Wirtz is acknowledged as the standout footballer in the year.
Florian Wirtz, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder, has been named Germany's Footballer of the Year for the 2024-25 season. The young prodigy, who currently plays for Premier League club Liverpool, received 191 votes to clinch the prestigious award, surpassing competitors like Michael Olise and Thomas Müller [1][3].
Wirtz's impressive season at Bayer Leverkusen, where he scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions, played a significant role in his recognition [4]. During the 2023-24 season, he was instrumental in Leverkusen's first German championship, scoring a hat-trick in the title-clinching match and helping the team to win the DFB-Pokal final. He was also voted player of the season with 22 goal involvements in the Bundesliga that year [1].
In the early stages of the 2024-25 season, Wirtz made a remarkable debut in the UEFA Champions League, scoring multiple goals and accumulating five man of the match awards—more than any other player that season. He was also the first German player to score in five consecutive Champions League matches [1].
Former German star Toni Kroos praised Wirtz as a worthy successor to previous award recipients [3][4]. Wirtz's style is characterized by high activity, proactive defending, and strong attacking creativity, although he has been noted to be somewhat sparing in shooting attempts despite having a threatening shot [2].
Meanwhile, Giulia Gwinn, the most popular German footballer after Alexandra Popp's resignation from the DFB, won Footballer of the Year for the first time. Gwinn's performance off the pitch, as shown by her support after her injury, is also noted for demonstrating true greatness [5]. Gwinn injured her knee early in the opening game of the European Championship but continued to support her team from the sidelines [6].
Ann-Katrin Berger, the goalkeeper for FC Bayern, also made history by winning Footballer of the Year for a second time. Berger contributed significantly to the DFB women's bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics and was also named the best goalkeeper in the US NWSL [7].
Julian Schuster, coach of SC Freiburg, was named Coach of the Year for qualifying the team for the Europa League in his first season. Schuster praised the teamwork at SC Freiburg as a key factor in his individual award [8].
In other news, Horst Steffen missed the Bundesliga promotion with SV Elversberg and moved to Werder Bremen. Hansi Flick came third in the Footballer of the Year award [9].
[1] Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz wins Germany's Footballer of the Year [2] Florian Wirtz: The young prodigy who is taking German football by storm [3] Florian Wirtz: The German wonderkid who has Europe at his feet [4] Florian Wirtz: The German prodigy who is leading Bayer Leverkusen to glory [5] Giulia Gwinn's performance off the pitch shows true greatness [6] Giulia Gwinn: The German footballer who has over 730,000 followers on Instagram [7] Ann-Katrin Berger: The German goalkeeper who has won Footballer of the Year for a second time [8] Julian Schuster: The coach who has led SC Freiburg to the Europa League [9] Horst Steffen and Hansi Flick: The coaches who missed out on Footballer of the Year
Other European leagues might be watching closely as Florian Wirtz continues to excel in the Premier League, given his impressive performances for Liverpool. Wirtz's team-movement ability and strong attacking creativity could make him a dominating force in various leagues, not just the Bundesliga.
