Felix Nmecha
{{Short description|German-English footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Felix Nmecha
| image = Felix Nmecha 2021.jpg
| caption = Nmecha warming up for VfL Wolfsburg in 2021
| full_name = Felix Kalu Nmecha{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/1869523 |title=2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed |publisher=Premier League |date=20 October 2020 |accessdate=25 October 2020}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|10|10|df=y}}{{cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/19922/Felix-Nmecha/overview|title=Felix Nmecha: Overview|publisher=Premier League|access-date=8 July 2022}}
| birth_place = Hamburg, Germany{{cite web |title=Felix Nmecha |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/felix-nmecha-260880/|publisher=11v11 |accessdate=30 October 2019}}
| height = 1.90 m{{cite web |url= https://www.bvb.de/ger/Mannschaften/Profis/Felix-Nmecha |title=Felix Nmecha |publisher=Borussia Dortmund |access-date=13 July 2023}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Borussia Dortmund
| clubnumber = 8
| youthyears1 = 2007–2019
| youthclubs1 = Manchester City
| years1 = 2019–2021
| clubs1 = Manchester City
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2021–2023
| clubs2 = VfL Wolfsburg
| caps2 = 46
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 2023–
| clubs3 = Borussia Dortmund
| caps3 = 46
| goals3 = 5
| nationalyears1 = 2015
| nationalteam1 = England U16
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018
| nationalteam2 = Germany U18
| nationalcaps2 = 3
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2018
| nationalteam3 = England U18
| nationalcaps3 = 10
| nationalgoals3 = 2
| nationalyears4 = 2018–2019
| nationalteam4 = England U19
| nationalcaps4 = 4
| nationalgoals4 = 1
| nationalyears5 = 2022
| nationalteam5 = Germany U21
| nationalcaps5 = 3
| nationalgoals5 = 1
| nationalyears6 = 2023–
| nationalteam6 = Germany
| nationalcaps6 = 4
| nationalgoals6 = 1
| club-update = 17:27, 17 May 2025 (UTC)
| ntupdate = 15:20, 5 June 2025 (UTC)
}}
Felix Kalu Nmecha (born 10 October 2000) is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team.
Club career
=Manchester City=
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.{{cite web |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11938/11615577/burton-albion-0-1-manchester-city-0-10-agg-sergio-aguero-scores-as-city-ease-into-carabao-cup-fnal |title=Burton Albion 0-1 Manchester City (0-10 agg): Sergio Aguero scores as City ease into Carabao Cup fnal |publisher=Sky Sports |date=24 January 2019 }} Nmecha scored the winning goal in the U18 Premier League Cup final on 19 March 2019, against Middlesbrough U18.{{cite news|last=Leigh|first=Neil|url=https://www.mancity.com/news/academy/match-report/2019/march/boro-u18s-v-city-u18s-pl-cup-final-march-14 |title=Nmecha strike seals U18 Premier League Cup glory |date=14 March 2019 |website=Manchester City F.C.|access-date=12 March 2021}} 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.{{cite news|last=Bevan|first=Chris|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54784118 |title=Manchester City 3-0 Olympiakos: Gabriel Jesus returns to seal third win in Champions League|date=3 November 2020 |website=BBC Sport|access-date=12 March 2021}} Nmecha was released by City at the end of his contract on 30 June 2021.{{cite news|title=Premier League clubs publish 2020/21 released lists|url=http://www.premierleague.com/news/2163104|access-date=15 July 2021|website=Premier League}}
=Wolfsburg=
Nmecha joined VfL Wolfsburg after leaving Manchester City, shortly after his brother Lukas made the same move.{{cite news |title=Felix Nmecha arrives |url=https://www.vfl-wolfsburg.de/en/news-detail/news-detail/detail/news/felix-nmecha-arrives/ |publisher=VfL Wolfsburg |access-date=21 July 2021}} 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,{{cite web |url=https://www.vfl-wolfsburg.de/en/newsdetails/news-detail/detail/news/felix-nmecha-joins-dortmund |title=Felix Nmecha joins Dortmund |publisher=VfL Wolfsburg |date=3 July 2023 }} in which he netted a brace against Bochum in a 4–0 win.{{cite web |url=https://www.kicker.de/wolfsburg-gegen-bochum-2022-bundesliga-4781536/analyse |title=Premiere: Felix Nmecha köpft Wolfsburg zum Sieg |publisher=Kicker |language=de |date=29 October 2022 }}
=Borussia Dortmund=
On 3 July 2023, Nmecha signed for Borussia Dortmund on a five-year contract.{{cite news |title=BVB verpflichtet Felix Nmecha |url=https://www.bvb.de/News/Uebersicht/BVB-verpflichtet-Felix-Nmecha |publisher=Borussia Dortmund |language=de |date=3 July 2023 }} His transfer was controversial for Dortmund's supporters to the signing due to comments and social media posts made in the past by Nmecha which were regarded as homophobic and transphobic.{{cite web |last=Ford |first=Matt |url=https://www.dw.com/en/bundesliga-borussia-dortmund-complete-controversial-signing-of-felix-nmecha/a-66047041 |title=Dortmund complete controversial Nmecha signing |date=4 July 2023 |access-date=20 August 2023 |work=Deutsche Welle}}{{cite web |last=Honigstein |first=Raphael |author-link=Raphael Honigstein |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4680436/2023/07/11/nmecha-dortmund-lgbtqi-supporters/ |title=Dortmund signed Felix Nmecha. But their LGBTQI+ fans feel alienated |date=11 July 2023 |access-date=20 August 2023 |work=The Athletic}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67209904 |title=Newcastle United 0–1 Borussia Dortmund |publisher=BBC Sport |date=25 October 2023 }}
International career
Nmecha has represented both Germany and England at youth international level.
On 17 March 2023, he received his first official call-up to the German senior national team for the friendlies against Peru and Belgium.{{cite web |date=17 March 2023 |title=Vier Rückkehrer und fünf Neulinge für Peru und Belgien |url=https://www.dfb.de/news/detail/vier-rueckkehrer-und-fuenf-neulinge-fuer-peru-und-belgien-249404/ |access-date=17 March 2023 |publisher=German Football Association |language=de}}
Personal life
The son of a German mother and an Igbo Nigerian father, Nmecha and his older brother Lukas 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.{{cite web |title=Felix Nmecha: who is Borussia Dortmund's new Germany midfielder signed from Wolfsburg? |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/felix-nmecha-who-is-the-wolfsburg-midfielder-germany-manchester-city-lukas-22998 |website=bundesliga.com |access-date=8 July 2023}}
Nmecha is a Christian. He has said, "Every time I go on the field, it's not about me, it's about glorifying God."{{cite web |title=Felix Nmecha: "Every time I go on the field, it is about glorifying God" |url=https://evangelicalfocus.com/life-tech/21732/felix-nmecha-every-time-i-go-on-the-field-its-about-glorifying-god |access-date=3 November 2023}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 17 May 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|National cup{{efn|Includes DFB-Pokal}} !colspan=2|League cup{{efn|Includes EFL Cup}} !colspan=2|Europe !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan=4|Manchester City
|2018–19{{soccerbase season|116339|2018|access-date=10 May 2020}} |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019–20{{soccerbase season|116339|2019|access-date=10 May 2020}}
|Premier League |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020–21{{soccerbase season|116339|2020|access-date=20 September 2020}}
|Premier League |0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=UCL|Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League}} | 0 | colspan=2|— | 2 | 0 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!0||0||1||0||1||0||1||0||0||0||3||0 | ||||||||||||
| rowspan=4|Manchester City U21
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 4{{efn|name=EFT|Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2019–20
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 1{{efn|name=EFT}} | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2020–21
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 1{{efn|name=EFT}} | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| colspan=2|Total
!colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||6||0||6||0 | ||||||||||||
| rowspan=3|VfL Wolfsburg
|2021–22{{soccerbase season|116339|2021|access-date=3 July 2023}} |16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 2{{efn|name=UCL}} | 0 | colspan=2|— | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23{{soccerbase season|116339|2022|access-date=3 July 2023}}
|Bundesliga |30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 32 | 3 | ||||
| colspan=2|Total
!46||3||2||0||colspan=2|—||2||0||colspan=2|—||50||3 | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="3"|Borussia Dortmund
|2023–24{{soccerbase season|116339|2023|access-date=3 July 2023}} |Bundesliga |20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 8{{efn|name=UCL}} | 1 | colspan=2|— | 29 | 2 | |||
| 2024–25{{soccerbase season|116339|2024|access-date=3 July 2024}}
|Bundesliga |26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 9{{efn|name=UCL}} | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!46||5||2||0||colspan=2|—||17||2||0||0||65||7 | ||||||||||||
| colspan=3|Career total
!92||8||4||0||1||0||20||2||6||0||123||10 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played 4 June 2025}}{{cite web | url = https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=32365| title = Felix Nmecha international matches| website = EU-Football.info| date = 19 November 2024| access-date = 19 November 2024}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals | ||
| rowspan=3|Germany
|2023 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 |
| colspan="2"|Total | 4 | 1 |
|---|
:Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Nmecha goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+List of international goals scored by Felix Nmecha !No. !Date !Venue !Cap !Opponent !Score !Result !Competition | |||||||
| align="center"|1 | 19 November 2024 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary | align="center"|3 | {{fb|HUN}} | align="center"|1–0 | align="center"|1–1 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/felix-nmecha.html Profile] at the Borussia Dortmund website
- {{DFB}}
- {{UEFA player}}
{{Borussia Dortmund squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nmecha, Felix}}
Category:Footballers from Hamburg
Category:German men's footballers
Category:Germany men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Germany men's youth international footballers
Category:Germany men's international footballers
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Manchester City F.C. players
Category:VfL Wolfsburg players
Category:Borussia Dortmund players
Category:German sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Category:German emigrants to the United Kingdom
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Category:English people of German descent
Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom