Footballer Felix Nmecha, who plays with German top team BVB Dortmund and with the national team, has got into hot water after expressing his sympathy for Charlie Kirk’s family and calling celebration of his shooting “truly evil”.
His club said he has caused a stir and wanted to talk with him about the matter.
On Instagram, Nmecha had written several posts regarding the high-profile political murder in the US.
“Rest in peace with God. Such a sad day,” the 24-year-old football player had initially written. He later changed that to: “May the Lord assist the Kirk family with special grace at this time. Jesus is the true way to peace and love.”
Nmecha then wrote: “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Celebrating the murder of a father of two, a husband and a man who peacefully stood up for his beliefs and values is truly evil and shows how much we need Christ. May God have mercy and open our eyes and hearts, in the name of Jesus.”
On September 12, he continued: “Politics aside, expressing condolences is human and should not be outlawed.”
According to the club, these words had “caused quite a stir and provoked opposition, especially in fan circles”.
BVB Dortmund told the German press it did not want to comment further on the matter publicly but would have an internal discussion with the player.
Many journalists in Germany had written negatively about Kirk, with mainstream outlets calling him “notorious for radical positions” and “a leading figure in the MAGA movement”, implying he was far-right.
Tagesspiegel called Kirk an “arsonist” while Der Spiegel accused him of “agitation”.
Football journalist Philipp Köster, founder and editor-in-chief of popular football magazine 11 Freunde, said of Nmecha’s post: “Blatant and inhumane racism. Felix Nmecha celebrates Charlie Kirk as ‘a man who stands for his beliefs and values’. How long does BVB intend to tolerate this?”
Knallharter und menschenverachtender Rassismus. Felix Nmecha feiert Charlie Kirk als „man, who stands for his beliefs and values“. Wie lange will sich der BVB das eigentlich noch anschauen? pic.twitter.com/fRyaQURSgu
— Philipp Köster (@philippkoester) September 11, 2025
He added in a post under the text, “There is no need to explain to anyone that Charlie Kirk was a blatant racist and fascist – not even to Nmecha, who seems completely oblivious to this fact.”
Nmecha, whose mother is German and father Nigerian, and who openly professes evangelical Christianity, has often been criticised for his political statements.
In 2023, the German Football Association reprimanded him after he shared a video by the conservative American commentator Matt Walsh on transgenderism. In it, he criticised the father of a three-year-old boy who is said to have referred to himself as “she”.
German media accused Nmecha of being “homophobic and queerphobic.”
Responding to the criticism, Nmecha wrote, “A few things have been taken out of context”.
“I’m a Christian, of course, but I love all people. I don’t discriminate. I hope the fans will give me the chance for us to get to know each other and see that I’m hopefully a great person.”
According to news outlet Bild, Nmecha has an Instagram clause in his contract, meaning he can get hefty fines for violating the club’s basic norms and values. The clause was added when he was bought from Wolfsburg in 2023 for €30 million, after he had shared the aforementioned post on transgenderism.
In the US, the government has threatened to strip visas from foreign nationals who “glorify violence” in response to the murder of Kirk.
Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau warned last week that federal officials are cracking down on social media mockery of Kirk’s savage killing — and urged users to report offenders immediately, the New York Post reported.
In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country. I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light…
— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) September 11, 2025
Charlie Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University while speaking to students. He was a firm believer in debates, saying it was necessary for people to understand each other and to prevent violence.
