Mesut Özil is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was born on October 15, 1988, in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany. He began his professional career with Schalke 04 before joining Werder Bremen in 2008. In 2010, he signed for Real Madrid, where he won the La Liga title in the 2011–12 season. In 2013, he joined Arsenal, where he made over 250 appearances and won the FA Cup in the 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, and 2019–20 seasons. At international level, Özil represented Germany, earning over 90 caps. He was part of the squad that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup and retired from international football in 2018.