Felix Nmecha is heading into his fourth season at Borussia Dortmund with a very different job description from the one he arrived with. He managed only 10 Bundesliga starts in 2023/24, but Dortmund extended his contract in March until 2030 and Niko Kovač now calls him a key player.

Dortmund's changing expectations

The early weeks at Signal Iduna Park were about finding a place. Nmecha had already made his senior debut for Manchester City at 18, then spent 2021 to 2023 at VfL Wolfsburg before moving to Dortmund, but his first season at the club still looked tentative. He played only 85 knockout minutes in Dortmund's UEFA Champions League final run and was an unused substitute for the final.

That has changed. Nmecha's goal and assist on Matchday 34 against Holstein Kiel were a reminder of his influence, and Kovač's view has moved with the evidence. “Felix is a key player in this team. Everyone can improve. Felix is at a good age. He is slowly reaching his peak,” he said.

Why the Germany break matters

His rise is not just a Dortmund story. Julian Nagelsmann named Nmecha in his FIFA World Cup 2026 squad and he started all four games, logging 276 minutes. He opened Germany's account with a goal against Curaçao and set up Deniz Undav's winner against Côte d'Ivoire.

The tournament also backed up the broader profile. Only Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck completed a higher percentage of passes than his 87.97, only those two won more duels than his 237, and he completed 73.7 percent of his attempted dribbles. Kovač also said, “He's a player who can be even more dangerous in front of goal. Hard work pays off for both the individual and the team.”

Nmecha himself has been clear that he is not interested in the easy comparison that follows any Dortmund midfielder who lands in that role after Jude Bellingham. “I expected to be compared to [Jude] Bellingham given I arrived in his position at the same time he left. However, I don’t really compare myself to other players. I try to focus as much on myself as possible,” he told bundesliga.com.

Dortmund's recent form is mixed, with WWLWL in the last five, which makes the leadership side of his growth more relevant. The club now needs the midfielder who struggled for starts two seasons ago to carry more of the load, and the next league run will show whether that trust keeps building.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →