He stole the show from Lennart Karl and Jürgen Klopp must answer a big question: why Bayern Munich are after Wael Mohya
Wael Mohya is currently carrying Borussia Mönchengladbach’s hopes, despite being only 17. Top clubs are reportedly lining up, while Jürgen Klopp will need an important answer sooner or later.
By last Friday, everyone in German football knew Wael Mohya was exceptionally talented and had the potential to become a defining player of his generation. The 17-year-old led the faltering former giants Borussia Mönchengladbach to a 3-2 away win at VfB Stuttgart, their first victory in the seventh match of this Bundesliga season. Yet what sets Mohya apart goes beyond his football.
"What is always a good sign: he is incredibly popular within the team," Gladbach sporting director Rouven Schröder recently stressed on Sport1-Doppelpass. Nobody worries that the heavily hyped youngster will develop airs and graces. Even from the outside, it is easy to see why his team-mates like him: Moya’s mischievous grin and endearingly scatterbrained, relaxed manner are hard to resist. He combines the self-confidence needed in professional football with a genuine, down-to-earth attitude.
Schröder also pointed to the people around him. "Wael has been brought up incredibly well, has a wonderful family home, and is very laid-back," he said. That support matters when, at just 17, Mohya carries the hopes of a club with Gladbach’s stature and draws praise from all sides. He must avoid getting carried away without buckling under the pressure, either. Plenty of talents have fallen into one trap or the other.
Those closest to Mohya look well placed to keep his feet on the ground. A few months ago, a fan on Gladbach’s YouTube channel asked who was better, him or his brother Rayan, who is a little over a year and a half older and has played for Regionalliga side VfB Hilden since the summer. Mohya could not stop laughing. "If I tell the truth, I’ll get in trouble with my mum," he eventually said. He knows what he can do without thinking it puts him above everyone else.
Wael Mohya admired Raffael and Ronaldinho
Growing up near Borussia-Park, Mohya took up football through his brother Rayan and his dad, then joined the Foals at seven. He admired Gladbach icon Raffael, who was working his magic for Borussia at the time. Ronaldinho was another favourite, even though Mohya had missed the Brazilian’s glory days. "As a child, I was given a tablet for my birthday. I watched FC Barcelona highlights, including clips of Messi and Ronaldinho. His touch on the ball immediately fascinated me," Mohya explained in an interview with kicker.
Born on 31 December 2008, Mohya was always the youngest in his age group. Youth football sometimes forced him to overcome significant age differences and find ways to compete physically. Perhaps that helped him develop another quality in his game: he does not always need the perfect dribble to beat an opponent.
His outstanding assist for the goal that made it 2-1 against Stuttgart showed as much. Up against Leo Sauer and Lorenz Assignon two against one, Mohya appeared to be stopped. He kept going and, close to the boundary of what constitutes a foul, somehow got past them both. "Wael is 17. You have to think about that. The way he dribbles forward here, the way he plays one-on-one, the way he set up the second goal," sporting director Schröder enthused to Sky afterwards. Mohya also scored Gladbach’s important third goal in Stuttgart.
Five days earlier, Mohya had scored an eye-catching goal in the 2-1 defeat to Hoffenheim. At 17 years and 296 days old, he became the fourth-youngest player in Bundesliga history to score in two consecutive matches. For Borussia, who are still bottom of the table after a difficult start to the season, he offers hope. Remarkably early in his career, Mohya is moving towards becoming a Bundesliga regular. His outstanding dribbling, close control, pace, creativity and ability to use both feet are plain to see.
Wael Mohya sets an example off the ball too
"Creative, free, strong on the ball. Carefree, instinctive, quick to read situations," is how Mohya describes himself. He prefers the left wing or a number ten role in the left half-space, but sees defensive work as part of the job too. A good attacking player, he says, "should provide the attacking impetus for the team, but also work just as hard defensively and cover the ground going backwards. Everyone likes playing with the ball, me included, but playing without the ball is just as important."
"It wasn’t just his assist and his goal that were indescribably good. He did an incredible amount, and tactically he conducted himself really, really well. He tracked back and helped close down the centre," Gladbach coach Alexander Blessin said after the win in Stuttgart. His praise focused above all on Mohya’s work off the ball. Blessin added: "I don’t normally like singling anyone out, but that was top, top, top."
Gladbach’s commitment over the past few years to giving more of their academy players a chance at senior level has helped Mohya. Given his recent progress, the club will be all the more relieved that they still have him. Not long ago, that looked far from certain.
Gladbach almost lost Wael Mohya before his first senior appearance
In early summer 2025, Gladbach risked losing the then 16-year-old before his senior debut. The club had not extended Mohya’s contract, which was due to expire at the time, and media reports suggested the midfield talent could leave Borussia. Several other Bundesliga clubs, most notably Eintracht Frankfurt, reportedly showed interest. Ajax Amsterdam were apparently in the running too.
Mohya had drawn attention during the decisive stages of the German U17 championship. In early June 2025, he stole the show from a certain Lennart Karl in the semi-final against Bayern Munich. Shortly afterwards, Karl was allowed to travel to the Club World Cup with the record champions’ stars. But when Gladbach’s U17s beat Karl and company 3-1, Mohya was the outstanding player on the pitch, scoring twice. A week later, he added a goal and an assist in the 3-1 final victory over RB Leipzig, sending the "hype train" into full motion.
Just under a month later, Gladbach announced that Mohya had "decided, despite numerous other offers, to continue on the path we have laid out for him at Borussia". Still only 16, he extended his contract until 2028. The prospect of an immediate chance with the senior side proved crucial, even though he was only just entering his first year of U19 football.
A breakthrough might have come sooner, but Mohya suffered a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his knee during a friendly against FC Valencia in the summer preparations in 2025. He spent weeks on the sidelines. "That wasn’t easy. It was my first match in a full Borussia-Park, everyone was focused on our club’s 125th anniversary, and then an injury like that happens. But in the end I accepted the situation quickly and immediately looked forward again," Mohya explained.
Wael Mohya is the youngest debutant in Gladbach’s history
After working his way back through the U19s, Mohya made his senior debut at the end of October 2025 in the 3-1 DFB Cup match against Karlsruher SC. At 16 years, nine months and 27 days, he became the youngest debutant in Gladbach’s club history. "We had to watch the time because of the law protecting young people. If it had gone to extra time, it would have become difficult," joked Gladbach’s coach at the time, Eugen Polanski, an important supporter of Mohya. "I believe in gaining experience. Whether he’s 16, 17 or 18, performance is what counts. The lad is good, he is very professional. He’s one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave," Polanski added.
A year has passed since then, and Mohya has taken several further steps, including a milestone in Munich at the beginning of March. Coming off the bench in the 4-1 defeat away to Bayern, the 17-year-old scored his first Bundesliga goal, Borussia’s consolation. He also met Lennart Karl again, around nine months after the U17 semi-final. "After the match in Munich, we actually had a little chat about how quickly everything can happen. And we swapped shirts," Mohya reveals.
Both born in 2008, Mohya and Karl had played together for Germany’s U16 national team a few years ago. The Bayern jewel’s rise was somewhat faster, and he has now made four senior international appearances. New Germany coach Jürgen Klopp handed nine players their DFB debuts in his first training camp in charge, so Mohya is likely to be on his radar too. The Gladbach player’s ability on the ball, pressing and counter-pressing would suit Klopp’s style of play.
Will Wael Mohya play for Germany or Morocco in future?
Whether Mohya wants to play for Germany remains open. He has always worn the DFB shirt at youth level and most recently made his debut for Germany’s U21s at the end of September. But his Moroccan roots mean he could still represent the North African country. "Everything is still open," he made clear again in the summer, adding: "I’m taking my time over a decision."
Mohya confirmed to kicker in March that the Moroccan football federation had already contacted him. Morocco would dearly love to persuade him to switch national teams and make him one of the faces of the 2030 World Cup, which they will host jointly with Spain and Portugal. The DFB will surely make a concerted effort not to lose one of their most promising talents.
In Mönchengladbach, the club know Mohya will sooner or later leave to take the next step in his career. Sky recently reported that Bayern Munich are keeping a close eye on him, along with Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.
According to Bild, Bayern have already gained a slight head start. Board member for sport Max Eberl and sporting director Christoph Freund are said to have asked people in Mohya’s immediate circle about his contract at Gladbach and how they might arrange a transfer. If Bayern make a serious move, Bild reports, they would have "a good chance".
Mohya is unlikely to leave the Foals in the winter, but next summer could be different. According to Sky, Gladbach must first avoid relegation if they are to keep him. The club’s future sporting prospects will also matter.
Gladbach want to extend Mohya’s contract, which expires in 2028, so they are not forced to sell him as early as 2027. According to Bild, talks have already taken place, with a possible doubling of his salary to two million euros including bonuses.
Those around Mohya are handling the negotiations carefully, aiming to shield him from them as much as possible. Sporting director Schröder recently stressed on Sport1-Doppelpass that Mohya feels "completely at home" at Borussia. He was realistic about the medium-term future, though: "He won’t play for Borussia Mönchengladbach his whole life."
