Muhammed Damar is back in the German U21 national team after almost a year away. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder’s return comes at an important juncture in a career that has experienced both significant promise and frustrating setbacks over the past two seasons.
Speaking at Tuesday’s DFB U21 press conference, attended remotely by Get German Football News, Damar expressed his delight at rejoining Antonio Di Salvo’s squad ahead of the upcoming internationals against Belgium and Croatia. Damar spoke warmly of the welcome he received from his teammates and the continued support of Di Salvo throughout his absence.
The midfielder’s resurgence at VfL Wolfsburg has provided the foundation for his international comeback. Four goals and one assist across his last six league appearances have helped restore the attacking midfielder’s reputation following an extraordinarily difficult year at Hoffenheim.
Damar’s career has already taken several turns. The Berlin native joined Hoffenheim from Eintracht Frankfurt’s youth setup in 2022. After an unsuccessful loan spell at Hannover 96, he truly announced himself during the 2024/25 campaign at SV Elversberg.
Damar scored nine goals in 31 league appearances for the Saarland club, helping Elversberg reach the Bundesliga promotion play-off. His performances attracted considerable attention from top-flight clubs, including Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart.
Hoffenheim responded by extending his contract until 2029, with Damar viewed as a potential successor to Bayern Munich-bound midfielder Tom Bischof. The anticipated breakthrough in Sinsheim never materialized.
As GGFN examined during the most recent summer transfer window, Damar struggled to establish himself amid fierce competition in Hoffenheim’s attacking ranks. Andrej Kramaric and Bazoumana Touré stood in his way, leaving the youngster with only two starts across 15 Bundesliga appearances last season.
For a player whose development had accelerated so impressively at Elversberg, the lack of regular football represented a considerable setback.
Damar eventually opted for another opportunity in the 2. Bundesliga. Relegated Wolfsburg secured his services in July, signing the attacking midfielder to a contract through 2031. The decision has already begun paying dividends.
The 22-year-old has started ten of Wolfsburg’s first eleven league matches under head coach Tobias Strobl. Primarily operating in an advanced midfield role, Damar has also featured centrally when required. More importantly, the regular minutes have allowed him to rediscover the attacking qualities that made him such an intriguing prospect at Elversberg.
It wasn’t an immediate turnaround. Damar failed to register a goal or assist in Wolfsburg’s opening five league fixtures, but his fortunes began changing in September. The first breakthrough came in Wolfsburg’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Darmstadt on September 18. Damar converted a Joakim Mæhle assist in the 67th minute to put his team 4-1 ahead.
The goal marked the beginning of a productive run that continued into October.
In Wolfsburg’s extraordinary 4-4 draw against Nürnberg on October 10, Damar doubled his team’s advantage with a well-placed long-range effort in the 29th minute. He attempted five shots during the match, placing three on target.
One week later, Damar again made a decisive contribution in Wolfsburg’s 3-1 victory over fellow Bundesliga relegation sufferers Heidenheim. With his team defending a narrow 2-1 lead, Damar latched onto a Fabian Reese layoff outside the penalty area and unleashed an effort that deflected into the net in the 65th minute.
The midfielder was particularly active in the encounter, recording six shots, four of which were on target. He also covered 12 kilometres, more than any other Wolfsburg player, and subsequently received the club’s Player of the Match award following a supporters’ vote.
Damar’s recent performances have not been limited to goalscoring. In Wolfsburg’s 1-1 draw at Bochum on October 23, he registered the assist for Reese’s opening goal, switching play from the right half-space to the left side of the penalty area. Reese finished with an impressive volley.
Five days later, Damar supplied another assist in the DFB-Pokal against SC Freiburg. His sharply delivered 43rd-minute corner found Kento Shiogai at the near post, allowing the Japanese international to head Wolfsburg into a 2-1 lead. The performance earned Damar a rating of six in GGFN‘s firsthand
