Germany Honors Top Youth Football Talents with 2026 Fritz-Walter-Medaille Awards

The German Football Association (DFB) has awarded the prestigious Fritz-Walter-Medaille for the 2025/26 season, recognizing Germany's best youth football talents. The awards honor outstanding U17 and U19 male and female players not only for their athletic performance but also for their character and team spirit.

In the male categories, Francis Onyeka and Kennet Eichhorn, both affiliated with Bayer Leverkusen, received gold medals. Onyeka, the current U19 Germany captain on loan to SV Elversberg, secured the top U19 spot, outperforming Boris Mamuzah Lum of Hertha BSC and Werder Bremen's Mick Schmetgens. Eichhorn, a young talent transferred for €9 million from Hertha BSC to Bayer Leverkusen, won gold in the U17 division ahead of Bayern defender Cassiano Kiala and HSV’s Louis Lemke.

In the female categories, Maj Schneider of SC Freiburg and Mirja Kropp of RB Leipzig took gold medals for their accomplishments in the respective age groups, with Kropp recently named best player at the U17 European Championship.

DFB youth teams chief Kai Krüger praised the twelve award recipients for their impressive performances both on and off the pitch, emphasizing that the Fritz-Walter-Medaille is a symbol of not only sporting excellence but also personal conduct and teamwork. Named after Germany’s World Cup captain Fritz Walter, the award has recognized stars such as Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz, and Toni Kroos in the past, underscoring its significance in German football development.