German Football Ambassador 2020: The candidates

A world champion and four-time Champions League winner, the 30-year-old is Germany's most decorated active player: The Real Madrid playmaker is not only a thinker and leader on the pitch, but an influencer off it. Almost 24 million people follow his Instagram account, while the father of two supports seriously ill children and their families with his foundation.

A trendsetter on and off the pitch, the pacy winger gives defenders nightmares both with Manchester City and in the German national team. Bayern Munich have long displayed an interest in the 24-year-old, but negotiations have stalled due to a knee ligament injury. Sane's market value of around €100 million may also be a stumbling block for the Bavarians ...

With Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani for teammates, German international Thilo Kehrer, 23, has been rubbing shoulders with the best of the best at Paris Saint-Germain for two years now. Away from football, the fullback is a patron of the aid organization "Kick-Off for Hope" which supports the peace process and the fight against poverty in Burundi - his mother's home country.

As a child, the young Dzsenifer didn't even know that women's football existed, but she was persuaded to play by her brother and his friends. Since then, the Budapest-born 27-year-old has become a European and Olympic champion with Germany, and has captained club side Lyon to three French titles, two domestic cups and four Champions Leagues.

It's often forgotten that Höwedes didn't miss a single minute of Germany's 2014 World Cup campaign, but the defender is also a rock off the pitch. Currently with Lokomotive Moscow, the 32-year-old isn't afraid to address socio-political issues and is a supporter of "Fridays for Future." He might be underestimated by some but, in his native Gelsenkirchen, he remains a bonafide Schalke legend.

Two and a half years ago, goalkeeper Berger underwent an operation for thyroid cancer - but incredibly was back between the sticks within two months. Following stints at Turbine Potsdam in Germany, Paris Saint Germain in France and Birmingham City in England, the 29-year-old now plays for Chelsea Ladies and is hoping to make her first appearance for the German national team.

"For me, it's just self-portrayal and fake" - Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Pascal Gross is not a fan of social media; he prefers to do his talking on the pitch instead. The 28-year-old made a name for himself with Ingolstadt but has been on England's south coast for three years now, where his winning goal against Manchester United in 2018 helped keep the Seagulls in the Premier League.

From Stuttgart to Roma to Chelsea, "Toni" Rüdiger's career so far has been a veritable European tour. Unfortunately, however, the Berlin-born German international, whose mother hails from Sierra Leone, has experienced racist abuse in all three countries, making the young family man even more determined in his his calls for tougher action against the perpetrators inside and outside the stadium.

The 25-year-old may not be a household name in his native Germany, but that was beginning to change after the left-back reached the Champions League quarterfinals with Italian side Atalanta in March. Germany coach Joachim Löw would have liked to have given Gosens a call-up to the national team, but the coronavirus has put a halt both to those plans and Atalanta's dream season.

Mönchengladbach, Bremen, Chelsea, Seville, Fiorentina, Anderlecht, Trabzonspor, Olympiacos, Red Star Belgrade - Marko Marin may not have been able to establish himself in the German national team but the Bosnian-born 31-year-old midfielder can still look back on extraordinary career. This year, he's adding another new experience with Saudi Arabian side al-Ahli.

"Poldi" is a unique specimen: a German, English, Turkish, Japanese and world champion, the 34-year-old is an instant fan-favorite everywhere he goes, thanks to his laid-back manner off the pitch and commitment on it. But nowhere is the Polish-born striker more adored than in his hometown of Cologne, where he supports various social projects and even runs a kebab joint and an ice cream chain.