Nadiem Amiri: 'Never thought I'd be at the World Cup'

The Mainz midfielder with Afghan roots has become a key member of Germany's 2026 World Cup squad. Coach Julian Nagelsmann said Amiri can provide the team a spark when it's most needed.

Fourteen years on from the moment Nadiem Amiri joined Hoffenheim's youth teams and played for a young coach called Julian Nagelsmann, the pair are together in the US, Canada and Mexico representing Germany at the World Cup.

"If you have a youth coach and you know each other early and for a long time, then it's always a special relationship," said Amiri. "There were so many amazing moments together and that shapes us. We have a good connection, and he was always in touch even when he wasn't my coach. I have a lot of respect for Julian and am grateful to him."

And after just the second game at this tournament, Nagelsmann can be grateful that Amiri delivered what he wanted from the midfielder exactly when the team needed it. After all, it was the 29-year-old's perfectly delivered cross that set up Deniz Undav for Germany's equalizer in Toronto on Saturday.

"I knew my moment would come," said Amiri, who has met in an exemplary fashion the expectation that Julian Nagelsmann has of him as a substitute who delivers instant results.

Nagelsmann told ARD at the end of May that Amiri's emotional energy had played a role in his inclusion in the squad. "Especially in the heat, when a game is petering out after the 70th minute because the teams are tired, [Amiri] can still spark something with his positive tenacity."

Amiri's long road back to the top 

The turning point in his recent career was a surprise move to Mainz in January 2024.

"The move to Mainz was the best move of my life. At the time, I just wanted to be happy again and play. I never would have thought I'd be sitting here two years later, but in football you never know," Amiri said, as Germany prepares for a World Cup game against Ecuador. "I always believed in my qualities and I'm very proud."

After helping the club to stave off relegation, Amiri helped Mainz reach Europe in the following season. In the campaign just finished, Amiri took a jump, scoring more goals and driving Mainz to the Conference League quarterfinals. Notably, the 29-year-old scored all 10 of the penalties he took in the season just finished, including two in one Bundesliga game.

Amiri returned to Germany's squad in March 2025 following a five-year absence, admitting that while it hurt being out of contention for so long it didn't break him. Indeed, Amiri's openness about his family and what it means to him to be here is a reminder of his strength of will, but also the impact of a supportive inner circle.

"I can't find that many words to say about him [father] because if I did, I'd have to talk for hours about how grateful I am. I love him more than anything," said Amiri. "Every moment on the pitch is for them [family]. When I assisted the goal, they were celebrating in the crowd as if they had delivered the cross. It's an incredible moment," said Amiri, adding that 20 of the 25 family members were at game. "With it being my World Cup debut and all that happened, it was a perfect day."

From Afghanistan to America

Amiri's parents fled war-torn Afghanistan in the 1980s, settling in the West German city of Ludwigshafen. His father had a trucking business and his mother was employed at a care home for 20 years as the pair labored to create safety and opportunity for their children.

Amiri was born in 1996 and played on the streets of the city with his older brother. His parents then drove him to practice in Kaiserslautern, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) away, where his football journey began.

"In the tough times, I realized that for me, it's the family that is always there. A slump like that was good for me at the time," said Amiri.

Whether it was the path to youth football as a child, the setbacks in Leverkusen or the half-decade long absence from the Germany team, Amiri has come seen the challenges and overcome them. In September 2025, it was Amiri's goal off the bench that turned the tide for Germany in Cologne against Northern Ireland. In Toronto, at the World Cup, it was his cross that did the same. Deniz Undav might be Germany's supersub and the man making the headlines right now, but he's not the only one capable of making a game-changing impact for this team.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn