguero scores as City ease into Carabao Cup fnal". Sky Sports. 24 January 2019.
  6. ↑ Leigh, Neil (14 March 2019). "Nmecha strike seals U18 Premier League Cup glory". Manchester City F.C. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Bevan, Chris (3 November 2020). "Manchester City 3-0 Olympiakos: Gabriel Jesus returns to seal third win in Champions League". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "Premier League clubs publish 2020/21 released lists". Premier League. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "Felix Nmecha arrives". VfL Wolfsburg. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  10. ↑ "Felix Nmecha joins Dortmund". VfL Wolfsburg. 3 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Premiere: Felix Nmecha köpft Wolfsburg zum Sieg" (in German). Kicker. 29 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "BVB verpflichtet Felix Nmecha" (in German). Borussia Dortmund. 3 July 2023.
  13. ↑ Ford, Matt (4 July 2023). "Dortmund complete controversial Nmecha signing". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  14. ↑ Honigstein, Raphael (11 July 2023). "Dortmund signed Felix Nmecha. But their LGBTQI+ fans feel alienated". The Athletic. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Sobolewski, Daniel (9 June 2023). "Borussia Dortmund: Wirbel um BVB-Flirt – dieser Poker birgt mächtig Zündstoff". Der Westen (in German). Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  16. 1 2 "Nmecha polarisiert mit Trauer-Post zu Charlie Kirk – BVB will mit ihm darüber sprechen". Der Spiegel (in German). 12 September 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  17. ↑ "Newcastle United 0–1 Borussia Dortmund". BBC Sport. 25 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Vier Rückkehrer und fünf Neulinge für Peru und Belgien" (in German). German Football Association. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  19. ↑ Hornung, Christian. "Nations League in Ungarn: Deutschland rotiert sich aus dem Rhythmus". sportschau.de (in German). Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "Bundestrainer Nagelsmann gibt WM-Kader bekannt" (in German). German Football Association. 21 May 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  21. ↑ "Felix Nmecha scores Germany's first goal of 2026 FIFA World Cup™ to take 1-0 lead over Curaçao". 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "Germany put seven past debutants Curaçao". FIFA. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "Felix Nmecha: who is Borussia Dortmund's new Germany midfielder signed from Wolfsburg?". bundesliga.com. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  24. ↑ "Felix Nmecha: "Every time I go on the field, it is about glorifying God"". Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  25. 1 2 "Games played by Felix Nmecha in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  26. 1 2 "Games played by Felix Nmecha in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  27. 1 2 "Games played by Felix Nmecha in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  28. ↑ "Games played by Felix Nmecha in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Felix Nmecha in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  30. ↑ "Games played by Felix Nmecha in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  31. ↑ "Games played by Felix Nmecha in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  32. ↑ "Games played by Felix Nmecha in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  33. 1 2 "Felix Nmecha international matches". EU-Football.info. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  34. ↑ "Real Madrid 2-0 Dortmund (Jun 1, 2024) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
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