Julian Brandt was born on 2 May 1996 in Bremen, Germany, and came through youth football before joining Bayer Leverkusen in January 2014 for around €350,000. He made his Bundesliga debut a month later against Schalke 04 and developed into a senior contributor, scoring in six consecutive Bundesliga matches in 2016 — the youngest player to do so since Gerd Müller.
In May 2019 Borussia Dortmund activated his release clause for around €25 million. He scored on his Dortmund debut and has been a long-term presence in the squad over multiple seasons, contributing to the 2020-21 DFB-Pokal title and the run to the 2024 Champions League final, where Dortmund lost 2-0 to Real Madrid. He was named to the Bundesliga Team of the Season in 2018-19 and 2022-23. In March 2026 Dortmund announced he would leave at the end of the season after more than 300 club appearances.
For Germany, Brandt has earned around 50 senior caps and played at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, with selection for the squad at Euro 2024. As a youngster he won the 2014 UEFA U19 European Championship and an Olympic silver in 2016.
A 1.85 m two-footed left winger / attacking midfielder, Brandt combines technical close control, vision and a powerful shot from outside the box, and has been one of Germany's most consistent creative attackers of the last decade.