He made hisBundesliga debut forSchalke 04 aged 17 in January 2011, and in May of that year scored the first goal as the side won theDFB-Pokal final. In total, he played 171 competitive matches for Schalke, scoring 30 goals, before transferring toVfL Wolfsburg in 2015. In January 2017, he joinedParis Saint-Germain.
A former international with over 50 caps since 2012, Draxler had represented theGermany national team at youth and senior level. He was also a part of the Germany squad that won the2014 FIFA World Cup, reached the semi-finals ofUEFA Euro 2016 and was thecaptain of the side that won the2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, a tournament in which Draxler was awarded the Golden Ball trophy as the best player of the competition.
Draxler made hisBundesliga debut on 15 January 2011 in a 0–1 loss toHamburger SV. At that time, he was the fourth-youngest Bundesliga player ever[3] and the youngest in Schalke's history.[4] One week later, in Schalke's 1–0 win againstHannover 96, he became the second-youngest field player afterNuri Şahin to start a Bundesliga match.[5]
On 25 January 2011, Julian Draxler came on as a substitute forPeer Kluge in the quarter-finals of the2010–11DFB-Pokal against1. FC Nürnberg in the second half of extra time. He scored his first goal for Schalke 04 in the dying seconds of the same match to ensure a 3–2 for his club.[6] He scored his first Bundesliga goal on 1 April 2011 againstFC St. Pauli.[7] Draxler opened the scoring in Schalke's2011 DFB-Pokal final victory overMSV Duisburg, volleying in from outside the area, scoring the first of what proved to be five unanswered goals for Schalke.[8] He finished the2010–11 season with 1 goal in 15 league appearances, two goals in three DFB-Pokal appearances and sixUEFA Champions League appearances.[9]
Thefollowing season, Draxler continued to prove himself to be an important first team player, scoring in matches againstGreuther Fürth,[13]Werder Bremen,[14]Borussia Mönchengladbach[15] and in a high-scoring 5–4 victory against Hannover 96.[16] Draxler continued to play an important role after Holtby's departure and the signing ofMichel Bastos, allowing Draxler to impress in his favoured attacking midfield position, including two goals in a 4–1 victory atVfL Wolfsburg.[17] While scoring in a 2–1 win to complete a league double over rivals Borussia Dortmund, Draxler became Schalke's youngest ever player to appear in 100 competitive games.[18] On 3 May, he scored the match's only goal as Schalke defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 1–0 atBorussia-Park.[19] Draxler finished the 2012–13 season as Schalke's joint top goalscorer in theBundesliga – along with strikerKlaas-Jan Huntelaar – after finishing the season with ten goals.[20] He also scored two goals in threeDFB-Pokal matches and one goal in sixUEFA Champions League matches.[20]
In May 2013, amid rumours of interest from EnglishPremier League clubs as well as from Borussia Dortmund, Draxler extended his contract for a further two years, until 30 June 2018.[21] On 2 October 2013, Draxler scored in a 1–0 away win againstBasel in the2013–14 UEFA Champions League. This win took Schalke 04 to the top of their group. In the final match of theChampions League group stage, Draxler opened the scoring for Schalke in a 2–0 victory against Basel, taking them through to theknockout phase of the tournament.[22] He finished the2013–14 season with 2 goals in 26 appearances in theBundesliga, two appearances in theDFB-Pokal and four goals in ten appearances in the Champions League.[23]
He would go on to score 2 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions in thefollowing season.[11]
On 27 July 2015, Schalke rejected a bid of €15 million fromJuventus, after reports that the Italian side and Draxler had already agreed personal terms. Schalke general managerHorst Heldt felt the offer was far too low and informed Juventus that there would be no further talks.[24] On 31 August 2015, Draxler signed for VfL Wolfsburg.[25] His final match was a 3–0 loss to Wolfsburg three days prior to the transfer.[26] He finished his2015–16 account for Schalke with one goal in threeBundesliga matches and aDFB-Pokal match.[27]
On 31 August 2015, Draxler signed for VfL Wolfsburg on a five-year deal for a reported initial fee of €36 million plus add-ons.[25][28] He scored his first goal for Wolfsburg on 15 September 2015, in a 1–0 win overCSKA Moscow on hisChampions League debut for the club.[29][30] On 31 October, he registered his first Bundesliga goal with theWolves, scoring the winner after appearing as a substitute againstBayer Leverkusen.[31]
In theknockout phase of the 2015–16 Champions League, againstGent, Draxler scored twice in a 3–2 away win in the first leg. On 8 March in the second leg at theVolkswagen Arena, he assistedAndré Schürrle for the only goal of the match as Wolfsburg reached the quarter-finals for the first time in club history.[32] However, media sources reported that Draxler had failed to fulfill expectations with theWolves and often appeared like a "foreign body" in the team.[33] He ended the2015–16 season with 8 goals and 7 assists from 28 appearances.[34]
Ahead of the2016–17 season, Draxler announced that he wished to leave VfL Wolfsburg and that the club would allow him to transfer if it received an attractive offer.[33] Despite reported interest fromArsenal andParis Saint-Germain, Draxler could not secure a transfer away from Wolfsburg during the summer transfer window.[35] On his return to the Wolfsburg team, Draxler was loudly booed by the club's supporters and described the following four months as "the worst first half of a season of my career".[33]
On 24 December 2016, it was announced on VfL Wolfsburg's website that Draxler would be joining Paris Saint-Germain on a four-year contract, for a reported fee of €42 million, pending a medical examination.[36][37] The transfer was officially completed on 3 January 2017.[38]
On 7 January, Draxler made his competitive debut for PSG in aCoupe de France fixture againstBastia at theParc des Princes. He scored the final goal of a 7–0 victory in the 89th minute, after being assisted byHatem Ben Arfa.[39] Draxler debuted inLigue 1 seven days later and scored the match's only goal as the champions won 1–0 away atRennes.[40] On 1 February, he scored twice against the same opposition in theCoupe de France to take him to four goals in five appearances in French football.[41]
Draxler in action with PSG during a friendly match againstDynamo Dresden in 2019
Between 2018 and 2020, Draxler won three Ligue 1, three Coupe de France, and three Coupe de la Ligue titles. He also played in the2020 UEFA Champions League final, which PSG lost 1–0 againstBayern Munich.[45]
Draxler scored his first goal of the2020–21 season in a 1–0 win againstMetz on 16 September 2020. This was his first goal since the2018–19 season.[46] In a 4–0 victory againstDijon on 24 October, Draxler suffered a hamstring injury;[47] he made his return on 16 December in a 2–0 win overLorient.[48] In May 2021, he extended his contract with PSG until 2024.[49]
Draxler joinedBenfica on a season-long loan for a reported fee of €2.5 million on transfer deadline day, 1 September 2022.[50] He made hisPrimeira Liga debut nine days later, featuring in Benfica's 1–0 away win againstFamalicão.[51] He scored his first goal on 18 September, closing a 5–0 home win overMarítimo.[52]
On 16 September 2023, Draxler arrived inDoha, Qatar, to complete his transfer toQatar Stars League clubAl Ahli.[53] Two days later, he signed a two-year contract with the side.[54]
On 7 May 2012, he was one of two uncapped players called up into the provisional squad for theUEFA Euro 2012 senior side forGermany.[56] On 26 May 2012, he made his debut for the senior side in Germany's 5–3 loss toSwitzerland, coming on as a substitute to replaceLukas Podolski in the 62nd minute. His first international goal was scored on 2 June 2013 in a friendly against theUnited States. The goal was scored in the 81st minute to bring the score to 3–4, finishing a rebound off goalkeeperTim Howard.[57]
On 13 May 2014, Draxler captained Germany in a goalless friendly againstPoland inHamburg, a match in which seven of his teammates were debutants.[58]
Draxler made only two appearances for the world champions during theEuro 2016 qualifying campaign.[61] However, he started on the left side of Germany's attack in four of their six matches atEuro 2016 finals, also appearing as a substitute in the quarter-final againstItaly and converting his kick in the 6–5penalty shootout win.[61] He was namedMan of the Match for his performance againstSlovakia, assistingMario Gómez's second goal before scoring the third himself in a 3–0 win.[62]
Draxler was named captain of an inexperienced Germany squad for the2017 FIFA Confederations Cup,[63] scoring a penalty kick in the team's opening match as they defeatedAustralia 3–2.[64] Following Germany's title win, Draxler was awarded the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament.[65]
On 4 June 2018, Germany's managerJoachim Löw named Draxler in his final 23-man squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[66] On 17 June, Draxler made a World Cup appearance during their opening match againstMexico in which the Germans lost 1–0.[67] He then played in a 2–1 win overSweden.[68] However, Germany finished last in their group after a 2–0 loss againstSouth Korea, and were knocked out from the group stage of the World Cup.[69]
Draxler was not included in Germany's 26-man squad forEuro 2020.[70]
Draxler istwo-footed[71] and known for hisspeed and intensity in one-on-one situations.[72] He is mainly deployed as a leftwinger but he can also be deployed as a right winger and as an attacking midfielder.[73] In his Schalke 04 youth career, Draxler was deployed mainly as an attacking midfielder where he always felt most at home.[73][74] In addition, Draxler is known for possessing a powerful and impressive shot.[75]
In January 2014, Draxler was named byThe Observer as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe.[76]
FIFA's official website describes Draxler as "tall, fast, with a keen eye for goal, and an exceptional talent in one-on-one situations from his regular position as a left-sided attacking midfielder".[77]
Draxler was born inGladbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia.[78] He attended the Heisenberg-Gymnasium in Gladbeck before changing toGesamtschule Berger Feld in 2011.[79] In his childhood, he would regularly go with his father to watch Schalke 04's home matches and since then has been a fan of the club.[80]
Draxler married longtime girlfriend Sethanie Taing in June 2025.[81]
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