Berlin, May 23: In an era where football increasingly celebrates teenage prodigies and fast-rising superstars, Pascal Gross’s journey to the FIFA World Cup stands out for an entirely different reason — patience.
At 34, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder is now expected to play a key role for Germany at the World Cup, completing a remarkable rise that only truly began at international level two years ago when he made his senior national team debut at the age of 32.For much of his career, Gross remained one of football’s understated performers — admired by coaches and teammates for his intelligence, versatility and consistency, but rarely commanding global headlines. While many players begin winding down their international ambitions in their thirties, Gross was only beginning his journey with Germany.Questions had long been asked about why he was overlooked by the national side despite consistently delivering strong performances for Brighton in the Premier League. During his time in England, Gross established himself as one of the league’s most dependable midfielders through his passing range, tactical awareness and ability to control the rhythm of matches. His move back to Germany with Borussia Dortmund was initially viewed by some as a final chapter in his career. (Agencies)
