On 13 July 2014, at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Mario Götze took André Schürrle’s cross on his chest and volleyed it in during the 113th minute of extra time. It was the only goal of the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina and gave his country its fourth world title. Götze had come off the bench and was 22. Born on 3 June 1992 in Memmingen, Bavaria, he is an attacking midfielder who came through Borussia Dortmund’s academy, went on to play for Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven, and has played for Eintracht Frankfurt since 2022.
The son of Jürgen and Astrid Götze, he started out at SC Ronsberg between 1995 and 1998. The family then moved to Dortmund, where his father is a professor at the Technical University, and Mario played for FC Eintracht Hombruch from 1998 to 2001. That year he joined Borussia Dortmund’s academy, working his way through every age group until 2009. Football ran in the family: his older brother Fabian also came through the club’s youth ranks, and his younger brother Felix turned professional and played for SC Paderborn.
First spell at Borussia Dortmund (2009-2013)
He made his Bundesliga debut on 21 November 2009 in a goalless draw with Mainz 05, coming on in the 88th minute. Under Jürgen Klopp he became part of the side that broke Bayern’s grip on German football: Dortmund won the Bundesliga in 2011 and 2012, adding the German Cup in 2012 for the first league and cup double in the club’s history. In 2011 he received the Golden Boy award for Europe’s best young player. In 2012-13 Dortmund reached the Champions League final, but Götze injured his thigh in the second leg of the semi-final against Real Madrid and missed the match. Dortmund lost that final 2-1 to Bayern at Wembley.
Bayern Munich (2013-2016)
On 23 April 2013, shortly before that semi-final, it emerged that Bayern had paid the €37 million release clause in his contract. The move went through on 1 July 2013, making Götze the first major signing of Pep Guardiola’s era. In Munich he won three consecutive Bundesliga titles (2014, 2015 and 2016), two German Cups (2014 and 2016), the 2013 UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup that same year. His role, however, was uneven, shaped by injuries and by competition in a squad packed with attacking options.
Return to Dortmund and illness
On 21 July 2016 Borussia Dortmund announced his return on a four-year contract. In February 2017 he stopped playing because of an illness that was not explained at first; in March it was reported to be a metabolic disorder, later identified as myopathy, a condition affecting the muscle fibres. Dortmund won the German Cup in 2017. After his recovery he stayed at the club, also lifting the German Super Cup in 2019. In May 2020 Dortmund announced he would leave at the end of the season.
PSV Eindhoven (2020-2022)
On 6 October 2020 he joined PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer, signing for two years, and extended his deal in September 2021. In the Netherlands he regained regular playing time and won the 2021 Johan Cruyff Shield and the 2022 Dutch Cup.
Germany national team
He won his first cap on 17 November 2010 in a 0-0 friendly against Sweden, coming on in the 78th minute. His first goal followed on 10 August 2011 in Stuttgart, in a 3-2 win over Brazil. He was part of the squad at Euro 2012, won the 2014 World Cup with the goal in the final and played at Euro 2016. After several years away, Hansi Flick called him up on 10 November 2022 for the World Cup in Qatar, where he played 34 minutes against Japan and Costa Rica; Germany went out in the group stage. His last appearance came on 25 March 2023, a 2-0 friendly win over Peru. He finished his international career with 66 caps and 17 goals.
Eintracht Frankfurt
On 21 June 2022 he signed for Eintracht Frankfurt, who had just won the Europa League. In his first season he played for the club in the 2022 UEFA Super Cup, lost to Real Madrid, and in the 2022-23 Champions League. In June 2023 he played in the German Cup final, which Eintracht lost to RB Leipzig.
Eintracht Frankfurt