Younes Ebnoutalib has completed a remarkable rise from Germany's regional leagues to the national team in under two years. The 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt forward made his Germany debut as a substitute in September's 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw against the Netherlands and is currently his club's top scorer with four goals in four Bundesliga appearances.

The Frankfurt native, signed from Elversberg for a reported €10 million package in January 2026, put pen to paper on a long-term deal running until 2029. His immediate impact was undeniable, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against Borussia Dortmund on the opening day of the 2026/27 season. He remains decisive this term, most recently opening the scoring in the 2-2 draw with SC Freiburg. Eintracht Frankfurt currently sit tenth in the Bundesliga table with five points from four matches.

The Path to the National Shirt

Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp called Ebnoutalib during a day off in September. "It all happened so fast. It feels like a dream. I still can’t quite grasp it, I’m incredibly happy," the striker said afterwards. He described Klopp as one of the best coaches in the world. Sporting director Markus Krösche highlighted the player's mentality: "That was important for him. We can see the kind of mentality he has, and that he also possesses the instinct to score."

Ebnoutalib's career began in the youth academies of Rot-Weiss Frankfurt and Wehen Wiesbaden. After spells in Italy with Perugia and at Gießen, he moved to Elversberg for around €50,000 in January 2025. There, he netted 12 goals in 17 games during the 2025 season, catching the eye of Eintracht. His playing style is often compared to that of Germany's all-time top scorer Miroslav Klose.

Injury and Comeback

His Bundesliga start with Frankfurt was marred by a knee ligament injury suffered days after his debut against VfB Stuttgart. He managed only five league appearances in the second half of the 2025/26 season. However, he returned with goals during preseason and impressed returning head coach Adi Hütter.

Beyond football, Ebnoutalib has a unique sporting background: his father Faissal won a silver medal in taekwondo at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and Younes trained in the martial art himself until the age of 13 before focusing solely on football. Although there was contact with Morocco national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi, his commitment was firmly to Germany.

With his contract running until 2029, Ebnoutalib is a central piece of Eintracht Frankfurt's future. The next challenge comes on October 10th with an away fixture against league rivals RB Leipzig.

This story first appeared at bundesliga.com