Best German players of 2021

A year may not be a long time compared to a lifetime, but when it comes to professional life, it’s the best chance for people in any field to seek their chance and prove themselves. In the football world also, 2021 has been a year for many soccer players around the world, to live up to their expectations and add their names to the list of the best football players in 2021.

But who are these players, and where are they from? To go through this list, maybe it’s better to divide the players based on their nationality. Don’t you think?! Let’s start with Germany as one of the best countries in the world of football. A country with a long and rich history, having many great names such as Franz Beckenbauer,

, and

to its name. No wonder it is still one of the bests in the world of football! Don’t you agree? But who are the

best German players in 2021

, and which clubs have they performed for? Want to know more? Let’s go down the list then.

Best German Players in 2021

Time to start with the first name on our list of the top German players in 2021. Stay tuned.

Robin Gosens

• Age:

  27 years old

• Current Team:

  Atalanta

• Position:

  Left wing-back

Starting his professional football career at the age of 20,

first joined Vitesse, where he also kicked the ball at the youth club for two years. His next destination was Heracles Almelo, but eventually, the young star joined Atalanta in 2017.

Two years later, on 18 September 2019, the new Atalanta talent made his Champions League debut against Dinamo Zagreb and in less than a month scored his first Champions League goal in their away match against Shakhtar Donetsk, where Atalanta won with a 3-0 result. But why did we name him as one of the bests in 2021? Let’s figure it out!

Establishing himself as one of the top wing-backs, both offensively and defensively, in Serie A, he became one of the team’s top scorers during the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons, scoring nine goals and 11 goals, respectively, which are of course high numbers when we talk about a defending position.

Kai Havertz

• Age:

  22 years old

• Current Team:

  Chelsea

• Position:

  Attacking midfielder

The next name on our list of the best German players in 2021 is

. Kicking the ball for Bayer Leverkusen as his last youth club, he started his senior career with the club in 2016. Becoming the DFB-Pokal runners-up in the 2019–20 season, Havertz joined Chelsea in 2020, where he still kicks the ball for. 

He made his debut for the Blues in the league opener against Brighton & Hove Albion on 14 September 2020 and helped his team win the match in a 3–1 away win. Interestingly that was only the beginning for the young star as he later proved to be one of the bests the team has ever had. After surviving from COVID 19 in November 2020, he came back on the pitch on 29 May 2021 and scored the only goal of the game in the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final, leading his team towards their second UEFA Champions League in the club’s history. Later on, he and his team won the UEFA Super Cup on 11 August 2021, defeating Villarreal in the final on penalties.

Toni Kroos

• Age:

  31 years old

• Current Team:

  Real Madrid

• Position:

  Midfielder

The next name on our list of the best German players of 2021 is one of the most famous ones,

. Starting his senior career in 2007 with Bayern Munich's second team, Kroos soon proved to be one of the bests and earned his spot in the first team.

Joining Real Madrid in 2014, he helped his team achieve so much during all these years. To name a few, we can mention two La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups, and much more.

Mats Hummels

• Age:

  32 years old

• Current Team:

  Borussia Dortmund

• Position:

  Centre-back

Also a Bayern Munich player at the beginning, the next name on our list of the best German football players in 2021 is

, who spent all his club career with the main two Bundesliga clubs, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Starting his professional football career in 2006 with Bayern’s second team, he joined the first team after one year in 2007 and spent the next two years with the Bavarians. Joining Dortmund in 2008 on load, he later became a BVB member in 2009, but five years later, in 2016, bounced back to spend the next three years with the Bundesliga champions again.

However, that was not where he earned his spot on our list of the best German players in 2021, as he returned to Dortmund in 2019 again. The only question is that will it be the end, or do we have to wait for him to join the Bavarians again!!! Anyways, 2021 has been an amazing year for the brilliant German player as he has helped Dortmund win the DFB-Pokal for the second time.

Leon Goretzka

• Age:

  26 years old

• Current Team:

  Bayern Munich

• Position:

  Midfielder

Time to take a closer look at the next name on our list of the best German players in 2021,

. The current Bayern Munich player started his senior career with VfL Bochum in 2012, moving to Schalke 04 first and second-team as his next destinations. Eventually, the young star moved to Bayern Munich in 2018 to stay with the team up to now.

So far, he has achieved three Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokal titles, three DFL-Supercups, the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, and also the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup. So many achievements at such a young age! Don’t you agree?!

Anyways in 2021 only, despite his muscle problems, he won his third consecutive Bundesliga title with his team and went on to win the 2021 DFL-Super Cup in August. Recently he has signed a new contract with the Bavarians to stay with the team for the next five years, which makes us believe that we have to wait for much more made by the brilliant football star.

Marco Reus

• Age:

  32 years old

• Current Team:

  Borussia Dortmund

• Position:

  Forward

is the next name on our list of the best German players of 2021 and one of the most famous ones. Going back in his professional football life, the current Dortmund star, started playing soccer professionally with Rot Weiss Ahlen II back in 2006 and went on to join Rot Weiss Ahlen and Borussia Mönchengladbach as his next destinations. Eventually, he joined Borussia Dortmund in 2012. Being one of the bests at BVB, so far he has won two DFB-Pokal titles, three DFL-Supercup titles and has helped his team become the UEFA Champions League runner-up in 2012–13.

As of 2021, Reus made it to become Dortmund's all-time Champions League top scorer with 18 goals in their match against Manchester City in April, though his team ended the match with a 1-2 defeat against their rivals. 

Ready to know about the next name on our list? Let’s carry on then. 

Antonio Rudiger

• Age:

  28 years old

• Current Team:

  Chelsea

• Position:

  Centre-back

This one has chosen to kick the ball for another country’s league. Being one of the bests at Premier League’s Chelsea,

is the next German player we want to take a closer look at in 2021. Kicking the ball for three different teams in three different leagues during the 11 years of his professional career, Rudiger has previously been a part of VfB Stuttgart and Roma teams, while he currently is a member of the Blues.

Since joining Chelsea in 2017, he has helped the team achieve the 2017–18 FA Cup, and the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League. But why do we name him as one of the best German players in 2021? Well, interestingly he was the one to help the team win the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League and the 2021 UEFA Super Cup. He has also been one of the players to win the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season in 2020–21. Obviously, he deserves his spot on this list! Don’t you agree?

Joshua Kimmich 

• Age: 26 years old

• Current Team: Bayern Munich

• Position: Midfielder, right-back

The next name on our list of the best German players in 2021 is

. The 26-year-old Bayern Munich member joined the team in 2015, after a two-year-time period with RB Leipzig. Proving to be one of the bests, he soon earned his spot in the team and has so far appeared in 184 games with the team, scoring 20 goals for the team.

The 2020–21 season started with a different number at Bayern for Kimmich, as Thiago Alcântara left the team and so his 26-year-old teammate acquired the number 6 shirt.

We also have to mention that the 2021-22 season has been a lucky one so far, with him appearing 11 times in Bundesliga for his team, scoring three goals and assisting four.

The young star has yet to add much more to his team’s achievements as on 23 August 2021, he signed a new contract until 2025 with the Bavarians.

Thomas Muller

• Age:

  32 years old

• Current Team:

  Bayern Munich

• Position:

  Attacking midfielder, forward

Coming to the last two names on our article of the best German players in 2021, here we have

, one of the greatest names of his generation. Starting his professional soccer career at the age of 19 with Bayern Munich B and also the senior team. Being a pure Bavarian, so far he has had 398 appearances for the senior team, scoring 133 goals. Amazing! Isn’t it?

Though 2021 started with a positive COVID-19 test for Muller, he won his ninth consecutive Bundesliga title in the 2020-21 season. It also has to be mentioned that this was Müller's 10th Bundesliga title. He finished the season by scoring 15 goals in 46 matches in all Competitions.

So far Muller has helped Bayern achieve

Ilkay Gundogan

• Age:

  31 years old

• Current Team:

  Manchester City

• Position:

  Midfielder

And here is the last name on our list of the best German players of 2021,

. Currently kicking the ball as a member of the Citizens in the Premier League, Gundogan first started his senior career in 2008 with VfL Bochum II. His next destinations were 1. FC Nürnberg, Borussia Dortmund, and Borussia Dortmund II. Eventually, in 2016 the German player joined Manchester City to stay with the team for 5 years now.

He started 2021 with a brace in a 4–1 away league win for his team over Liverpool on 7 February 2021. Interestingly the year even went to be sweeter as in February he was chosen as Premier League Player of the Month. However, that was not the only individual prize he won, as in March he received the Premier League Player of the Month for a second consecutive month, with four goals and one assist in five games. Moreover, Gundogan finished the season with 13 goals, as Manchester City's highest goalscorer of the premier league season.

That was all we have got on the greatest German players of 2021. Who else do you think has to be on this list? Let us know in the comment section below.  

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