Few players embody the modern European midfielder quite like Joshua Kimmich. Since arriving at Bayern Munich in 2015, the German international has evolved from a nimble right-back into one of the deepest, most cerebral midfielders the Bundesliga has ever produced. At 31 years old, with over 110 senior caps for Germany and a contract running through 2029, Kimmich is gearing up for what could be the defining tournament of his career – the FIFA World Cup 2026, co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Canadian soccer fans watching on TSN and CTV will want to know everything about the man who could be Germany’s most important player all summer.
Who Is Joshua Kimmich
Born on February 8, 1995, in Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg, Joshua Walter Kimmich began his football journey in the youth ranks of VfB Stuttgart before moving to RB Leipzig at 18. It was at Bayern Munich, however, where he became the player the world now recognises. Equally capable at right-back and defensive midfield, Kimmich’s tactical intelligence is his greatest asset – he reads passages of play seconds before they develop, distributes with surgical precision, and covers ground with an intensity that makes him indispensable regardless of position.
He wore the number 6 shirt since Thiago Alcântara’s departure to Liverpool in 2020, a symbolic transfer of midfield leadership. Kimmich is now Germany’s captain, a role he carries with vocal, sometimes controversial conviction. Beyond athleticism, his passing range, set-piece delivery, and pressing triggers make him the organisational heartbeat of both Bayern and the Nationalmannschaft. Transfermarkt values him at €40 million; his influence on the pitch is worth considerably more. Explore more profiles at our World Cup players hub.
Career & Honours
Kimmich’s career arc is a textbook study in compounding excellence. At RB Leipzig, he made 53 league appearances and demonstrated the positional versatility that would later define his Bayern tenure. From his debut under Pep Guardiola in September 2015, Kimmich grew into one of the most decorated players in German football history.
| Club / Team | Years | Appearances | Goals | Major Honours |
| RB Leipzig | 2013-2015 | 53 | 3 | – |
| Bayern Munich | 2015-present | 450+ | 55+ | 9× Bundesliga, 1× Champions League, 3× DFB-Pokal, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup |
| Germany | 2016-present | 110+ | 10+ | 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2014 UEFA U-19 Championship |
The crowning moment in his club career arrived on August 23, 2020, when his perfectly weighted assist for Kingsley Coman’s header handed Bayern the UEFA Champions League title against PSG. That same season, Kimmich featured in an 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the quarterfinals – a performance that underlined Germany’s domestic and European dominance. He was included in UEFA’s Team of the Year that season and named in the FIFA FIFPro Men’s World XI.
His trophy cabinet at Bayern currently counts 25 titles, including nine Bundesliga championships. For the Germany national team, beyond the 2017 Confederations Cup, Kimmich reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals and was named in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament – a remarkable achievement for a 21-year-old playing his first major international competition. In the 2024-25 season, he reached his 100th Germany cap during a UEFA Nations League semi-final.
Joshua Kimmich Salary & Net Worth
Joshua Kimmich’s salary at Bayern Munich is one of the most discussed in European football. According to multiple verified sources including Capology and Sky Sport Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Kimmich signed a new four-year contract in March 2025, keeping him at the Allianz Arena until June 30, 2029. His annual gross salary sits at approximately €20 million per year – equivalent to around €384,615 per week – making him the second-highest earner at Bayern behind Harry Kane (€25 million), with Jamal Musiala joining him at the top of the wage bill.
The previous deal, worth around €19.5 million annually, was extended with a modest base increase and a structure heavily weighted toward performance bonuses – appearances, trophy outcomes, and international progression. A signing bonus was also included, though smaller than the reported €22 million paid to Canadian left-back Alphonso Davies for his own renewal.
On the endorsement side, Kimmich has a long-standing partnership with Nike, wearing the Phantom boot series in both Bundesliga and Champions League competition. He has also featured in campaigns for Adidas lifestyle products and German financial brands, though specific deal values are not publicly disclosed.
Estimating Joshua Kimmich’s net worth requires factoring career earnings stretching back to his 2015 Bayern arrival, progressive salary increases, and endorsement income. Conservative financial estimates place his net worth at approximately €50 million (roughly $75 million CAD), though some outlets suggest higher figures given his decade-long top-tier wages. His market value on Transfermarkt currently sits at €40 million, reflecting his age trajectory rather than his influence on the pitch.
Personal Life
Joshua Kimmich married Lina Meyer – now Lina Kimmich – in 2022, after several years together. Lina is a former German volleyball player who competed at a high level before stepping away from professional sport. She maintains a relatively low public profile compared to some footballers’ partners, though she regularly attends Bayern Munich events and appears on Kimmich’s social media during major milestones.
The couple are parents to multiple children, though specific details about their family remain deliberately private – a choice both Kimmich and Lina have spoken about openly in German media interviews. Kimmich has consistently separated his public football persona from his domestic life, requesting that reporters focus discussion on the sport rather than his family when questions arise at press conferences.
Outside football, Kimmich has been vocal on social and political matters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his public hesitancy around vaccination sparked national debate in Germany, leading him to later acknowledge the controversy had affected his form on the pitch during the 2021-22 season. He has since worked to redirect public attention firmly toward his football, while remaining one of the more intellectually engaged personalities in the German game.
World Cup 2026: Germany’s Talisman Under Scrutiny
Germany opens their 2026 World Cup campaign in Group E on June 14, facing Curaçao in Houston. For Kimmich, this tournament carries unusual personal weight – despite accumulating over 110 caps, he has never played a knockout-round match at a World Cup. Germany’s exits in 2018 (group stage) and 2022 (group stage) meant that astonishing gap in his résumé remains.
Ahead of the tournament, Kimmich made headlines when he told reporters Germany should perhaps not be counted among the outright favourites, noting that recent group-stage exits meant the team’s record simply didn’t justify top-tier expectations. “Once the first match begins, few will care about what happened four or eight years ago,” he added – framing the tournament as a clean slate defined purely by what the squad delivers on the field. His view: the strongest collective unit beats the most individually gifted roster, every time.
Sportsbooks currently have Germany at +1400 to win the World Cup at FanDuel, positioning the Nationalmannschaft as a tier-two contender behind Spain (+500), France (+500), England (+650), Brazil (+800) and Argentina (+850). That represents reasonable value for a team with Kimmich orchestrating from deep, Jamal Musiala creating in the final third, and a hunger born of two consecutive early exits. Canadian bettors can follow Germany’s progress through the Group E draw – they also face Ivory Coast and Ecuador – and monitor the latest World Cup odds as the June 14 opener approaches.
For Germany fans, there is something poetic about Kimmich finally getting his knockout-round moment. For bettors, his presence as both captain and defensive midfielder makes him the pivot on which Germany’s entire tactical structure turns. Watch this space. Learn more about the 2026 World Cup hub and browse all player profiles at BettingSite.ca.
Joshua Kimmich enters FIFA World Cup 2026 as Germany’s most experienced voice and its tactical cornerstone. After years of near-misses and group-stage heartbreak, the Bayern Munich captain has one final chance to add international glory to a club career that already ranks among the finest Germany has produced. His salary, leadership, and relentless reading of the game make him one of the most fascinating figures heading into North America’s biggest sporting event.
