Loris Karius

German goalkeeper who played for Liverpool in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final and joined Beşiktaş on loan later that year. Since January 2025, he has played for Schalke 04, helping the club win promotion to the Bundesliga in 2026.

Born on June 22, 1993

Age: 33

Profession: Professional footballer

Place of Birth: Biberach an der Riß, Germany

Loris Karius, whose full name is Loris Sven Karius, was born on June 22, 1993, in Biberach an der Riß, Germany. He is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Schalke 04. He previously played for Mainz 05, Liverpool, Beşiktaş, Union Berlin, and Newcastle United. He appeared in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final with Liverpool and played for Beşiktaş on loan between 2018 and 2020. In 2026, he helped Schalke win the 2. Bundesliga championship and return to Germany's top division.

Early Life and Youth Career

Loris Karius was born on June 22, 1993, in Biberach an der Riß, in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. He began playing football with local clubs FV Biberach and SG Mettenberg.

He joined the youth system of SSV Ulm 1846 in 2001 and transferred to VfB Stuttgart in 2005.

In 2009, at the age of sixteen, Karius moved to England to join the youth academy of Manchester City. He remained with the club until 2011.

Mainz 05 Career

In 2011, Loris Karius joined Mainz 05 on loan from Manchester City, initially playing for the club's reserve team. Mainz signed him permanently in 2012.

He made his Bundesliga debut on December 1, 2012, against Hannover 96. During the 2012–2013 season, he made one Bundesliga appearance.

Karius became Mainz's first-choice goalkeeper during the 2013–2014 season, making 23 league appearances.

He played 33 Bundesliga matches in 2014–2015 and appeared in all 34 league games during the 2015–2016 season, helping Mainz qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

Transfer to Liverpool

On May 24, 2016, Loris Karius signed for English Premier League club Liverpool for approximately £4.7 million. He joined the team managed by Jürgen Klopp.

During his first season, he competed with Simon Mignolet for the starting goalkeeper position and made ten Premier League appearances.

In the 2017–2018 season, Karius became Liverpool's regular goalkeeper during the second half of the campaign. He made 19 Premier League appearances and played in all 13 of the club's UEFA Champions League matches.

2018 UEFA Champions League Final

On May 26, 2018, Loris Karius played in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Liverpool lost the match 3–1. Karius made two errors that contributed to goals scored by Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.

During the match, he had collided with Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. Medical examinations conducted after the final at Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that Karius had suffered a concussion.

The doctors stated that the concussion could have affected his visual and spatial perception during the match.

Following the final, Liverpool signed goalkeeper Alisson Becker from AS Roma, and Karius subsequently moved to Beşiktaş on loan.

Beşiktaş Career

On August 25, 2018, Loris Karius joined Turkish Süper Lig club Beşiktaş on a two-year loan from Liverpool.

He became the team's regular goalkeeper and played in domestic league and European matches during the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 seasons.

During his time at Beşiktaş, he made 67 official appearances and conceded 95 goals, averaging approximately 1.4 goals conceded per match.

In 2020, Karius became involved in a dispute with Beşiktaş concerning unpaid wages. He submitted a complaint to FIFA and announced on May 4, 2020, that he had terminated his contract with the club.

After leaving Beşiktaş, he returned to Liverpool.

Union Berlin and Newcastle United

On September 28, 2020, Loris Karius joined Union Berlin on loan for the 2020–2021 season. He made four Bundesliga appearances during his time at the German club.

He returned to Liverpool in 2021 but did not make further first-team appearances before leaving the club when his contract expired in 2022.

In September 2022, Karius joined Newcastle United as a free agent.

On February 26, 2023, he started the English League Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. Newcastle lost 2–0.

Karius remained with Newcastle until the summer of 2024, making two official appearances for the club.

Schalke 04 Career

On January 14, 2025, Loris Karius signed for Schalke 04, which was competing in Germany's 2. Bundesliga.

He became the team's first-choice goalkeeper and played an important role in the 2025–2026 season.

Karius made 30 league appearances and kept 13 clean sheets. Schalke conceded 31 league goals, the fewest in the division, and won the 2. Bundesliga championship, securing promotion to the Bundesliga.

On June 9, 2026, Karius extended his contract with Schalke until June 30, 2028.

He continued playing for Schalke during the 2026–2027 Bundesliga season.

International Career

Loris Karius represented Germany at various youth levels, including the under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19, and under-20 national teams.

He also represented Germany at under-21 level. He has not played for the senior German national team.

Honours

2017–2018 - UEFA Champions League, Liverpool (Runner-up)
2022–2023 - English League Cup, Newcastle United (Runner-up)
2025–2026 - 2. Bundesliga Championship, Schalke 04 (Winner)

Youth Career

1998–2000 - FV Biberach
2000–2001 - SG Mettenberg
2001–2005 - SSV Ulm 1846
2005–2009 - VfB Stuttgart
2009–2011 - Manchester City

Professional Football Career

2011–2012 - Mainz 05 II (Loan)
2012–2013 - Mainz 05 II
2012–2016 - Mainz 05
2016–2022 - Liverpool
2018–2020 - Beşiktaş (Loan)
2020–2021 - Union Berlin (Loan)
2022–2024 - Newcastle United
2025–Present - Schalke 04