Florian Wirtz was born on 3 May 2003 in Pulheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He came through the youth ranks at 1. FC Köln before joining Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020. He made his Bundesliga debut that May at the age of 17, and within weeks had scored his first league goal against Bayern Munich, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history at the time.
A serious ACL injury in March 2022 disrupted his development, but Wirtz returned to become a central figure in Leverkusen's historic 2023–24 season, in which the club completed an unbeaten domestic double — their first-ever Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal. He recorded 18 goals across 49 appearances that campaign and was voted Bundesliga Player of the Season. He also won the DFL-Supercup with the club in 2024 before making his UEFA Champions League debut, scoring five goals across five group-stage matches.
An instinctive attacking midfielder with sharp technical ability and strong off-the-ball movement, Wirtz can also operate wide or as a false nine. Liverpool signed him in June 2025 for a reported fee of around £100 million, a club record, giving him a platform in the Premier League at the age of 22.
International debut came in September 2021 for Germany. At UEFA Euro 2024, he scored the tournament's opening goal against Scotland and netted a late equaliser against Spain in the quarter-finals. He has also represented Germany at Under-21 level, helping the side win the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.