If you watch the Bundesliga, then you'll know Wael Mohya is a fast-footed, quick-thinking footballer.
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Mohya → watch → Bundesliga
But not even the 17-year-old (Mohya turns 18 on December 31) Borussia Mönchengladbach youngster would have expected to be called up to the Germany squad so soon.
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youngster → turn → squad
It means a great, great deal to me.
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It → mean → me
I think everyone dreams of being selected for the national team at some point," Mohya said.
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Mohya → think → point
"And the fact that it's come to this now is, of course, just awesome and makes me very proud."
Mohya was at the gym when the call came in.
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call → come → gym
He then shared the good news with his parents over dinner.
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He → share → dinner
"They started crying," the teenager said in a video posted on Gladbach's social media channels.
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teenager → start → channels
The youngster, who was born in a small town east of Düsseldorf, smiles and laughs a lot in interviews.
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who → bear → interviews
On the field, too, he exudes the lightheartedness and carefree spirit of a 17-year-old.
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he → exude → old
As a technically skilled and creative player, Mohya often seeks out one-on-one situations and puts his opponents under pressure with quick dribbles.
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Mohya → seek → dribbles
In nine Bundesliga appearances this season, Mohya has scored twice and delivered one assist.
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Mohya → score → assist
"He's so cool and just plays really well.
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He → play → ?
It's fun to watch him," Borussia coach Alexander Blessin said recently.
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Blessin → watch → him
"Wael brings a lot to the team with his laid-back attitude on the field.
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Wael → bring → field
He's not afraid to take risks, no matter how much pressure there is," added Gladbach's sporting director Rouven Schröder at a talk show on Sport1.
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director → take → Sport1
Wael 'Waffel' Mohya working on and off the pitch
Borussia Mönchengladbach has been Mohya's sporting home since he was seven years old.
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he → work → pitch
Last season, previous head coach Eugen Polanski promoted him to the first team, and in December 2025, Mohya made his Bundesliga debut.
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Against Wolfsburg, aged 16 years and 347 days old, he became the youngest Bundesliga player in the club's history.
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he → age → history
Mohya also recently completed a voluntary social year at an elementary school in Mönchengladbach.
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Mohya → complete → Mönchengladbach
This is a program in Germany for young people who volunteer in the social sector — at hospitals, schools, or nursing homes, for example — for about six to 18 months.
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who → volunteer → months
They gain work experience, help others, and earn a little money.
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They → gain → money
At the school's open all-day care program, Mohya helped serve meals, assisted children with their homework, and played with them
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That's also where his nickname comes from.
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nickname → come → where
Because a girl hadn't understood his first name correctly or couldn't pronounce it, she called him "Waffel."
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she → understand → him
Now, that name has stuck.
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name → stick → ?
Many clubs interested in Mohya
Even before being called up to the Germany team, clubs in the Bundesliga and across Europe's top leagues had taken notice of Mohya and were trying to sign him.
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clubs → call → him
His contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach runs through 2028.
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contract → run → 2028
With Gladbach currently in a relegation battle, his future appears likely to be elsewhere.
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future → appear → battle
If the club wants to generate transfer revenue from its biggest talent, next summer would likely be the opportunity to sell him — unless he extends his contract with Borussia.
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he → want → Borussia
The 17-year-old's career is managed by his parents. Whichever club can convince them that their son is in good hands and help him reach his full potential likely has the best chance of securing Mohya's signing.
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him → manage → signing
Mohya himself says he doesn't even know how much he's currently earning at Gladbach.
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he → say → Gladbach
"My parents take care of all that," he told Bild recently.
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he → take → Bild
"I get a monthly allowance, which is more than enough for me."
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which → get → me
Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp recently revealed how much he had enjoyed his conversations with the youngster.
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"The conversations I had with him were great," Klopp said with a laugh.
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Klopp → have → laugh
Decision in favor of Germany over Morocco
Since Mohya's parents are from Morocco, their son also holds Moroccan citizenship.
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son → hold → citizenship
As a result, he could have played for Morocco, but he has now decided against it.
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he → play → it
In fact, the Moroccan football association had been actively courting Mohya as early as last year and had already reached out to him in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup.
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association → court → Cup
Now, like Frankfurt's Younes Ebnoutalib, Mohya will continue to play in the German jersey, unlike Schalke's Soufiane El-Faouzi, who chose Morocco, or Bayer Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza, who likely would have been selected by Klopp as well if he hadn't already opted for Algeria.
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he → continue → Algeria
For Mohya, who played for Germany's youth teams from the U16s through to the U21s, the door to Morocco remains open only as long as he hasn't yet played a competitive match for Germany.
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he → play → Germany
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
