Just over a year after helping Germany win their maiden U-17 World Cup title, Max Moerstedt sat down with FIFA to discuss the tournament and its impact.
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Germany won the FIFA U-17 World Cup last December
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Max Moerstedt played a key role in the European nation’s maiden triumph
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He discusses the tournament and his development since conquering Indonesia
On 2 December 2023, Germany were victorious at FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023™, and were thus crowned the best team in the world in this age category for the first time ever.
Max Moerstedt made a key contribution to the title win. The powerful Hoffenheim striker scored a total of four goals during the tournament, and underlined his importance to coach Christian Wuck’s team with his physical presence and link-up play.
The now 18-year-old, who is a regular fixture of Hoffenheim’s squad and has made 12 appearances this season, sat down with FIFA to look back on the tournament, his favourite games and goals, the 24/25 campaign so far and his ambitions for the future.
FIFA: Max, last year you won the U-17 World Cup. Can you remember what went through your mind after the final whistle?
Max Moerstedt: It was just pure relief and, of course, I was unbelievably happy to win the final on penalties against France and be crowned the best U-17 national team in the world.
When you look back on your journey through the tournament now, are there any matches that stand out for you in particular?
From the quarter-final onwards, all of them really! I remember the quarter-final against Spain particularly well, for example, because they totally dominated us and despite only having around 20 per cent ball possession [we] were still able to win the match 1-0. Also, the semi-final against Argentina when we came back to win on penalties. We also had some setbacks in the final against France, especially having a man sent off. All this shows that we had an unbelievable team spirit, which allowed us to handle these setbacks brilliantly and ultimately fully deserved to become world champions.
You contributed four goals en route to the World Cup win. Which goal comes to mind first and why?
Definitely the goal against Argentina. Scoring the goal to put us 3-2 up in the semi-final was an unbelievable feeling. Above all, because it was a very important goal on our way to winning the World Cup.
Your coach, Christian Wuck, was keen for the team to get a feel for how people live there. Do you have any memories of Indonesia off the pitch?
My main memory is how incredibly kind and friendly all of the people there were. And also, how warmly we were greeted when we drove through villages and towns on the bus. They all lined the pavements and waved at us. That was really special.
What set your team apart and what made it so strong?
We definitely have a good mentality. During the tournament, we always found a way to deal with setbacks. This is ultimately what made the difference.
Since the tournament, you’ve made big strides on a personal level with your club Hoffenheim. How satisfied are you with your development over the past year?
After winning the World Cup with the German U-17 side, I then won the double with the TSG Hoffenheim U-19s, which are obviously also great achievements that are really important to me. But in the end, those were all still with the youth teams and I am now trying to establish myself in the senior competitions. That is my main objective.
You’ve played more for the senior side this year and scored your first goal in September against Midtjylland. What was that feeling like?
It was amazing – I’ve been dreaming of that moment since I was a little boy. Being able to play with the senior team, and in the Europa League too, and then to score such an important goal – it was just crazy. Being able to help the team like that with my first senior goal makes it all the more special for me.
Your new coach Christian Ilzer has been with Hoffenheim for a few weeks now. What does he want to see from you on the pitch?
Our new coach is very determined and follows a very precise plan. He wants us to press aggressively and do everything on the pitch with full conviction. That is what he’s demanding from me, but also from everyone else in the team. Now we just need to put the work in and I’m sure success will follow.
In your view, where have you made the most progress and where do you think you have potential to improve?
The tournaments with the German junior national team have given me good experience. During the past year, we learned how to handle setbacks time and again – that was hugely important for my development. Fundamentally, there are always things you can improve. For me, the main thing is to get used to the professional game and establish myself there. Some of the centre-backs I’ve faced already are absolute ‘units’ (laughs). You need to be able to hold your ground physically against these guys. But, of course, speed and energy are areas I want and need to work on. In the end, it’s about optimising everything in order to improve as a whole.
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At the moment, you’re still playing between the youth and senior teams. What goals have you set yourself for the coming year?
My main goal is to amass as much playing time for the senior team as possible. It is important for me to get as much experience there as I can now, and also to learn from games that don’t go so well. Because those experiences only make you stronger. And for the national team, the Elite Round is coming up in March 2025. The first step is to qualify for the European Championship, and then, ideally, try to compete for the title again.
