Mio Backhaus Joins Sport-Club Freiburg as Lukas Podolski Ends Legendary Career

Mio Backhaus, a promising 22-year-old German-Japanese goalkeeper, has joined Sport-Club Freiburg, marking a significant transfer in German football for 2026. Backhaus’s football journey began at Kawasaki Frontale before moving to Germany at age 14, where he played for Alemannia Aachen and later joined Werder Bremen's youth academy. After a loan to FC Volendam in the Dutch Eredivisie, where he played 33 matches as a starting goalkeeper, Backhaus returned to Werder Bremen and debuted in the Bundesliga in August 2025. He has since made 32 Bundesliga appearances and regularly represents Germany's U21 national team. Sport-Club Freiburg’s board member Jochen Saier praised Backhaus for his high-level performance, calm demeanor, and strong potential. The young goalkeeper expressed his enthusiasm for joining Freiburg, highlighting the club's appealing environment and his aspirations for success.

Meanwhile, German football legend Lukas Podolski has officially retired, concluding a rich and diverse career capped by a cup victory with his last club, Górnik Zabrze in Poland. Podolski's career included winning a league title once in 2009 with FC Bayern Munich. Despite that, he gathered cup titles in five different countries, including England with Arsenal, Japan with Vissel Kobe, and Turkey with Galatasaray, underscoring his international success and versatility. Podolski's departure closes the chapter on a career marked by global achievements and beloved status in German football.

These career milestones—Backhaus’s transfer to Freiburg and Podolski’s retirement—highlight key developments for German football in 2026, reflecting both emerging talent and the passing of an era.