Who is Jamal Musiala?

Data correct as of 6 September 2024

Jamal Musiala

Age: 21 (born 26 February 2003)
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Attacking midfield
Country: Germany (34 caps, five goals)

Key stats

Born in Fulda just north-east of Frankfurt, Musiala grew up in England where his family moved when he was seven. After only four months at Southampton, the attacking midfielder joined Chelsea where he made his U18 team debut aged just 15 years, two months and 13 days. He was equally precocious at international level, playing for England's (yes, England's) U15 side while only 13 years old. England fans might well wonder what might have been as Musiala subsequently featured at both U17 and U21 level with England, but ultimately committed his international future to Germany in early 2021.

Musiala joined Bayern from Chelsea in summer 2019, aged 16, and his progress continued at breakneck pace. After eight U19 appearances, he was propelled into the reserves, marking his professional debut with a brace in a third-tier game after the pandemic. On Matchday 33 of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season, he came off the bench against Freiburg to become Bayern's youngest-ever player in the Bundesliga at just 17 years and 115 days old.

Watch: The best of Jamal Musiala

He added another record to his CV by becoming the Bavarian club's all-time youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 205 days, smashing the record set by the 18-year-old Roque Santa Cruz, with the last goal in an 8-0 win over Schalke on the opening day of the 2020/21 season.

Musiala reached seven top-flight goals quicker than anyone except Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz on Bundesliga Matchday 3 of the following season. He tallied 30 Bundesliga appearances that campaign, but found another gear following Robert Lewandowski's move to Barcelona in summer 2022.

Within 14 matches at the start of the 2022/23 term, he had nine goals and six assists, and in the club's final game of 2022, he celebrated becoming the youngest Bayern player to reach 100 competitive games with two assists. Musiala ultimately ended the Bundesliga campaign on 12 goals and 10 assists - the highest combined hand of any Bayern player - most notably hitting the title-clincher off the bench in Cologne on the final day. Injuries reduced Musiala to only 24 Bundesliga appearances in 2023/24, but that did not stop him finding the back of the net on 10 occasions - only Harry Kane got more for Der Rekordmeister.

Watch: All of Jamal Musiala's 2023/24 Bundesliga goals & assists

His rise at international level has been just as meteoric. Musiala made his Germany debut under Joachim Löw in March 2021, before ex-Bayern coach Hansi Flick rewarded his protégé with a first start against Liechtenstein in World Cup qualifying, and he marked the occasion with an assist. He became the second-youngest goalscorer in the history of the Germany national team when he found the net against North Macedonia at 18 years and 227 days having been the youngest German player to feature at a major tournament (UEFA Euro 2020).

Included in the 2022 World Cup squad, he started all three group games, and has since developed into one of the key members of the senior side under Julian Nagelsmann with whom he worked at Bayern. He would go on to be a revelation at Euro 2024, netting three goals in five games before Germany's campaign was ended early by eventual champions Spain.

Watch: Musiala under the microscope

Plays a bit like: Lionel Messi

Plenty of players have been touted as potential successors to the legendary Argentine, but Musiala might just live up to the hype. Don't just take our word for it, though! Germany's 1990 World Cup-winning captain Lothar Matthäus agrees. "He can be the Messi of the future, he is excellent," the Bundesliga Legend told BBC Sport after Musiala's star turn against Spain. "I have loved him for the last two years, I love his style of football and I love his personality. He's 19 years old, he is doing the things that will make him a top footballer. He has great passing, he is clever with his thinking and he loves football."

Musiala is predominately right-footed but more than capable of using his left when needed, and the attacking midfielder prides himself on his powerful shot. He prefers to be deployed as a No.10 in behind the striker so he can demonstrate his dribbling ability, but he can also play as a No.9 or out wide. A bit like Messi…

Did you know?

Upon signing for Chelsea aged just eight, Musiala was enlisted at the Whitgift School in Croydon. The school has become famous for producing young talents in recent years, with Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi (on loan at Leverkusen in 2022/23), Nigeria international Victor Moses and Lyon’s Bertrand Traore among its former pupils.

Watch: Analysing Musiala

What they're saying

"He has unbelievable potential. It's extraordinary. He has great finishing qualities. Unbelievable attacking qualities also in his dribbling with the ball. He justified my trust [in him]. He's doing very well. He has the foundation for an outstanding career." - former Bayern head coach and current Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann

"Jamal's already very good, but can become world-class. He's very advanced for his age. He's full of tricks, unpredictable and also very dynamic when it comes to controlling the ball - especially with his first touch. He always tries to take the ball forward. He's a very special player." - Bayern and Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich

"Jamal's gone through the roof in the last six months; he’s a great player and has a huge future. He just goes out on the pitch, plays his game and has fun. We're happy to have him with us. Maybe we, other players, should take a leaf out of his book." - Germany striker Timo Werner

"Musiala was the outstanding player for Germany. He's full of surprising elements, he's not scared. He's a fantastic young player that has grown through the Bayern system. It's his first World Cup and he will only grow more and more." - Former Germany striker and coach Jürgen Klinsmann on Musiala's World Cup performance against Spain