World Cup stars of the Bundesliga: Mainz's Nadiem Amiri
Nadiem Amiri made a vital contribution from the bench in Germany's FIFA World Cup 2026 2-1 comeback victory over Ivory Coast, assisting Deniz Undav's first goal and therefore giving head coach Julian Nagelsmann something to think about for the remainder of the competition...
Name: Nadiem Amiri
Club: Mainz
Country: Germany
International debut: 9 October 2019
Caps: 12
Goals: 1
Stats correct as of 22 June 2026
How was his 2025/26 season?
It may have been a season of two halves for Mainz, but Amiri proved to be one of the few constants. The midfielder was the heartbeat of the side even before Urs Fischer's arrival to replace Bo Henriksen, and he remained the driving force as the 05ers surged up the table and put significant distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
Ultimately, Amiri ended the Bundesliga campaign with a career-high 12 goals, despite missing eight games throughout the campaign. All in all, he struck 17 times across all competitions, earning himself a place in the Germany squad for his maiden major international tournament.
What he brings to the national team
With Aleksandar Pavlović and Felix Nmecha performing strongly across Germany's opening two games of this World Cup, breaking into the starting XI has and will continue to prove difficult for Amiri. However, as he showed with his fantastic crossed assist for Undav, he has the ability to pick out a pass and split open defences.
If Germany progress to the latter stages of the competition, his vision could be key to unlocking the opposition in tight games, and he also provides an alternative to Nmecha's dribbling style. His penalty-striking quality could also come in handy, having netted all eight of the spot-kicks he took for Mainz in the 2025/26 Bundesliga.
Watch: Amiri on fire for Mainz
What his coaches say
"He's a player who's different from an old diesel engine. He doesn't need a warm-up phase, he doesn't have to get going; he's like an electric motor, has instant torque. If he plays for 10 minutes, he gives it his all for those 10 minutes; if he plays for 90 minutes, he's always pushing himself to the limit." - Julian Nagelsmann
"You don't need to give Nadiem a magic potion, just the feeling of being comfortable, of being in the right place. It's fun to watch him when he's in this form." - Niko Bungert, Mainz sporting director
