Matthias Ginter
Matthias Lukas Ginter (born 19 January 1994) is a German professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach and the Germany national team.
![]() Ginter with Germany in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Matthias Lukas Ginter[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | [2] | 19 January 1994||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Freiburg im Breisgau,[3] Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Borussia Mönchengladbach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
1998–2005 | SV March | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–2012 | SC Freiburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2014 | SC Freiburg | 70 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2014–2017 | Borussia Dortmund | 67 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2017– | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 153 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011–2012 | Germany U18 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2013 | Germany U19 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2013–2017 | Germany U21 | 18 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | Germany U23 | 5 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2014– | Germany | 46 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Honours
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:57, 16 April 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18:53, 14 November 2021 (UTC) |
Club career
Early career
Ginter began his career with SV March before he moved to the youth squad of SC Freiburg for the 2005–06 season. With the A-youth squad, he won the Junior DFB-Pokal.
In January 2012, Ginter trained with Freiburg's first team due, in part, to a loss of several players from the roster during the winter transfer window. On 21 January 2012, Ginter made his professional debut when he was substituted in for Anton Putsila in the 70th minute against fellow relegation battlers FC Augsburg. In the 88th minute of the game, he scored the winning goal from a free-kick by Michael Lumb for his team in the 1–0 victory.[4] The goal, which came two days after Ginter's 18th birthday, made him SCF's youngest Bundesliga goalscorer in the club's history. The record was previously held by Dennis Aogo.[5] Two days later, on 23 January, Ginter signed a contract to join the first team of SC Freiburg.
Borussia Dortmund
On 17 July 2014 Ginter signed for Borussia Dortmund on a five-year deal.[6] He made his debut on 13 August, playing the full match as they won the DFL-Supercup 2–0 against Bayern Munich at the Westfalenstadion.[7]
Borussia Mönchengladbach
On 4 July 2017, Ginter signed with Dortmund rivals Mönchengladbach on a four-year deal. The move was worth around €17 million.[8]
Return to SC Freiburg
On 4 May 2022, Freiburg announced the transfer of Ginter on a free transfer from Mönchengladbach, the club where he began his career. Ginter will move ahead of the 2022–23 season.[9]
International career
Youth
He represented the under-21 team at the 2015 European Championship in the Czech Republic, starting all four matches. In their second group match at the Eden Arena in Prague against Denmark, following two Kevin Volland goals, Ginter rounded off the scoring by heading in Amin Younes' cross in the 53rd minute, leading to a 3–0 victory.[10]
Senior

On 5 March 2014, he earned his first cap for the senior national team of his country after coming on as a 90th-minute substitute for Mesut Özil in the 1–0 win over Chile in a friendly match at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.[11] He became the 900th player to be capped by the German national team.[12]
In June, he was named as the youngest player in Germany's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup[13] which went on to win the tournament, although he did not enter the field of play at any point.
He was part of the squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics, where Germany won the silver medal.[14]
Along with fellow World Cup-winner Shkodran Mustafi and Julian Draxler, Ginter won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
On 4 June 2018, Ginter was selected in Germany's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[15] He would not play, making him the only outfield player in German football history who participated in two World Cup campaigns without playing a single minute.
Ginter scored his first goal for Germany on 16 November 2019 in a match against Belarus.
On 19 May 2021, he was selected to the squad for the UEFA Euro 2020.[16]
Personal life
In May 2018, Ginter married his wife Christina.[17] His son was born on Ginter's own birthday, 19 January 2020.
In October 2021, the home stadium of SV March, the team where Ginter started his career, renamed their stadium "Matthias-Ginter-Sportpark".[18]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 16 April 2022[19]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
SC Freiburg | 2011–12 | Bundesliga | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | ||
2012–13 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 | ||||
2013–14 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 42 | 3 | |||
Total | 70 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 81 | 5 | |||
Borussia Dortmund | 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
2015–16 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 1 | — | 40 | 4 | |||
2016–17 | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
Total | 67 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 102 | 4 | ||
Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 34 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 5 | ||
2018–19 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 2 | ||||
2019–20 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 36 | 1 | |||
2020–21 | 34 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 46 | 2 | |||
2021–22 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 1 | ||||
Total | 153 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 178 | 11 | |||
Career total | 290 | 16 | 29 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 361 | 20 |
International
- As of match played 14 November 2021[20]
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Germany | |||
2014 | 5 | 0 | |
2015 | 3 | 0 | |
2016 | 1 | 0 | |
2017 | 8 | 0 | |
2018 | 6 | 0 | |
2019 | 6 | 1 | |
2020 | 6 | 1 | |
2021 | 11 | 0 | |
Total | 46 | 2 |
- As of match played 14 November 2020. Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Ginter goal.[20]
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 November 2019 | Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany | ![]() | 1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
2 | 10 October 2020 | NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
Honours
Borussia Dortmund
Germany
Germany Olympic
- Summer Olympic Games silver medal: 2016[23]
Individual
- Fritz Walter U18 Gold Medal: 2012[24]
- Fritz Walter U19 Gold Medal: 2013[25]
- Germany national team Player of the Year: 2019[26]
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2019–20[27]
- Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards – Favorite Football Player (Germany, Austria, & Switzerland) nominee: 2020[28]
References
- "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Germany" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
- "Matthias Ginter: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- "Matthias Ginter: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- "Freiburg tops fellow struggler Augsburg". foxsports.com. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
- "Matchday 18: Facts and figures". bundesliga.de. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
- "Borussia Dortmund signs Matthias Ginter". Goal.com. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
- "German Supercup: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Bayern Munich". BBC Sport. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- "Matthias Ginter: Borussia Monchengladbach sign Dortmund defender". BBC. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- "Matthias Ginter returns to SC Freiburg". scfreiburg.com. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- Kell, Tom (20 June 2015). "Volland double helps Germany defeat Denmark". UEFA.
- "International friendly: Mario Gotze's first-half strike helps Germany edge out Chile 1–0". Sky Sports News. 5 March 2014.
- "Matthias Gingler der 900.Nationalspieler" (in German). fussballnationalmannschaft.net. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- "Germany World Cup 2014 squad". The Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- "Neymar's golden penalty sees Brazil to victory". fifa.com. 20 August 2016. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016.
- "Germany announce final World Cup squad, with Manuel Neuer, without Leroy Sané". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- "EM-Kader offiziell: Löw beruft Müller, Hummels und Volland". kicker.de (in German). 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- "Christina Ginter ist die schönste Spielerfrau". stern.de (in German). Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- Bezirksligist SC March benennt Stadion nach Matthias Ginter
- "M. Ginter". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- Matthias Ginter at National-Football-Teams.com
- "Match report: Germany – Argentina". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019.
- "Match report: Chile – Germany". FIFA. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019.
- "Rio 2016 Football Results Book: Medallists". Olympic World Library. 20 August 2016. p. 7.
- "SC Freiburg: Ginter ist U18-Nachwuchsspieler des Jahres 2012" (in German). Badische Zeitung. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- "Fritz-Walter-Medaille: Ginter auf Götzes Spuren" (in German). German Football Association. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
- "Ginter, best national German player of 2018". Deutsche Welle. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- "Sechsmal Bayern, einmal Gladbach: Die kicker-Elf der Saison (2019/20)" (in German). kicker. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- "NickALive!: Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards 2020: Celebrate Together International Nominees, Winners and Airdates". NickALive!. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matthias Ginter. |
- Matthias Ginter – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Matthias Ginter at fussballdaten.de (in German)
- Matthias Ginter at kicker (in German)
- Matthias Ginter at the International Olympic Committee
- Matthias Ginter at the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (in German)
- Matthias Ginter at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)