Max Meyer

Schalke 04

Following the departure of fellow midfielder Lewis Holtby to Tottenham Hotspur and the injuries of several other players, Meyer was included in Schalke's Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League squads for the 2012–13 season. He made his debut for the club on 16 February 2013, coming on as a substitute for Raffael and assisting Michel Bastos for a late goal in a 2–2 draw with Mainz 05. His Champions League debut followed on 12 March when he appeared in a match against Turkish side Galatasaray. Still aged 17, Meyer left school, the Gesamtschule Berger Feld, later that year before finishing his school-leaving examinations in order to focus on his football. Ahead of the 2013–14 season, Meyer was issued shirt number 7 previously worn by Raúl. He started the season by scoring a brace against SSVg Velbert while playing for Schalke's reserve side, Schalke 04 II. He then featured for the first team later that month in a 4–0 league win over VfL Wolfsburg, where he came on as a 73rd minute substitute for Jefferson Farfán. On 21 August, he made his first start for the club in a Champions League play-off match against PAOK. In the return fixture, he came on as a second-half substitute and set up Julian Draxler to give Schalke the lead. He was then substituted off after just eight minutes as the club looked to hold on to the win, with German media later labelling his assist as a "€20m pass" as it helped Schalke qualify for the Champions League proper. On 25 September,…

Because of his dribbling abilities and his high speed, his playing style is compared to that of Argentine football legend Lionel Messi. When asked about his good technique, Meyer replied, "At the age of 10 I dabbled in futsal for four years besides the football club. In addition to the three workouts at the club I had one complementary futsal session per week. Saturday noon was the time for the football game and in the afternoon the futsal game took place."

Youth

Meyer was part of the Germany U17 squad for 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He scored three goals to help Germany to reach the final, which the Germans lost in a penalty shoot-out to the Netherlands U17. Nevertheless, Meyer was top scorer and awarded best player of the tournament. Meyer won the Fritz Walter U17 Silver Medal in 2012. Meyer scored his first goal for Germany's U19 team in a friendly against the Netherlands U19.

Senior

Meyer was included in the Germany senior team's 30-man provisional squad for 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 13 May 2014, he made his senior debut against Poland. Though Meyer started the match, in the 76th minute he was substituted out for Maximilian Arnold. On 31 October 2016, Meyer scored his first goal for Germany in a 2–0 friendly win against Finland in Mönchengladbach.

Olympic team

Alongside Schalke teammate Leon Goretzka, Meyer was named in the squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Meyer would captain the team for the rest of the tournament after Goretzka suffered a shoulder injury. On 11 August 2016, Meyer scored a hat-trick in a 10–0 win over the Fiji U23 national team, although he also missed a penalty. In the gold medal final, played on 21 August, Meyer scored the equaliser that extended the decision to penalty shootout, which Germany lost to Brazil U23 in a 5–4 penalty score.

Meyer began playing football at local club FC Sardegna Oberhausen before being scouted and signed by Rot-Weiß Oberhausen at the age of seven. He spent two years in the club's academy before joining MSV Duisburg in 2004 where he remained for five years. In 2009, he transferred to Schalke 04 where he was integrated into the club's youth teams. He progressed through the ranks and was part of the U19 side which won the 2011–12 German U-19 Championship, featuring in a 2–1 win over Bayern Munich. Meyer's form at U-19 level, which saw him score 11 goals and create 11 assists in 15 appearances for the season, earned the attention of general manager Horst Heldt who signed him to his first professional contract.