On March 22, the 34-year-old German Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil retired.

Ozil has been one of the most impactful footballers of this era. During his career, he earned many trophies and awards.

His achievements include one German Cup (2010), one Spanish Cup (2011), one Spanish Champion (2012), one Spanish Super Cup (2013), one World (2014), one Player of the Year (2015), two English Super Cups (2015 & 2016) and four English FA Cups (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020). 

Ozil is famously known for his time with Real Madrid and Arsenal where he was a key playmaker for both clubs. 

The German helped lead to powerful Real Madrid team to a league title, Copa Del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. He was known for his vision and amazing passing. 

It didn’t take long for the young midfielder to create an impact. In his first season with Madrid, Mesut ended up having the most assists in Europe in 2010, becoming the European Assist Leader. He would even help the team become the first team in Europe’s top five leagues to reach an outstanding 100 points while also winning the LaLiga title in the 2011-2012 season. 

The 2012-2013 season was Ozil’s last season with Real Madrid. During this season, Ozil helped win the Spanish Super Cup. He played an important role in assisting Cristiano Ronaldo to give Madrid very important goals during the Spanish Super Cup. Ozil had 29 assists after the season finished, giving him his third top LaLiga assist leader in a row. 

“At Madrid, Ozil played as the number 10 creating chances anywhere from the midfield keeping possessions or fast breaks on counterattacks,” said Real Madrid fan Ricardo Bautista.  “Ozil was a special player in his time at Madrid because his vision of the field was extraordinarily high-class compared to other midfielders at the time. He would see runs and make passes like no other player. His impact on the attack was also incredible”

After his amazing career with Real Madrid, the German playmaker decided to join the Premier League, where he played with Arsenal from 2013 to 2021, earning three FA Cups with them. It was clear to see Ozil’s impact on the English pitch, as he won a FA Cup with his new team right away. 

Ozil was on fire, and it looked like nobody was able to stop him as he won back-to-back FA Cups with Arsenal. Even though he would have minor injuries from time to time, that didn’t stop the German from becoming the league’s top assist leader in the 2015-2016 season. 

Arsenal’s great form was not lost coming into the next season, resulting in them winning a third FA Cup with Ozil. Ozil’s injuries slowly started affecting the playmaker as he started to miss more games. It was clear to see that the midfielder’s form slowly dipped down, but still earned his fourth FA Cup in 2020.

“[Mesut Ozil] truly revolutionized the central attacking midfielder role on the pitch and was an absolute magician on the ball,  said Arsenal fan Spanya Odisho. “To some fans, Ozil was considered ‘lazy’ for his low work rate and his ability to track back and defend, but he absolutely made up for it when he attacked. What set him apart from other midfielders was his vision. He could pick out a pass that not even commentators would see coming. The utter sheer class that oozed from his feet made so many memorable moments that I will always keep close to my heart. He was adored throughout the world of football and was considered an Arsenal icon.”

Ozil started his professional international career at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Before his debut for the first team,  he played for Germany at the U-17 and U-21 levels. He started every match in the 2010 World Cup and managed to help Germany reach third place, defeating Uruguay. 

During the 2012 UEFA European Championship or the Euros, Ozil started to get more recognition with his passing, as he had seven assists. He also earned two Man of the Match awards. Sadly, Germany would be defeated by Italy in the semi-finals, but the team was named the Team of the Tournament. 

At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Mesut would start every game. mainly as a left wing. This is when Ozil would be truly recognized by the world as a world-class midfielder, as he helped lead Germany to win the World Cup while also being their top scorer of the tournament with eight goals. This tournament was also where Germany became the first European team to win a World Cup held in a South American country. 

During the 2016 UEFA Euros, Mesut would help Germany reach the semi-finals against France. The Germans ended up losing the match 0-2, and Ozil Ozil ended the tournament with one goal and one assist. 

Russia would be Ozil’s last stop for international football. Ozil would start in two out of three games at the 2018 World Cup, but Germany failed to move past the group stage,  sadly putting an end to the magical midfielder’s international career.

Ozil received racist remarks after Germany’s performance at the 2018 World Cup. Fans made racist remarks about Ozil’s Turkish roots. Ozil famously stated, “I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,” as a response to the double standard and racism he faces due to his performance at the 2018 World Cup. The discrimination and racism that attacked Ozil would cause him to retire from international football, along with injuries that weighed on him for his entire career. 

Ozil was heavily respected in and outside of the football world. His style of play would cause many to adore him. Many regard him as an impactful midfielder who is heavily overlooked. 

May we say goodbye to one of the most influential players of our time. Will we ever see a footballer like Ozil ever again?