Lars Stindl
The captain who scored the winning goal for Germany's first Confederations Cup title and led Borussia Mönchengladbach through a decade of resilience.
Lars Edi Stindl (born 26 August 1988) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. While he began his journey at Karlsruher SC, he is most recognizably associated with Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he served as captain for seven years. His career culminated in leading Germany to their first-ever FIFA Confederations Cup title in 2017, scoring the decisive goal in the final against Chile. After eight years at Gladbach, he returned to his former club Karlsruher SC before announcing his retirement on 28 March 2024.
- role
- Attacking Midfielder / Forward
- affiliation
- Borussia Mönchengladbach (Captain for 7 years)
- status
- Retired from playing as of March 2024
- era
- Karlsruher SC, Hannover 96, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Karlsruher SC (Return)
- key_trait
- Hat-tricks in crucial European and domestic matches
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Stindl's tenure at Borussia Mönchengladbach began on 8 August 2015, when he marked his competitive debut with a brace in a 4–1 DFB-Pokal victory over FC St. Pauli. His leadership role solidified on 1 August 2016, confirmed as captain following the retirement of Martin Stranzl and Granit Xhaka's transfer to Arsenal. The most dramatic moment of his club career occurred on 23 February 2017, when he scored a hat-trick against ACF Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. This performance allowed Borussia to overturn a 3–0 aggregate deficit and qualify for the UEFA Europa League Round of 16. He continued to deliver late drama, scoring another hat-trick on 15 December 2020 against Eintracht Frankfurt, with two goals coming after the 90th minute. His loyalty was rewarded when he stayed as captain for seven consecutive years until his departure in April 2023.
In Their Own Story
The narrative of Stindl's international impact is defined by a singular, history-making moment in Russia. First called up to the senior national team in May 2017, he made his debut on 6 June against Denmark, playing the full 90 minutes. In the opening game of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup against Australia, he scored his first international goal in the fifth minute. He followed this with a second goal in a 1–1 draw with Chile three days later. The climax arrived in the final against Chile on 2 July 2017; Stindl scored the only goal of the match to secure Germany's first-ever title in the tournament, finishing as joint top goalscorer with three goals. His international journey also included a vital 90th-minute equaliser against France on 14 November 2017, ensuring Germany remained unbeaten for that year, before his final appearance in a 0–1 loss to Brazil in March 2018.
Reader's Guide
For fans tracking Lars Stindl's timeline, key dates define his path. He started his professional career with Karlsruher SC on 15 March 2008, scoring his first Bundesliga goal against Hannover 96 on 29 November 2008 before joining them in March 2010. On 25 March 2015, he signed for Borussia Mönchengladbach for the 2015–16 season. His departure from Gladbach was announced in April 2023 after eight years at the club. Uniquely, on 28 April 2023, Karlsruher SC confirmed his return after a 16-year absence; he scored his first goal for them since returning on 11 August 2023 against 1. FC Saarbrücken in the DFB-Pokal. He officially announced his retirement from football on 28 March 2024, having played more than 430 league matches across Germany's top two divisions.
Did You Know?
- Stindl scored the only goal in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup final against Chile to win Germany their first-ever title in that tournament.
- On 15 December 2020, Stindl scored a hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt where two of his goals were scored after the 90th minute.
- He returned to Karlsruher SC on 28 April 2023, rejoining the club exactly 16 years after he had previously left.
- Stindl served as Borussia Mönchengladbach's captain for seven consecutive years before his departure in 2023.
- He scored a hat-trick on 23 February 2017 to overturn a 3–0 aggregate deficit against ACF Fiorentina in the Europa League.