Bundesliga
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz have been lighting up the world stage as youngsters in the Germany senior setup, but the U21s have a few gems of their own. bundesliga.com looks at five of the best upcoming talents to spot at this summer's European championships in Slovakia...
Stats correct as of 22 May 2025
Nick Woltemade
Position: Striker
Club: Stuttgart
Date of birth: 14 February 2002
U21 appearances/goals*: 13/7
Since making the step up from the U20s, Woltemade has been the main man up front for Antonio Di Salvo's Germany U21 side. His incredible consistency in output is reflected in his numbers: across 13 appearances for his country's U21s, Woltemade has struck seven times and assisted a further seven as well.
Most recently, he scored a hat-trick against Spain's U21 side, in a 3-1 friendly win for Germany's young stars.
Making his league debut for Werder Bremen as a 17-year-old in 2020, Woltemade's rise to the top had been a slow and steady one until the 2024/25 season saw him seize the Bundesliga stage. Woltemade smashed a career-best 12 Bundesliga goals for Stuttgart - including a superb solo effort against Wolfsburg.
Watch: The best of Nick Woltemade
The Stuttgart star has set his sights on a place with the senior side for the 2026 World Cup, and coach Julian Nagelsmann called the youngster up for the first time ahead of the 2025 UEFA Nations League finals - despite his inclusion also in the U21 squad for the European championships starting later in June.
Unusually good with his feet for a player of his 6"4' frame, Woltemade's World Cup dream certainly feels achievable if he can make his mark in either the Nations League or U21 Euros after a great end to the season with Stuttgart.
Paul Nebel
Position: Winger
Club: Mainz
Date of birth: 10 November 2002
U21 appearances/goals*: 8/0
Watch: Paul Nebel earns nomination for Bundesliga player of the Month in December 2024
Another nascent Germany U21 star, Mainz man Nebel's displays lit up Bo Henriksen's team in the Bundesliga in 2024/25.
The 22-year-old has been involved at every level of Germany's youth setups, ever since the U15 side in 2017. After a slow start to his Mainz career, Nebel had to get consistent minutes and found game time in consecutive seasons at Karlsruhe, making more than 30 appearances between 2022 and 2024 before returning to Mainz to fight for his place. It's safe to say that fight is going very successfully now.
Nebel has scored ten times and assisted four times as Mainz took the Bundesliga by storm by finishing sixth.
Playing behind the clinical Jonathan Burkardt in Mainz's attack, Nebel's playmaking ability and low centre of gravity makes him a dangerous presence between opposition lines. On top of that, he is a tireless worker off the ball, a manager's dream of a creative player.
“I had to fight my way into the Mainz first team,” Nebel said during the March international break. “Of course, I always want to be on the pitch for both club and country. Here (with the U21 team), we have to show what we’re made of and remain successful in order to prepare for the European Championship.”
Noah Atubolu
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Freiburg
Date of birth: 25 May 2002
U21 appearances/clean sheets*: 17/5
Dubbed the 'penalty killer' by the time he had turned 22, Freiburg No.1 Atubolu's reputation is certainly one that is trending upwards with each clean sheet he keeps. He kept 10 of those in the Bundesliga in 2024/25 as Freiburg sealed a spot in the UEFA Europa League with a fifth-placed finish.
Freiburg-born Atubolu made his debut for Germany's U17 side back in 2018 and now finds himself a regular at U21 level, making 17 appearances to date, keeping five clean sheets in the process.
Watch: The best of Noah Atubolu
On the domestic front, Atubolu's record-breaking shot-stopping has seen him seal a place in the record books. He went as many as 609 minutes between the sticks without conceding in the Bundesliga over the course of the season, entering the top 10 in league history for longest runs without conceding.
It is no wonder that Atubolu's name has repeatedly come up as a prime candidate to take Germany's No.1 jersey in the future following Manuel Neuer's international retirement.
"It’s nice that my name is being mentioned among seven or eight options, but it would be even better if it were part of a much smaller, elite group," said Atubolu, speaking to bundesliga.com earlier this season. "There is a golden generation of German goalkeepers still playing. But eventually a new generation will take over."
Rocco Reitz
Position: Midfielder
Club: Gladbach
Date of birth: 29 May 2002
U21 appearances/goals*: 12/2
A poster boy of a new generation of Gladbach academy youngsters, Reitz has been at Borussia Park since the age of seven, making his first-team debut at the age of 17, in 2020.
The all-round midfielder started his national team journey with the U16s and then immediately leapt up to the U21s, making his debut in 2023.
Reitz's versatility, quality and energy in and out of possession make him a huge asset for club and country. He spent most time in the past season playing in defensive midfield alongside the ever-reliable Julian Weigl in a double pivot.
Ahead of Euro 2024, Nagelsmann invited Reitz to train with the senior side following a good 2023/24 season, where he notched six goals and provided three assists.
"Reitz has had a very good season, is very hard-working. He tries to initiate a lot of attacks," said Nagelsmann on Reitz's call-up to the squad for a friendly encounter with Ukraine.
Nathaniel Brown
Position: Left-back
Club: Frankfurt
Date of birth: 16 June 2003
U21 appearances/goals*: 9/1
Last, but certainly not least, is Brown, the German-American who is making quite the mark on Frankfurt's season in his debut Bundesliga campaign.
Signing for Die Adler in January 2024, Brown was sent back to parent club Nuremberg to finish the 2023/24 Bundesliga 2 season. Now, at the Deutsche Bank Park, Brown has recorded three goals and six assists across 24 Bundesliga appearances, playing across the left in Dino Toppmöller's system.
Brown made his debut for Germany's U21 side back in September 2023 and scored his first goal against Denmark in November 2024, in a 3-0 friendly win for Germany.
On the domestic front, Brown's impressive displays have earned him the Rookie of the Month award twice, as a back-to-back winner in November and December 2024.
Watch: Nathaniel Brown named December's Rookie of the Month!
Brown reflected on his progress and where he can still improve to bundesliga.com in January.
"It’s a difficult position because you need to be strong in both attack and defence," said the Frankfurt defender. "I see myself in more of an attacking role, but I cannot neglect my defensive duties, and this is something I still need to work on."
Given his obvious strengths going forward and promise as an industrious wing-back, it may not be long before this Germany U21 star makes the step up to Nagelsmann's senior setup.