Mainz forward Nelson Weiper has consistently impressed while representing Germany at youth levels and saw his playing time significantly increase in the 2024/25 season. The 20-year-old is now poised for a breakthrough campaign in the Bundesliga.
Nelson Weiper Quick Facts
Age: 20 (born March 17, 2005)
Club: Mainz
Position: Striker
Country: Germany (36 youth caps, 21 goals)
Weiper represents the latest talent to emerge from the Mainz youth academy, following in the footsteps of players like Jonathan Burkardt, Brajan Gruda, and Paul Nebel. Born in Mainz, the tall forward, standing at 6`3″, first joined the club as an eight-year-old and has remained there throughout his career.
His progression through the ranks was rapid. At the age of 15, Weiper made his debut for the U17 team and quickly demonstrated his prolific scoring ability. He needed just five appearances to net six goals before the 2020/21 youth season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Once football resumed, his goal-scoring form continued unabated. He concluded the 2022/23 season with an impressive 13 goals in 14 U19 matches, contributing significantly to his team`s victory in the U19 Bundesliga.
His outstanding performances naturally led to a professional contract and promotion to the senior squad. He made his first-team debut as a substitute against Freiburg in October 2022 and netted his inaugural senior goal four months later in a dominant 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. This achievement made him the youngest goalscorer in Mainz`s history. These early successes were recognized with the prestigious U17 Fritz Walter Award, an annual prize for Germany`s best young players across different age groups.
After initially scoring two goals in nine Bundesliga matches, Weiper seemed set to make a major impact in the German top flight. However, his progress was hampered by a serious knee injury sustained at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, which kept him sidelined until May. Despite this setback, he showed great resilience to recover and managed to make 25 appearances across all competitions in the 2024/25 season, scoring three times.
On the international stage, Weiper has been equally impressive, scoring 13 goals in 15 appearances for the Germany U17s. This included a remarkable haul of five goals in a single game at the 2022 Algarve Tournament, where he finished as the top scorer, claiming the Golden Boot.
Following further goals for the U18 and U19 national teams, the Mainz number 44 was a key figure in Germany`s run to the UEFA U21 Euro 2025 final, finding the back of the net in four of their six matches.
Plays a bit like: Patrik Schick
Weiper is often compared to Bayer Leverkusen`s Patrik Schick, who finished as the Bundesliga`s second-highest scorer for the second time in his career in 2024/25. While Weiper is right-footed, he shares many characteristics with the Czech striker.
He operates as a traditional target man, possessing a physically imposing presence. He excels in holding up the ball and linking play with teammates, and is renowned for being a clinical finisher in front of goal.
Standing at 6`3`, Weiper is a real handful for opposition defenders.
Did you know?
Nelson Weiper has a German father and an Albanian mother. This dual heritage means he would be eligible to represent Albania at senior international level should he not feature for Germany`s senior side. His brother, Henrik, is also a footballer who previously played as a goalkeeper in the Mainz youth system before moving to the USA.
What they`re saying…
“He has great, great potential. He`s an incredible player, we know that.” – Bo Henriksen, Mainz head coach
“Nelli (Nelson) is a poacher, he has a special nose for goal, the centre-forward gene. In addition, he has physique and is big and fast. The boy can go a long way.” – Christian Heidel, Mainz sporting director
“Talent, technique, willpower and conviction – he has all of that.” – Martin Schmidt, former Mainz sporting director
