Leon Christoph Goretzka

Leon Christoph Goretzka is a right-footed central midfielder from Bochum, Germany, born in 1995. He began at Werner SV 06 Bochum before joining VfL Bochum’s academy, where he progressed through the youth ranks and made his professional debut in 2012, scoring against Dynamo Dresden. In 2013, Goretzka moved to FC Schalke 04 and developed into a regular first-team midfielder during five seasons in Gelsenkirchen. His 2016–17 campaign brought eight goals in 41 appearances, highlighting his ability to support attacks from midfield. Goretzka joined Bayern München on a free transfer in 2018 and formed a prominent midfield partnership with Joshua Kimmich. At Bayern, he has combined ball-winning, pressing and late runs into the box while also providing physical coverage across central areas. Goretzka has represented Germany, including at Euro 2020, where he scored a late equaliser against Hungary.