The last time Nadiem Amiri was called up to the Germany squad he was the one who actually had to do the calling — because former head coach Joachim Löw didn't have Amiri's phone number. This time, head coach Julian Nagelsmann had no trouble getting ahold of him, although Amiri missed the call because he was at training. When they did speak, the Mainz man admitted he had tears in his eyes during the call.

Few return to international football after years away but Amiri has beaten the odds. Nearly five years after his last Germany appearance in November 2020, Amiri has returned.

Nagelsmann's hand was forced by a raft of injuries but Amiri's form merited inclusion regardless. The Mainz midfielder joins club teammate Jonathan Burkardt in the squad, meaning that for the first time in 15 years two Mainz players are in Germany colors (the last pair was Andre Schürrle and Lewis Holtby). Amiri's return marks the latest milestone in an inspiring story of migration and football fortune.

Amiri's parents fled war-torn Afghanistan

Amiri's parents fled war-torn Afghanistan in the 1980s, settling in the West German city of Ludwigshafen. His father had a trucking business and his mother was employed in an old people's home for 20 years as the pair labored to create safety and opportunity for their children. Amiri was born in 1996 and played on the streets of the city with his older brother. Then, his parents sacrificed again to make their son's dream of becoming a footballer possible — driving him to practice in Kaiserslautern, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) away, where his football journey began.

Later, at Hoffenheim, Amiri established himself under the tutelage of none other than Julian Nagelsmann. He won the U19 league title with the club and was also the youngest member of Germany's U21 European Championship winning team in 2017.

His performance impressed and led Leverkusen to sign him in 2019. He made his Germany debut just three months later.

The reaction from football fans in Afghanistan was largely positive too. "So many family members, but also many strangers, have called my parents and congratulated them. That's very moving," said Nadiem at the time.

Amiri has never lost connection with his roots. His cousin Zubayr, who might have been a Bundesliga player, himself, went on to play for Afghanistan and keeps Amiri aware of how football is developing in the country. Even when away from the ball, Amiri has never lost sight of his parents' sacrifice.

At 14, his mother and father took him to Afghanistan to show him Kabul and their childhood home. It left an impression on the young boy, because years later, Amiri is involved in various refugee projects, including the Red Cross, to help support those who are facing the same challenges as his parents did all those years ago.

In 2021, Amiri visited a refugee center in Stuttgart before inviting families to the stadium to watch Germany's World Cup qualifier. "As a German with Afghan roots, I am following the recent developments in Afghanistan closely," Amiri said in 2021. "It was clear for me that I would like to help these people who have fled to Germany — as my own family did — as best as possible."

Amiri's unconventional path back to the top

After joining Bayer Leverkusen and being named to the German national squad, the trajectory of Amiri's career looked set — but football, as it so often does, had other plans.

At the start of 2021, he reportedly suffered racial abuse from an opposing player during a Bundesliga game. Despite this, he kept playing well enough to become a successful part of Germany's Olympic team in Tokyo but his career stagnated afterwards. An unsuccessful loan to Genoa in Italy's Serie A league and a failed transfer to Leeds in the UK left him alone in the football wilderness.

A surprise move to Mainz in January 2024 turned out to be just what he needed. A return to a place closer to home (Mainz is just 80 kilometers north of Ludwigshafen) has seen him become a pivotal player for the club, excelling in the deep-lying playmaker role. He helped save the club from relegation and, this season, has helped them surge in the Bundesliga standings as they look set to cap off a remarkable season with a top-four finish.

"I wanted to find the joy in football again and the confidence in myself," Amiri said this week.

The 28-year-old has certainly done that. Amiri is another example of how careers — particularly in elite sports — are not always linear. It's about finding the right fit, a place where you belong, a place where joy trumps fear.

With Germany's World Cup journey now truly in motion, the Mainz man will want to play his way into the permanent rotation. But right now, his return to the squad is a nod to both his unconventional path and the value of Germany's diversity.

Edited by: Jon Shelton