From being a Chelsea youth product to joining Bayern Munich, Jamal Musiala is fast becoming one of the most exciting footballers in German and the world over, writes Dylan Appolis.
Jamal Musiala was born in Stuttgart, Germany and lived in the suburb of Fulda until the age of seven, where he played for TSV Lehnerz before moving to England.
He spent four months playing with Southampton before being spotted by Chelsea, where he spent the last years of his childhood, from 2011 to 2019, until he left England to return to Germany.
Musiala left the Blues in 2019 to join Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich’s youth academy set-up, where he swiftly made his way through the ranks to earn himself a promotion to the first team in July 2020.
The attacking midfielder made his Bundesliga debut against SC Freiburg in Munich on 20 June 2020 to become the youngest player to feature for Bayern in the Bundesliga at the age of 17 years and 115 days, and although that would be his only appearance for that season, he formed part of the same Bayern squad that won the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League title.
Exactly 90 days later, he also became the Bavarian club’s all-time youngest goal scorer at 17 years and 205 days, when he found the back of the net in Bayern’s 8–0 hammering of Schalke on the opening day of 2020–21, breaking the record previously set by an 18-year- old Roque Santa Cruz in 1999.
“He has unbelievable potential. It’s extraordinary. He has great finishing qualities. Unbelievable attacking qualities also in his dribbling with the ball”, former Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann said. “He justified my trust. He’s doing very well. He has the basis for an outstanding career. “He’s young, he’s talented, and he’s not 35, so there’s still lots of room for improvement. His dribbling is so dangerous because he uses both feet – but most importantly, he works hard defensively as well.”
Building on his breakout season in 2020–21, in which he scored seven goals and had one assist from 37 appearances in all competition, Musiala cemented his place in the Bayern senior team and proved a vital cog in the club machinery.
This season, Musiala has shifted up a gear and stepped in to fill the void left by striker Robert Lewandowski, who joined Barcelona in 2022, having contributed to 30 goals with 15 goals and 15 assists in 45 appearances across all competition, proving his versatility, and that he is more than capable of scoring and creating goals.
“I have set my sights on getting in better positions and scoring more goals this season. It’s going very well so far,” said Musiala.
The 20-year-old’s performances for Bayern have also translated on to the international stage, where he has a goal and three assists to show for his first 20 senior-team appearances as well as making his debut and featuring three times during the group stages of the World Cup in Qatar earlier this year.
His performance for both club and country has not gone unnoticed and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus has already compared the youngster to superstar Lionel Messi and Musiala had much to say about being compared to one of the best players to have ever graced the football field.
“I think it’s a big honour to be compared to Messi,” said Musiala. “He has been playing at the top level for his entire career. It’s always hard to compare yourself to others. I prefer to focus on myself and on where I can improve.
“It’s important to remain relaxed about what’s happening and to not put too much pressure on yourself. You also have to have some fun, and then everything will work out.”
Musiala’s versatility has no measure as he is primarily right footed, but is more than capable of using his left foot when necessary. The attacking midfielder’s preferred position is at No. 10 behind the striker, but he is also very comfortable playing as a striker or out on the wing.
There is no doubt that Musiala is a remarkable talent and is the future of Bayern and German football alike – he has grown and continues to develop into a world-class footballer.
Photo by EPA/CHRISTIAN BRUNA
