Mesut Özil's net worth: Discover just how rich the retired footballer is

Mesut Özil's net worth: Discover just how rich the retired footballer is

Ciku Njuguna
updated at January 17, 2024 at 10:53 AM
In this article:
Mesut Özil logo
M. Özil
Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü logoMGermany logo
Arsenal logo
Arsenal
England
36
Schalke 04 logo
Schalke 04
Germany
34
Real Madrid logo
Real Madrid
Spain
38
Bundesliga logo
GER Bundesliga
Germany

Mesut Özil is undoubtedly one of the best football players in the world. The retired German attacking midfielder is best known for his successful stints at FC Schalke 04, Real Madrid and Arsenal FC. Discover details of Mesut Özil's net worth and financial success over his 25-year career.

Mesut Özil's net worth
Germany's Mesut Özil poses for a portrait during the official FIFA World Cup 2018 portrait session on June 13, 2018, in Moscow, Russia. Photo by Lars Baron - FIFA.
Source: Getty Images

How rich is Özil? In May 2020, Forbes ranked the four-time English FA Cup winner as one of the world's highest-paid athletes, with over $28 million in earnings. This article dives into the financial status of one of the richest footballers in the world. Scroll down to discover Mesut Özil's net worth, according to Forbes.

Mesut Özil's profile summary

Full name

Mesut Özil

Nickname

M10, El Cuervo, Nemo, German Messi, German Zidane, The Assist King, der Rabe, der neue Diego

Date of birth

15 October 1988

Age

35 years old as of January 2024

Zodiac sign

Libra

Place of birth

Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Nationality

German

Ethnicity

Turkish German

Weight

183 centimetres (6'0")

Height

76 kilograms (167.5 lbs)

Parents

Mustafa and Gulizar Özil

Siblings

3

Relationship status

Married

Spouse

Amine Gülşe Özil

Children

1

Education

Gesamtschule Berger Feld

Profession

Professional football player

Position(s)

Attacking midfielder, left and right winger

Last club

İstanbul Başakşehir FK

Years active

1998 - 2023

Net worth

$120 million

Social media pages

Instagram, X(Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn

How old is Özil?

Mesut was born on the 15th of October, 1988. As of January 2024, he was 35 years old. The listed height of Özil is six feet tall (183 centimetres), and he weighs 167.5 lbs (76 kilograms).

How rich is Özil?
Mesut Özil celebrates scoring Arsenal's third goal during a Premier League match against Swansea City at Emirates Stadium on October 15, 2016 in London. Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC.
Source: Getty Images

How much is Mesut Özil's net worth?

According to SalarySport, CAKnowledge and CelebrityNetworth, Özil's net worth ranges between $112.2 million and $120 million.

Is Mesut Özil the richest footballer in the world? While this sum makes him one of the wealthiest footballers, it does not compare to the No. 1 richest footballer in the world, Faiq Bolkiah, whose net worth amounts to billions.

In 2020, Forbes reported that Mesut's career earnings amounted to $23.2 million. At the time of his retirement, his total career earnings were $143,907,694, as reported by Capology.

Who is richest footballer in the world?
Mesut Özil poses with the Bambi Award for Integration at the 2010 Award ceremony at Filmpark Babelsberg on November 11, 2010, in Potsdam, Germany. Photo by Andreas Rentz.
Source: Getty Images

How much did Özil earn per week?

In May 2020, Forbes listed the former İstanbul Başakşehir FK midfielder as the 49th highest-paid athlete in the world. He dropped off the list in 2021. Sports Brief has used publicly available data from reputable sources such as Capology, Sportrac and Salary Sport to provide accurate details of Mesut Özil's salary per week at various teams.

How much did Özil earn per week at Başakşehir FK?

Mesut moved to Başakşehir FK on the 14th of July 2022 on a free transfer for a year. His weekly salary at the Süper Lig team was $58,631, an annual $3 million annually.

What was Mesut Özil's salary at Fenerbahçe?

According to Goal, Özil's salary at Fenerbahçe SK was a far cry from his earnings at Arsenal FC. In January 2021, he moved from Arsenal to the Turkish side on a free transfer.

Why is Özil so famous?
Fenerbahçe's Mesut Özil celebrates after scoring a goal during a UEFA Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt on September 16, 2021, in Germany. Photo by Alex Grimm.
Source: Getty Images

His salary is estimated to have been $3.5 million annually, with a $ 603,102 signing bonus. Salary Sport reported that his weekly wage in 2020 was $117,263 and $109,615 in 2021.

How much money did Özil make at Arsenal?

During the 2012/13 season, the Assist King debuted at Arsenal. In the first year, he received a weekly salary of $177,334. In 2018, Özil's salary at Arsenal per week rose to $446,109, making him one of the highest-paid players per week at the club.

What was Mesut Özil's salary at Real Madrid?

In August 2010, the Turkish-German footballer transferred from SV Werder Bremen to Real Madrid on a $19.7 million contract. Details of the Spanish Super Cup winner's salary at the time have yet to be revealed.

How much does Özil's earn per week?
Arsenal FC's Mesut Özil poses during the Arsenal Media Photocall at London Colney on September 09, 2020 in St Albans, England. Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC.
Source: Getty Images

Endorsements

As of 2020, Forbes reported that he earned $5.5 million in endorsements. In 2011, Özil signed a five-year $28 million endorsement deal with Nike that earned him approximately $5.6 million for every season, making him the highest-paid athlete in endorsements.

Other sponsorships include a $31.8 million deal with Adidas, signed shortly after signing with Arsenal. He signed endorsement deals with Beats by Dr Dre, Adidas, Emirates, Kinder and Mercedes Benz.

Which businesses does Mesut Özil own?

According to the Sun, Özil owns a multi-million dollar business empire that includes a chain of coffee shops, sportswear and an extensive property portfolio. He has ventured into business in sports, including owning Necaxa, a Mexican football club, a sports training facility in Dusseldorf, and an esports team.

Mesut Ozil salary per week
Real Madrid's Mesut Özil (right) shoots past Levante's goalie Gustavo Munua (left) during a La Liga match at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 6, 2013 in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Jasper Juinen.
Source: Getty Images

Brief bio

The Assist King was born in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany to Mustafa and Gulizar Özil. His grandfather moved to Germany as a migrant worker in the 1970s

How much does Özil earn per week?
Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil (in red) heads a goal during an English Premier League match against Stoke City at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 10, 2016. Photo by Glyn Kirk/AFP.
Source: Getty Images

He has two sisters, Nese and Duygu and a brother, Mutlu. Throughout his early career, the football legend was managed by Mustafa, his father, until 2018, when the position was filled by his brother Mutlu Özil.

Is Özil Turkish?

Özil's parents, Mustafa and Gulizar, are of Turkish descent. In 2007, he gave up his Turkish citizenship to play for Germany's national football team. However, he identifies as a Turkish German.

Who is Mesut Özil's partner?

In 2019, he married Amine Gülşe Özil, a Turkish-Swedish actress and model. The couple's wedding was held in a lavish ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, with the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, standing as Mesut's best man.

How much does Özil earn per week?
Özil and his wife Amine (centre), and President Erdoğan and his wife Emine (right) were pictured on June 7, 2019, in Istanbul. Photo by Turkish Presidency/Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Anadolu Agency.
Source: Getty Images

Mesut Özil's wife, Amine Gülşe, is known for her title as the 2014 Miss World Turkey and her film appearances on Never Give Up, Bir Türk Masali and Dada Dandinista. She has two children with Mesut, Eda and Ela.

Career

His career began in 1995 at the Westfalia 04 Gelsenkirchen youth club. His youth career took him to DJK Teutonia Schalke, DJK Falke Gelsenkirchen, Rot-Weiss Essen, and FC Schalke 04's youth side between 1998 and 2006. Here is a summary of the dates Mesut Özil joined each club, including Germany's national team.

Team

Dates joined

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Başakşehir FK

14/05/2022

7

-

-

Istanbul Basaksehir Başakşehir Reserve

09/08/2022

1

-

-

Fenerbahçe SK

25/01/2021

37

9

3

Arsenal FC

02/09/2013

254

44

79

Real Madrid

17/08/2010

159

27

81

Germany's national football team (senior)

11/02/2009

92

23

40

SV Werder Bremen

31/01/2008

108

16

54

Germany's Under-21 team

07/09/2007

16

5

7

Germany's Under-19 team

05/09/2006

11

4

1

FC Schalke 04

01/07/2006

39

1

5

How rich is Özil?
Arsenal's Mesut Özil (in yellow) evades West Ham's Robert Snodgrass (in maroon) during the Premier League match at London Stadium on December 09, 2019 in London. Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC.
Source: Getty Images

Frequently asked questions

In 2017, the German Messi broke the record with the most chances created in Europe's top five leagues. Here are five facts about the retired midfielder.

1. What is Mesut Özil doing now?

At the time of writing, the midfielder is retired. According to posts on his social media accounts, the midfielder is engaged in his businesses.

2. Is Mesut Özil retired?

The attacking midfielder last played for Başakşehir FK. According to Transfermarkt, he retired on March 22, 2023. On the same date, he announced his retirement to fans on his social media platforms.

3. When was Özil's last match?

His last appearance on the field was on February 2, 2023, during a game between Başakşehir FK and Kayserispor. He played for the first 45 minutes of the match before being substituted at half-time.

4. Why did Mesut Özil retire so early?

In his Instagram announcement, the 34-year-old midfielder cited frequent injuries as the principal reason for retiring. In July 2018, he released a statement on his social media pages announcing the reasons for his retirement from national duty.

How rich is Özil?
Arsenal's Mesut Özil evades Olympiacos FC's Youssef El Arabi during a UEFA Europa League match at Emirates Stadium on February 27, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. Photo by Mike Hewitt.
Source: Getty Images

Final word

Mesut Özil's net worth is a testament to the success of his career. With the recorded growth of his businesses, his wealth is set to increase.

READ MORE: Who are the most successful retired soccer players? A top 10 list

Sports Brief published an article ranking the world's top ten most successful retired football players. World-class footballers often gain global admiration and respect for their on and off-field success. Discover biographies and details of the most talented football players of all time.

Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.