The Germany international's huge potential looks destined to go unfulfilled after he completed a shock cut-price move to FC Copenhagen
“[There’s] a young player who plays for [Borussia] Dortmund called Youssoufa Moukoko,” Eto’o told GOAL when asked who he’d love to see as Barcelona’s next big signing back in October 2020. “[He’s] 15 years of age, and he’s the next top player, for me, after [Lionel] Messi. As Messi gets older, we could prepare the future of Barcelona very well.”
Moukoko had not made a senior appearance for Dortmund at that stage, but he was already one of the most famous young players in Europe. That's because he scored an astonishing 141 goals in 88 games for BVB at youth level, and set ridiculously high targets for himself right from the start of his football journey.
"It is my goal to become a professional player in Dortmund, capture the Champions League with Borussia, and win the Ballon d'Or," Moukoko said in an interview with when he was just 13. He achieved the first goal the day after he turned 16, and came very close to picking up a Champions League winners' medal in 2023-24 under Edin Terzic.
But it's fair to say now that Moukoko will never win the Ballon d'Or. He only played 18 minutes in Dortmund's run to the Champions League final two seasons ago, and spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Nice, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Terzic's replacement, Nuri Sahin.
The so-called 'African Messi' did not find redemption in Ligue 1 either, which left Dortmund with no choice but to find a permanent buyer this summer. Step forward, Copenhagen.
Moukoko completed a €5m transfer to the Danish side at the weekend, ending his nine-year affiliation with BVB without a proper goodbye to the fans. The question is: how did his career at Signal Iduna Park tank so spectacularly? GOAL takes a look…
'We're lucky to have him'
Moukoko's Dortmund debut was a historic affair. He became the youngest player to ever feature for the club in the Bundesliga when then-BVB boss Lucien Favre brought him on for the final five minutes of a 5-2 victory against Hertha Berlin on November 21, 2020, replacing a certain Erling Haaland.
"I would love to play alongside him," Haaland said after the final whistle. "I think he's the biggest talent in the world right now. He's 16 years and one day old, that's amazing. He has a big career ahead of him. We're lucky to have him." Indeed, Moukoko seemed to have it all: scintillating pace, exceptional control, composure and a natural eye for goal.
Suffice it to say, Haaland would soon get his wish. The Cameroon-born striker, who ultimately pledged his international allegiance to Germany, broke two more records before the end of the year, first for the youngest Champions League player in history, then the youngest Bundesliga goalscorer. He opened his account in some style too, nearly bursting the net to equalise against Union Berlin with an unstoppable first-time shot after being played in by Raphael Guerreiro.
Terzic replaced Favre in the dugout in December and continued to give Moukoko opportunities, albeit only as a substitute. By the start of April, the teenager already had 15 senior appearances under his belt, but he then suffered a serious foot injury while on duty with Germany's U21s, which cut short his breakthrough campaign.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportBit-part role under Rose
That injury blow turned out to be the first of many for Moukoko. It also prevented him from making an instant impression on Marco Rose, who was appointed Dortmund's new manager after Terzic's interim stint ended in June 2021.
Moukoko did regain full fitness in time for the new season, but Rose had already decided on Donyell Malen as his backup striker behind Haaland. The youngster only played 484 minutes across the 2021-22 campaign, starting just once in the Bundesliga, in part because of a persistent muscle problem.
The one high point came when Moukoko scored the winning goal against Hertha Berlin on the final day of the campaign, producing a brilliant finish across the goalkeeper that sent the home crowd into raptures, but also left them wondering why he hadn't played more often.
Rose attempted to appease the Dortmund faithtful after the game, telling reporters: "I think that Mouki is not satisfied with the season as a whole, or with his playing time. I’ve always said that I see him as a huge talent. But he still has to develop further in certain areas. If he stays healthy next year and we continue on this path together, I believe he will take those steps. He’s already proven that as we know, and he showed that again (against Hertha) after coming off the bench."
Moukoko did take those steps, but not under Rose, who was sacked just six days later after Dortmund finished eight points behind champions Bayern Munich.
Getty Images Sport'Huge step forward'
Terzic was reappointed as Dortmund manager permanently after Rose's dismissal, while Haaland departed for Manchester City in a €60m (£51m/$70m) deal. Sebastian Haller was brought in from Ajax to fill the void left by Haaland, but the Ivory Coast international was then diagnosed with testicular cancer during pre-season, which left Terzic without a natural centre forward.
To make matters worse, the 20-year-old forward Karim Adeyemi, another summer signing, suffered a toe injury right at the start of the 2022-23 campaign. That opened the door for Moukoko to support first-choice frontman Malen, though, and the academy hotshot grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Moukoko racked up 10 goal involvements in Dortmund's first 12 Bundesliga games, including a superb finish in a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich. That effort sparked a memorable BVB comeback and saw Moukoko become the youngest Der Klassiker goalscorer ever, aged just 17 years and 322 days.
He also hit a brace in a 3-0 home victory over Bochum, becoming the youngest player to ever reach 10 goals in the Bundesliga in the process, and Terzic subsequently praised the teenager for taking a "huge step forward". Then-Germany boss Hansi Flick agreed with that assessment, drafting Moukoko into his squad for the mid-season World Cup in Qatar.
It turned out to be a disastrous tournament for Germany, who exited in the group stage after a shocking defeat to Japan. Flick faced criticism for not using Moukoko until the 90th minute of that clash, but it was still a historic moment for the striker as he broke the record for the youngest German player to ever feature at the World Cup.
Getty Images SportTwo steps back
Unfortunately, Moukoko's "huge step forward" for club and country was followed by two steps back. The goals dried up after his return to Dortmund and by late January, he had lost his place in Terzic's starting lineup.
Moukoko then tore ankle ligaments in a 2-0 win away at Werder Bremen and spent the next six weeks in the treatment room. He returned by the start of April, but rather miraculously, so had Haller, and Moukoko had to be content with a substitute role for the remainder of the season.
Aside from a crucial winning goal against Union Berlin, it was another frustrating period for Moukoko. There was no Bundesliga winners' medal to cushion the blow, either, as Dortmund gifted the title to Bayern after a shocking final-day collapse against Mainz.
Yet more misery came Moukoko's way after he joined Germany's U21 camp for the 2023 European Championship. He was subjected to vile racist abuse after missing a last-minute penalty in a 1-1 draw against Israel on matchday one, and was then sidelined with a muscle complaint as Germany went on to finish bottom of Group C after defeats to the Czech Republic and England.