The 2026 FIFA World Cup is another week closer, which means that the attention is being put on a different star player heading to the Meadowlands this summer to compete in the tournament. This week’s player is Joshua Kimmich, a midfielder/right-back for Germany. Kimmich is Germany’s captain and one of the most experienced players on the squad.
Kimmich spent the majority of his youth career with VfB Stuttgart before joining RB Leipzig in July 2013 to start his professional career. After two years and 53 appearances with the club, Kimmich signed a five-year contract with another German club, Bayern Munich, that was set to last until 2020. On Sept. 12, 2015, Kimmich made his Bundesliga debut as a substitute against FC Augsburg. On Sept. 16 of the same year, Kimmich made his UEFA Champions League debut against Olympiakos.
In Kimmich’s second season with Bayern Munich, he recorded his first goal for the club in a win against FC Schalke 04. Kimmich finished the 2016-17 season with nine goals in 40 appearances, a significant increase from his debut season and a sign of growth and optimism for his future with the club.
The following season, Kimmich took over as the team’s right-back following the departure of longtime captain, Philipp Lahm. Kimmich’s starts saw a massive jump, going from 15 Bundesliga starts in the previous two seasons, to 26 in the 2017-18 season. Kimmich also recorded 10 assists in his 26 appearances, after recording just three in the two seasons prior combined. On Mar. 9, 2018, Kimmich signed a three-year contract extension to remain with Bayern Munich through 2023.
In the 2018-19 season, Kimmich further established himself as a premier talent for Bayern Munich, playing every minute of all 34 of the club’s matches in the Bundesliga. On top of his consistency, Kimmich finished second in the league with 13 assists. In 2020, the team found even more success, winning the 2020 UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win over Paris Saint Germain. Kimmich notched the assist for the game-winning goal to secure his first Champions League trophy.
For the 2020-21 season, Kimmich switched to the defensive midfielder position after years of playing as a right-back. On Aug. 23, 2021, Kimmich inked another deal with Bayern Munich to remain at the club until 2025. Recently, on Mar. 23, 2025, Kimmich extended his contract to remain with the team through 2029, demonstrating his loyalty to the club which he has now spent over a decade playing for.
Kimmich made his international debut on May 29, 2016 in a home friendly loss to Slovakia. He scored his first goal for the team a few months later, on Sept. 4, in a 3-0 victory against Norway in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match.
After Germany qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Kimmich was named to the team’s 23-man squad, where he made his tournament debut in a 1-0 loss to Mexico. After finishing with one win and two losses in the group stages, the team was unable to make it to the round of 16.
After qualifying once again for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kimmich was once again named to Germany’s final roster. The team fell short for a second time, failing to make it out of the group stages with one win, one draw and a loss.
Kimmich was named as Germany’s captain on Sept. 2, 2024, having spent eight years with the club. Now entering his third FIFA World Cup appearance, Kimmich is looking to make it past the group stages for the first time. Germany will be coming to the Meadowlands on June 25 at 4 p.m. to take on Ecuador at MetLife Stadium for the team’s final group stage match.