Mesut Özil is a Turkish-German soccer player who has played for Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, and is currently playing in the English Premiership side, Arsenal Football Club. His success in the game of soccer was a result of his sheer determination to succeed. He became the first non-German to be successful with the German national team and paved the way for Turkish immigrants in Germany to hope for success in their different endeavors. Apart from his endeavors in soccer, there is a lot to know about this midfield maestro. Read on to find out about his net worth, relationship, age, body stats, and so on.
Mesut Özil’s Biography (Age)
Mesut Özil is a German attacking midfielder of Turkish origin born on October 15, 1988, in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Even though he was born in Germany, his grandparents were Turkish immigrants who found their way to Germany in 1967. His father is Mustafa Özil while his mother’s name is Gulizar Özil. His father, Mustafa used to work as a chicken products salesman and then a metal worker before he became his son’s (Mesut Özil) agent. On the other hand, his mother was a homemaker who dedicated her entire time to raising her children.
Özil has three siblings and is the youngest among all his siblings and they are his brother, Mutlu Özil, who is the oldest of them all, and his two elder sisters Nese and Dugyu Özil. Mutlu Özil is a talented soccer player in his right and was the secret behind Özil’s rise to stardom. He flopped his chances because he never thought anyone from his background would ever make headway with soccer, so instead of pursuing a career in the sport, he just showcases his wicked skills on the field for the purpose of entertaining onlookers.
Life was was all rosy for Mesut Özil while growing up with his family in the district of Bismarck, Germany, which was mainly occupied by Turkish immigrants. Growing in poverty, his successful career in soccer paved a way for his family to leave that life behind them and escape the pangs of penury. His passion for soccer started at a very young age and he was determined to be the best he could be in the game. He would spend time playing soccer around the house back when his brother was his coach. He (Mutlu) did dribbles with skills that wowed the young Özil, making him fall more and more in love with the round leather game. So much was his love for soccer that he (Özil) would go to bed at night with a soccer ball in his arms.
As he grew, he played more regularly – in the sun or rain – and developed his skills in the only available soccer pitch in the neighborhood referred to as “Monkey Cage”. This is where he honed his passing abilities which have made him a force to be reckoned with today in world soccer. He was determined to succeed despite the cultural setbacks. He refused to give in like his elder brother did and today he is regarded as the first successful soccer player in Germany with an immigrant origin.
He attended Gesamtschule College in Gelsenkirchen, which is the same school his national team colleagues captain Manuel Neuer and Julian Draxler also attended. He played for his high school’s soccer team which is said to be one of the largest high schools in Germany and very close to the Veltins Arena, the home ground of Schalke 04 which he could see from his classroom window.
Club & National Team Career
Mesut Özil began his club career in Gelsenkirchen where he played for clubs like Rot-Weiss Essen before he was enrolled into the youth ranks of Schalke 04 in 2005 and wore jersey no. 17. He soon rose to earn a place in the club’s senior team as a playmaker and was dubbed “the next big thing” in Germany’s soccer history. On January 31, 2008, Özil joined SV Werder Bremen on a three-year contract after rejecting a contract with Schalke 04 on the grounds that the contract was not good enough after the club refused to improve on their offer of €1.5 million.
At Werder Bremen, he wore jersey no. 11 and scored his first professional goal in soccer for Werder Bremen against Karlsruher SC on April 26, 2008. It was a league match (Bundesliga) and they won the match by a 2-1 scoreline. His pedigree as a creative layer and attacking midfielder continued to grow in the club and in Bundesliga at large. He became the assist king for his side and chipped in a couple of goals including scoring in his 100th Bundesliga game against his former employers, Schalke 04.
The FIFA World Cup has always served as a platform for the best players to showcase their talents and it is also a stage for the burgeoning stars to announce their presence too. The latter is what the 2010 FIFA World Cup turned out to be for Mesut Özil, who caught the eye of Spanish La Liga giants, Real Madrid, and a host of other big clubs with his impressive performance at the Mundial. Amid interests from Barcelona and Manchester United, Özil chose to move to Real Madrid in August 2010 where he joined a host of other stars already on the payroll of the Los Blancos including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Ángel Di María, Gonzalo Higuaín, etc.
His career in Spain with the La Liga side was a successful one. His 3-year stay at the club saw him win the La Liga – the 32nd for the club – and the Supercopa de España. He produced the highest number of assists in the league for the three seasons he was there and was nominated for the FIFA Ballon d’Or award. He later moved to the English Premier League side, Arsenal in September 2013 following the arrival of Croatian midfielder, Luka Modrić to Real Madrid which in effect limited his playing time for the club in his last season there (2012-13 season). His transfer fee to Arsenal (£42.5 million) made Özil the most expensive German player at that time.
On the national team front, Özil elected to play for Germany, his country of birth instead of Turkey, his country of origin as he was eligible to play for both. He started from the Germany U-17 team in 2006 and then was called up to the senior team on February 11, 2009, against Norway. He featured for Germany in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup and he helped his country win the 2014 edition.
Mesut Özil’s Net Worth
The midfield maestro has attracted a lot of endorsements from top brands around the world. In 2013, Özil bagged a boot sponsorship deal with sportswear giants, Adidas. The deal was to run for seven years and is worth $35 million. His current salary in Arsenal F.C. after signing his latest contract is worth £300,000 per week. His net worth is estimated at $50 million.
Wife, Girlfriend
Mesut Özil has had a complicated love life. He is not yet married but has had a couple of girlfriends. He dated Anna Maria Lagerblom (2009-2010), a German model who was previously married to Pekka Lagerblom, a soccer player with the Finnish national team. He then dated Venezuelan beauty queen, Aida Yespica (2012), who was Miss Venezuela in 2002. After their relationship ended, he moved on and dated Mandy Grace Capristo, who is a singer in 2013. They broke up in 2014 when Özil was accused of seeing another woman. However, they came back together in 2015 and finally ended it in 2017. While he was separated from the singer, he dated Melanie Rickinger (2014-2015).
Özil is presently dating Turkish beauty queen, actress, and model, Amine Gülşe. She was ‘Miss Turkey World’ in 2014. They started dating in 2017.
Height, Weight and Other Facts About Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil is a devout Muslim and recites the Qur’an before every match.
Özil is a seasoned chess player. He learned to play the game while growing up in his hometown and developed a passion for it just like he did for soccer but soccer took preeminence.
He has a book written about him by a fan who prefers to remain anonymous. The book is titled Mesut Özil Superstar.
Özil made his father, Mustafa Özil his agent in 2011 but then decided to fire his father and replace him with his elder brother, Mutlu Özil which resulted in a break down in their (Özil and his father) relationship.
His father accused his then-girlfriend, Mandy Capristo of being responsible for Özil’s decision.
The matter became a legal issue as Özil’s father dragged his marketing company to court demanding a £495,000 compensation. They later settled out of court.
Mesut Özil’s zodiac sign is Libra.
For his height and weight, Mesut Özil weighs 76 kg (167.5 lbs) as his height is measured at 180 cm. His body measurements are chest – 42 inches, biceps – 14 inches, and waist – 33 inches. His hair color is black and his eye color is dark brown.
He has a heart of gold and is involved in several charities including giving up his World Cup earnings (about $600,000) so that about 23 Brazilian children could have access to better healthcare.
