Nelson Weiper: Who is the Mainz and Germany U21 forward?
Mainz forward Nelson Weiper has continually impressed for Germany at youth level and enjoyed regular minutes on the pitch for the first time in 2024/25. Now, the 20-year-old is primed for a breakout Bundesliga campaign...
Data correct as of 1 July 2025
Age: 20 (born 17 March 2025)
Club: Mainz
Position: Striker
Country: Germany (36 youth caps, 21 goals)
Weiper's the next prodigy off the Mainz production line, after the likes of Jonathan Burkardt, Brajan Gruda and Paul Nebel. Born in the city, the 6'3" forward joined the club as an eight-year-old and has been there ever since.
At 15, Weiper made his debut for the U17s and wasted no time in showing off his prolific goalscoring. He needed just five appearances to score six times before the 2020/21 youth season was prematurely ended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The goals kept on coming at a frightening rate when the action resumed, though, as Weiper ended 2022/23 with 13 in 14 U19 outings, helping his team win the U19 Bundesliga along the way.
Unsurprisingly, Weiper's showings earned him a professional contract and a move up to the senior side, for whom he made his debut as a substitute against Freiburg in October 2022 and scored his first goal in a 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach four months later, making him the youngster scorer in Mainz history. All of this earned him the U17 Fritz Walter Award, given annually to the best player in Germany at U19, U18 and U17 level.
After two goals in nine Bundesliga games, Weiper looked set to take the German top flight by storm. However, he suffered a serious knee injury at the start of 2023/24 and did not play again until May. Still, he showed resilience to fight back and make 25 appearances in all competitions in 2024/25, scoring thrice.
At international level, Weiper hit 13 goals in 15 matches for the Germany U17s, including five in one game at the 2022 Algarve Tournament, where he claimed the Golden Boot as top scorer.
Following further goals for the U18s and 19s, the Mainz No.44 was on target in four of Germany's six matches during their run to the UEFA U21 Euro 2025 final.
Watch: Nelson Weiper scored his fifth Bundesliga goal to date in April 2025
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Plays a bit like: Patrik Schick
Weiper's a similar type of striker to Bayer Leverkusen's Patrik Schick - who finished second in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts for the second time in his career in 2024/25 - albeit a right-footed version.
A traditional target man, the German youngster has an imposing physical presence, boasts strong hold- and link-up play abilities and is a clinical finisher.
Did you know?
Weiper was born to a German father and an Albanian mother, meaning he could still play for the Balkan nation at senior international level if things don't work out with Germany. His brother Henrik is also a footballer, and was on Mainz's books as a goalkeeper before moving to the USA.
What they're saying...
"He has great, great potential. He's an incredible player, we know that." - Mainz head coach Bo Henriksen
"Nelli (Nelson) is a poacher, he has a special nose for goal, the centre-forward gene. In addition, he has physique and is big and fast. The boy can go a long way." - Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel
"Talent, technique, willpower and conviction – he has all of that." - former Mainz sporting director Martin Schmidt
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