Waldemar Anton was born on 20 July 1996 in Olmaliq, Uzbekistan, to Russia-German parents who emigrated to Germany when he was two; his parents legally changed his name from Vladimir to Waldemar to aid assimilation. He came through Hannover 96's academy and made his Bundesliga debut in 2016.
In July 2020 he transferred to VfB Stuttgart, where he became team captain in August 2023 and helped the club finish second in the 2023-24 Bundesliga. In July 2024 Borussia Dortmund signed him on a four-year contract for around €22.5 million as the long-term replacement for Mats Hummels — a decision that drew controversy among Stuttgart fans because he had publicly declared loyalty to the club months earlier.
For Germany, Anton was a U21 international and won the 2017 UEFA U21 European Championship, also reaching the 2019 final. He made his senior debut in March 2024 against France and was selected for Euro 2024, where Germany reached the quarter-finals. Eligible to play for Russia or Uzbekistan, he chose Germany.
A 1.89 m right-footed centre-back, Anton combines aerial dominance, calm distribution and tactical maturity, and was a settled Bundesliga starter for years before earning his Germany call-up — exactly the kind of senior, big-club-ready defender Dortmund wanted to anchor their post-Hummels back line.