Mesut Ozil brought World Cup pedigree to a dusty refugee camp pitch on 19 February, joining Rohingya youngsters for a friendly match in Ukhiya before later sharing iftar with families on the first day of Ramadan.
The former Germany national football team midfielder, part of the country’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad, visited the Madhurchhara camp ground in Cox’s Bazar where several thousand spectators gathered to watch a friendly organised by the Arakan Rohingya Football Federation.
Wearing a sky-blue jersey, Ozil was greeted by chants of his name as he stepped on to the field. For a brief spell, the former Real Madrid CF and Arsenal FC playmaker shared the pitch with amateur Rohingya footballers, many of whom momentarily abandoned the match to embrace him and take photographs.
The highlight came when Ozil collected the ball and advanced purposefully towards goal. Despite attempts from several players to dispossess him, he kept his composure and struck a precise effort that crossed the line, prompting jubilant celebrations from the crowd packed around the small field.
Arms outstretched in celebration, Ozil was quickly surrounded by young teammates who revelled in a moment unlikely to be forgotten. After the match, he presented a trophy modelled on the World Cup to the captain of the winning side, adding a symbolic flourish to the occasion.
Ozil was accompanied on the visit by Necmettin Bilal Erdogan, son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A delegation travelled from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar earlier in the day before visiting education and health projects within the camps.
In the evening, Ozil and the Turkish delegation joined Rohingya families for iftar at a kitchen centre operated by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). The visit formed part of a broader programme linked to Turkish-supported humanitarian initiatives in Bangladesh, including the modernisation of facilities at Dhaka University’s Shaheed Dr Murtaza Medical Centre.
While the match itself was friendly in nature, the presence of a global football figure transformed it into a festival-like occasion.
