Mio Backhaus

Mio Backhaus (born 16 April 2004) is a German-Japanese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club Werder Bremen.^[2] He is a German youth international.

Mio Backhaus

Backhaus with FC Volendam
Personal information
Date of birth	(2004-04-16) 16 April 2004 (age 21)
Place of birth	Mönchengladbach, Germany
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Werder Bremen
Number	30
Youth career
2015–2017	Kawasaki Frontale
2017–2018	Alemannia Aachen
2018–2021	Werder Bremen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–	Werder Bremen	0	(0)
2021–	Werder Bremen II	14	(0)
2023–2024	→ FC Volendam (loan)	33	(0)
International career‡
2019	Germany U15	1	(0)
2019–2020	Germany U16	4	(0)
2021–2022	Germany U18	4	(0)
2022–2023	Germany U19	2	(0)
2023–	Germany U20	4	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:56, 29 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:16, 20 July 2023 (UTC)

Club career

From Baesweiler, in Aachen,^[3] Backhaus joined the Werder Bremen youth team in 2018, having previously been at Alemannia Aachen. He featured for the Bremen second team in the Regionalliga Nord as a teenager, and played for the German age-group teams, up to representing the U19 team.^[4][5] He agreed a new contract with Bremen tying him to the club until 2026.^[6]

In July 2023, Backhaus joined FC Volendam on a season-long loan from Werder Bremen, in order to get first-team minutes.^[7] Volendam’s goalkeeper from the previous two seasons, Filip Stankovic had also been a loanee, but had returned to Inter Milan from the Eredivisie club.^[8] During his season with Volendam he made the most saves (176) of any goalkeeper in the division.^[9]

International career

Backhaus has represented Germany internationally at youth levels, winning 12 international caps in the Germany U15, Germany U16, Germany U18 and Germany U19 sides. He also featured for the U15 team of Japan. The Japanese head coach Hajime Moriyasu visited him with representatives from the Japanese FA whilst he was in training in Bremen according to Werder Bremen managing director for sport, Clemens Fritz, in early 2023.^[10] In March 2025, he played for the Germany national under-20 football team, starting the match and keeping a clean sheet as they beat Czechia U20 1-0.^[11]

Personal life

Backhaus was born in Germany to a German father and Japanese mother.^[12]

Career statistics

As of matches played on 19 May 2024^[2]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Werder Bremen	2021–22	2. Bundesliga	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2022–23	Bundesliga	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2024–25		0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	Total		0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
Werder Bremen II	2021–22	Regionalliga Nord	5	0	—		—		—		5	0
	2022–23		9	0	—		—		—		9	0
	Total		14	0	—		—		—		14	0
FC Volendam (loan)	2023–24	Bundesliga	33	0	1	0	—		—		34	0
Career total			47	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	48	0