Wikipedia

Nelson Weiper

Nelson Felix Patrick Weiper (German pronunciation: [ˈnɛlsn̩ ˈvaɪ̯pɐ]; born 17 March 2005) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 and the Germany national under-21 team.

Nelson Weiper
Nelson Weiper with Mainz 05
Personal information
Full name Nelson Felix Patrick Weiper
Date of birth (2005-03-17) 17 March 2005 (age 21)
Place of birth Mainz, Germany
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Mainz 05
Number 44
Youth career
2013–2022 Mainz 05
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2025 Mainz 05 II 6 (1)
2022– Mainz 05 61 (5)
International career‡
2021–2022 Germany U17 15 (13)
2022–2023 Germany U18 5 (1)
2023– Germany U21 19 (5)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Germany
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Runner-up2025 Slovakia
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16 May 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 00:10, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Club career

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Weiper is a product of the youth academy of Mainz 05, having joined as an U8. Working his way up all their youth categories, he signed a professional contract with the club on 18 March 2022.[2][better source needed] He made his senior debut in the Bundesliga as a late substitute for Mainz in a 2–1 loss to Freiburg on 1 October 2022.[3] He won the 2022 U17 Fritz Walter Medal, an award for the most outstanding German youth prospect in their age group.[4] He played a huge part in helping the Mainz 05 U19 side win the U19 Bundesliga in the 2022–23 season.

On 24 February 2023, Weiper netted his first senior Bundesliga goal in a 4–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.[5] After registering three goals and two assists in the 2024–25 Bundesliga season, as well as four goals in the Under-21 Euros for Germany, Mainz coach Bo Henriksen predicted that Weiper would score 15 goals in the 2025–26 season, after having predicted 20 goals for fellow teammate Jonathan Burkardt the previous season, who eventually scored 18.[6]

On 28 August 2025, Weiper would score his first European and season goal in a 4–1 win over Norwegian side Rosenborg, in the UEFA Conference League playoffs, helping his team qualify for the final tournament.[7] On 23 October, he'd score the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Croatian side Zrinjski, in the Conference League league phase.[8] He would reach the quarter-final with Mainz, eventually getting knocked out by RC Straßburg 4–2 on aggregate.[9]

International career

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Weiper is a youth international for Germany, having played for the Germany U17s and U18s. He was prolific with the U17s, scoring 13 goals in 15 games.[10] He took part at the UEFA Under-21 Championship in 2025, scoring 4 goals against England, Italy and France, including a goal in the final, which Germany lost 2–3. He finished third-best topscorer of the tournament, behind Harvey Elliott (5 goals) and fellow teammate Nick Woltemade (6 goals).[11]

Personal life

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Weiper was born in Germany to a German father and an Albanian mother from the city of Kuçovë.[12] His brother, Henrik, is also a footballer and youth international for Albania and Kosovo.[13]

Career statistics

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As of match played 16 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League DFB-Pokal Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Mainz 05 II 2022–23 Regionalliga Südwest 10———10
2023–24 Regionalliga Südwest 20———20
2024–25 Regionalliga Südwest 31———31
Total 61———61
Mainz 05 2022–23 Bundesliga 9200——92
2023–24 Bundesliga 5010——60
2024–25 Bundesliga 23320——253
2025–26 Bundesliga 240108[a]2—332
Total 6154082—737
Career total 676408200798

Honours

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Germany U21

Individual

Notes

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  1. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Conference League

References

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  1. ↑ "Nelson Weiper" (in German). 1. FSV Mainz 05. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Weiper and Schulz receive professional contracts with Mainz 05 – talents in action with the U19s - World News | TakeToNews". 18 March 2022.
  3. ↑ Sport, S. W. R. "Trotz Schlussspektakel: Freiburg gewinnt umkämpfte Partie gegen Mainz". swr.online.
  4. ↑ "Goldene Fritz-Walter-Medaillen an Brand, Adeyemi und Moukoko". DFB - Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V.
  5. ↑ "Nach Triumph gegen FC Bayern - Gladbach geht in Mainz unter" (in German). Sky Sport. 24 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "U21-Senkrechtstarter soll zum 15-Tore-Bundesligastürmer mutieren". www.fr.de (in German). 5 July 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  7. ↑ UEFA.com. "Mainz vs Rosenborg | UEFA Conference League 2025/26". UEFA.com (in German). Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  8. ↑ UEFA.com. "Mainz vs Zrinjski | UEFA Conference League 2025/26". UEFA.com (in German). Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Strasbourg 4-0 Mainz (Apr 16, 2026) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Zwei Mainzer Toptalente streben in die Bundesliga". www.fr.de.
  11. ↑ "Under-21 Euro top scorers". UEFA. Retrieved 8 April 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ "Albanian talents that will dominate European football".
  13. ↑ Kulig, Jacek (25 March 2022). "Nelson Weiper". Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "England 3-2 Germany (aet) highlights: Rowe header ensures Young Lions retain title". uefa.com. 28 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  15. ↑ "Goldene Fritz-Walter-Medaillen an Brand, Adeyemi und Moukoko". dfb.de (in German). 9 November 2022.
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