Germany reached their fourth UEFA European U21 Championship in five tournaments but fell short against England in the 2025 edition in Slovakia. Nelson Weiper and Paul Nebel equalised the tie on the night to take it to extra time, but Jonathan Rowe’s goal in extra time means the Germans have finished runners-up in two of the last four tournaments.
That said, there’s been a lot of positives to take from this year’s tournament. Get German Football News looks at four winners in Antonio Di Salvo’s squad.
Nick Woltemade (23), Stuttgart
There were 101 goals scored across 31 matches with an average of 3.26 goals per game at this year’s tournament. Nick Woltemade finished top of the scoring charts with six goals, and there’s reasoning behind Stuttgart’s €100m valuation of their player. At 198cm, Woltemade is far more than a target man. Excellent first touch, neat dribbling and an eye for a pass with runners in behind, the 23-year-old’s movement caused trouble for opposing defences. Prolific, he was Germany’s best player and had England not won Euro U21, Woltemade would almost certainly be named Player of the Tournament, ahead of Harvey Elliot.
Nelson Weiper (20), Mainz
After injuries hampered his development in recent years, Weiper has finally been able to show his potential. The 20-year-old scored four goals at the Euro U21 Championship, Germany’s second highest scorer at the tournament. He also netted in the final against England with a superb header, and played an important role in their semi-final win over France. Weiper’s contract expires at the end of the season, and he won’t be short on offers, but it’s expected that Mainz will activate their one-year option on the striker.
Paul Nebel (22), Mainz
Mainz’ attacking-midfielder equalised against England in the final with a superb curling effort and despite defeat, he was Germany’s best player on the night. With 81 touches, 3 shots, 1 on target and 1 goal, Nebel also assisted Weiper while completing two key passes and finishing the game with a 100 percent successful dribbles completion rate (2/2). With 10 goals and six assists in 31 league games for Mainz last season, Nebel is destined for the top, and Julian Nagelsmann will certainly be a keen admirer of the 22-year-old.
Rocco Reitz (23), Borussia Mönchengladbach
While Nick Woltemade was Germany’s Player of the Tournament, Rocco Reitz was certainly their most under-appreciated player. An engine room in midfield, Reitz featured in every game apart from their final group game against England when they had already qualified. With the third highest FotMob rating, Reitz finished joint-second for big chances created (3) and created the most chances within the squad behind Woltemade. His best performance came against Italy which showcased his defensive attributes as well as his ability to progress the ball and to create chances in the final third.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
