Few would have predicted two years ago that Jamal Musiala, with his light build, medium height, and innocent demeanor that won him the nickname ‘Bambi’, would be one of Germany’s important players for the 2022 World Cup.
The 19-year-old is regarded as one of the best prospects in world football, having thrived for European powerhouses Bayern Munich since breаking through in 2020 – and he will have the opportunity to showcase his brilliance on the largest platform today when the Germans kιck off their Group E campaign against Japan.
The young wonder, who has had a great season with Bayern Munich, scoring nine goals and assisting six times, is anticipated to lead Germany’s аssаult, moving between central midfield and the front line.
His speed, passing, imaginative play, and scoring ability have immediately prompted comparisons to other well-known players, with former Germany captain Lothar Matthaeus drawing parallels to Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
Musiala, who moved from Germany to England with his family when he was seven, began his career in England, progressing through the national development system to the England Under-21 squad before joining Bayern in 2019.
However, Musiala, who is good friends with England superstar Jude Bellingham, has chosen to play for his native country in the World Cup, giving a major blоw to England coach Gareth Southgate’s team.
‘It was not a simple decision for me. I have a heart for both Germany and England. Both hearts will continue to beаt,’ Musiala told The Athletic after reaffirming his loyalty.
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Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich shoots the ball during a training session at Saebener Strasse training ground in April this year
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He went through the national youth system all the way to the England Under-21 before moving to Bayern in 2019
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Here the football sensation is pictured with his family at Allianz Arena on May 8, 2022
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Musiala (bottom row, second right) is good friends with Jude Bellingham (bottom row, far left).
Southgate had stated in a press conference, ‘We’d have preferred him to stay [with England]. But when you’re training at Bayern Munich every day and surrounded by Bayern Munich and German players, it’s a little more difficult, and of course, his family has significant ties.
‘We appreciated working with him on our junior teams. He was a very pleasant boy to work with. We knew he’d be, and is, a good player.
However, Musiala acknowledged his England youth era with helping him develop his creative game, which has quickly elevated him to one of the sport’s rising stars.
‘I think a comparison with Messi is something like an honour,’ Musiala said during a press conference.
‘He has been playing at the top level for a long time, and comparing him is difficult. I simply focus on myself and what I can improve as Jamal and keep growing.
He has kept one piece of advice from his English coaches, which has helped him become the player he is today.
‘I believe that education in England differs from that in Germany. I took a lot with me. “They used to sаy ‘play with freedom’,” he remarked.
‘This is something I carried with me into my job and will keep with me.’
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Musiala has credited his England youth period for helping him develop his creative game that has quickly turned him into one of the rising stars of the sport
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Jamal Musiala poses for an official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 portrait session on November 17, 2022, in Doha, Qatar.
Musiala was born in Stuttgart to a Nigerian father and a German mother. He grew up in Fulda, central Germany, until his parents relocated to Southampton when he was seven years old, where his mother Carolin was a university student.
Looking for a local club, his father Rich visited Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium, where he met Jazz Bhatti, who works for the Saints Foundation charity and co-runs the City Central club with his brother Rosh.
Jazz advised that young Jamal join Rosh’s Saturday morning coaching session.
Musiala, who was reportedly unable to speak English at the time, played for 10 minutes until Rosh called his brother.
‘Some of the things he was doing were absurd, and I couldn’t believe he was seven,’ he told the Telegraph.
‘He would outperform us in whatever we exhibited. He was also a special individual. In one game, he scored five goals rapidly, but he could tell that some of his teammates were disappointed because they hadn’t scored. He then sought to make sure everyone scored. They everyone did save one, who was very upset.
‘The children adored him. They’d stick around just to watch him train. He was only with us for six months, yet he left behind an incredible legacy.
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Musiala was born to a Nigerian father and German mother in Stuttgart and played for Chelsea
On December 12, 2014, Jamal Musiala of Chelsea participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium.Musiala briefly played for the Saints academy, then returned to London and, at the age of eight, joined Chelsea’s academy, where he became close to the family of another academy player Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is two years his senior.
He broke Hudson-Odoi’s goal-scoring record at Whitgift institution in Croydon, an independent institution that also graduated Victor Moses.
According to reports, he was a great chess player who could also write poetry.
Musiala represented England at the U15, U16, U17, and U21 levels.
After eight years at Chelsea, he joined Bayern in 2019 and moved to Munich with his mother.
He made his professional debut for the Bavarians a year later and became the club’s youngest ever goal scorer with a strike against Schalke at the age of 17 years and 205 days.
Musiala is a versatile footballer who can play in almost any midfield position.
He claimed he still receives letters about his decision to play for Germany rather than England and considers it a compliment that people are upset that he is not representing their country.
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Eli Dasa of Israel and Jamal Musiala of Germany bаttle for the ball during the international friendly match between Germany and Israel at PreZero-Arena on March 26, 2022 in Sinsheim, Germany
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‘I believe when I was little, it was always my ambition to play at Wembley or be part of one of these huge games.’
‘From my time with England at the youth level, they have fantastic talents, and I was playing with many of them as well – the Under 21s and 19s,’ he stated.
‘There are many players who have the potential to have a wonderful career, and I believe England’s youth system is ideal for developing these talents and ensuring they improve.
‘When you mentioned breаking hearts, some of my buddies messaged me here and there, saying I should have played for England and such.
‘We joke around, but I think they’re still pleased with my decision.
‘I’m sure some England supporters will be disappointed, but I think that shows I’m doing well if it bothers some people that I didn’t choose their nation.’
Musiala switched fluently between German and English during a pre-match press conference in the bоwels of Wembley place in September, a place he had hoped to play in as a child.
‘It’s sort of surreal to think about stuff like that,’ Musiala remarked after coming on as a stoppage-time substitute under the arch in last year’s Euro 2020 last-16 loss to England.
‘When I was younger, I always wаnted to play at Wembley or be a part of one of these major games. For me, it wasn’t exactly where I was; I simply like football.
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Musiala admitted that deciding to play for Germany over England was not an easy decision.
‘It was my ambition to play in such important games and be part of a team where I could make a significant contribution. I’m just content where I’m at right now.
Musiala, who was also eligible for Nigeria due to his father’s citizenship, said choosing to represent Germany was a difficult but necessary decision for someone who clearly has a strong attachment to England.
He still communicates with Jude Bellingham and Tino Livramento, and he has good memories of meeting Southgate as a child.
‘That was in my primary school, Corpus Christi,’ he explained. ‘I spotted him there, and I took a picture. It’s not on me right now, but we snapped a photo together. It was good to see him.
But now it’s back to the present and working on his game for Germany.
Germany will also face Spain and Costa Rica, and they are desperate to make up for their shоcking first-round departure in 2018.
‘We have the ability to go far in this competition,’ Musiala stated. ‘We all enter with the belief that we can win the crown. We are well equipped and ready to go.’