Florian Wirtz scored for Germany seven seconds into a friendly against France
On 23 March 2024, Florian Wirtz found the net seven seconds after kick-off in Lyon, breaking Lukas Podolski's German record. He was denied the world record only because Austria's Christoph Baumgartner scored in six seconds against Slovakia that same day. Barely a year later Liverpool paid around £100 million for him.
A native of Pulheim's Brauweiler district, near Cologne, born on 3 May 2003, Wirtz spent a decade in 1. FC Köln's youth system before Bayer Leverkusen signed him in January 2020, a move Köln said broke a gentleman's agreement between the neighbours. He debuted in the Bundesliga that May aged 17 years and 15 days, displacing Kai Havertz as Leverkusen's youngest league player. His first goal, against Bayern Munich weeks later, briefly made him the league's youngest ever scorer, and nobody before him had netted five Bundesliga goals while still under 18.
Then came a setback. On 13 March 2022 he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, ironically against Köln, and missed ten months, including the 2022 World Cup. The return was spectacular. On 14 April 2024 his first career hat-trick sealed a 5–0 win over Werder Bremen that clinched Leverkusen's first German championship, part of an unbeaten domestic double completed by the German Cup. He finished with 18 goals in 49 games and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season. The next season brought five Champions League man-of-the-match awards, more than anyone else managed.
His international path matched it. He scored twice in the semi-final as Germany won the 2021 European Under-21 Championship and made his senior debut in September 2021. At Euro 2024 on home soil he scored the tournament's opening goal against Scotland, becoming Germany's youngest European Championship scorer at 21 years and 42 days, and later forced extra time against Spain with an 89th-minute equaliser before Germany lost.
Liverpool signed him on 20 June 2025 in a deal reported at £100 million or more plus bonuses, a club record, the biggest sale in Bundesliga history and a Premier League record fee. His first goal for the club came on 27 December against Wolves.
Source: Florian Wirtz
