# Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
**Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting** (born 1989) is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a forward, known for a career that ran from [Hamburger SV](https://www.edgepedia.org/hamburger-sv) through the [Bundesliga](https://www.edgepedia.org/bundesliga), the Premier League, and Paris Saint-Germain to Bayern Munich, and for never costing a club a transfer fee.[1](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/people/eric-maxim-choupo-moting/player) • [2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/) Born in Germany, he played for Germany's youth national teams before committing to Cameroon, for whom he appeared at three FIFA World Cups.[1](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/people/eric-maxim-choupo-moting/player) • [3](https://as.com/futbol/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-llegara-a-la-mls-para-el-2025-n/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1989; nationality Cameroon[1](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/people/eric-maxim-choupo-moting/player) |
| Clubs | Hamburg (2007–2011), Nürnberg on loan (2009/10), Mainz 05 (2011–2014), Schalke 04 (2014–2017), Stoke City (2017/18), Paris SG (2018–2020), Bayern Munich (2020–2024), New York Red Bulls (2025–)[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career) |
| Cameroon record | 2010–2025, 76 appearances, 20 goals[5](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/kam-recintlp.html) |
| World Cups | 2010, 2014, and 2022; 8 World Cup appearances, tied fourth-most for Cameroon with Samuel Eto'o and three others[3](https://as.com/futbol/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-llegara-a-la-mls-para-el-2025-n/) • [6](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/articles/cameroon-players-record-appearances-games?searchOverlay=1) |
| Bayern totals | 122 matches, 38 goals across all competitions (2020–2024)[1](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/people/eric-maxim-choupo-moting/player) |
| Major honors | Three Bundesliga titles (2020/21–2022/23), 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, two Ligue 1 titles with PSG; 2020 Champions League runner-up[1](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/people/eric-maxim-choupo-moting/player) • [3](https://as.com/futbol/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-llegara-a-la-mls-para-el-2025-n/) • [7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/choupo-moting%20eric%20maxim/01/8920) |
## Early career in Germany
Choupo-Moting came through the academy of Hamburger SV and became a Bundesliga player there at a young age, making his senior Bundesliga debut in the 2007/08 season.[7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/choupo-moting%20eric%20maxim/01/8920) • [4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career) In 2009/10 he spent a season on loan at 1. FC Nürnberg, where he made 25 Bundesliga appearances and scored 5 goals.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career) He returned to Hamburg for 2010/11 before leaving for Mainz 05 in 2011.[2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/)
At Mainz he established himself in the Bundesliga. Across three seasons he made 74 league appearances and scored 20 goals, with his best return of 10 goals in both 2011/12 and 2013/14.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career) In 2014 he moved to Schalke 04, again on a free transfer, and spent three seasons there, including 9 league goals in 2014/15 and European football in the Champions League and Europa League.[2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/) • [4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career)
## Stoke City and Paris Saint-Germain
After Schalke he joined Stoke City in England in 2017, where he played one Premier League season with 30 appearances and 5 goals.[2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/) • [4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career) In 2018 he signed for Paris Saint-Germain, again at no transfer cost, spending two seasons as a squad forward behind the established front line of Mbappé, Cavani, and Neymar.[2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/)
With PSG he won two [Ligue 1](https://www.edgepedia.org/ligue-1) titles, a [Coupe de la Ligue](https://www.edgepedia.org/coupe-de-la-ligue), a [Coupe de France](https://www.edgepedia.org/coupe-de-france), and a Trophée des Champions, and reached the 2020 Champions League final, which Bayern Munich won 1–0.[3](https://as.com/futbol/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-llegara-a-la-mls-para-el-2025-n/) • [7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/choupo-moting%20eric%20maxim/01/8920)
## Bayern Munich
In October 2020 Choupo-Moting joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer, signed as backup to [Robert Lewandowski](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-lewandowski).[2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/) • [8](https://as.com/futbol/2020/10/15/internacional/1602794438_142199.html) He scored on his early appearances, including a double against [Darmstadt](https://www.edgepedia.org/darmstadt) in the [DFB-Pokal](https://www.edgepedia.org/dfb-pokal) in his first start.[8](https://as.com/futbol/2020/10/15/internacional/1602794438_142199.html) In the 2020/21 Champions League quarterfinals, he scored once in each leg, contributing to the 3-3 aggregate draw that allowed PSG to advance on away goals.[2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/) • [11](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0268-120883db5f94-3f62f848156a-1000--highlights-report-paris-edge-bayern/)
**Breakout in 2022/23.** After Lewandowski's departure to Barcelona, Choupo-Moting became Bayern's reference striker under [Julian Nagelsmann](https://www.edgepedia.org/julian-nagelsmann), helped by an injury to [Sadio Mané](https://www.edgepedia.org/sadio-mane).[2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/) In that season he scored 17 goals, ten in the Bundesliga, four in the Champions League, and three in the DFB-Pokal, including the opening goal against PSG in the round of 16.[2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/) His Bundesliga output that year was 10 goals in 19 league appearances, by far his best Bayern league return.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career) He extended his contract to 2024, and finished his Bayern career with 122 matches and 38 goals, having won three Bundesliga titles, the 2021 [FIFA Club World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-club-world-cup), and two DFL-Supercups.[1](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/people/eric-maxim-choupo-moting/player) • [2](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/)
## International career with Cameroon
Choupo-Moting went through all of Germany's youth selection processes before deciding to represent Cameroon.[3](https://as.com/futbol/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-llegara-a-la-mls-para-el-2025-n/) His senior Cameroon career ran from 2010 to 2025 and produced 76 appearances and 20 goals.[5](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/kam-recintlp.html) He played at the 2010, 2014, and 2022 World Cups; at the 2022 tournament he made 3 appearances, played 254 minutes, and scored 1 goal.[3](https://as.com/futbol/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-llegara-a-la-mls-para-el-2025-n/) • [9](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/national/career) His 8 World Cup appearances place him in a tie for fourth-most among Cameroon players, alongside [Samuel Eto'o](https://www.edgepedia.org/samuel-etoo), Raymond Kalla, Louis Mfede, Thomas Nkono, Nicolas Nkoulou, and Stephen Tataw, behind François Omam-Biyik (11) and [Roger Milla](https://www.edgepedia.org/roger-milla) (10).[6](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/articles/cameroon-players-record-appearances-games?searchOverlay=1)
## Later career
After leaving Bayern in 2024, Choupo-Moting joined the [New York Red Bulls](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-red-bulls) in MLS for the 2025 season, where he scored 17 goals in 33 MLS appearances in his first year.[3](https://as.com/futbol/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-llegara-a-la-mls-para-el-2025-n/) • [4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career)
## Playing style
Contemporary coverage of his Mainz years described a forward willing to take on defensive duties for the team despite a natural preference for attacking play, and Cameroon coach Volker Finke built a counter-attacking system around him for the 2–2 draw with Germany in 2014.[10](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/everything-you-need-know-about-eric-choupo-moting) At Bayern he was valued as a link-up forward and squad player who accepted a substitute role, making 58 substitute appearances in the league across his four seasons there.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career)
## References
1. [Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Player profile, DFB Data Center](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/people/eric-maxim-choupo-moting/player)
2. [El sustituto de Lewandowski estaba en casa: Choupo-Moting, Diario AS](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-sustituto-de-lewandowski-estaba-en-casa-choupo-moting-n/)
3. [Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting llegará a la MLS para el 2025, Diario AS](https://as.com/futbol/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-llegara-a-la-mls-para-el-2025-n/)
4. [Eric Choupo-Moting Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/career)
5. [Cameroon, Record International Players, RSSSF](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/kam-recintlp.html)
6. [Cameroon players with most FIFA World Cup appearances, FIFA](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/articles/cameroon-players-record-appearances-games?searchOverlay=1)
7. [Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Munzinger Biographie](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/choupo-moting%20eric%20maxim/01/8920)
8. [Los nuevos mandan en el Bayern, Diario AS](https://as.com/futbol/2020/10/15/internacional/1602794438_142199.html)
9. [Eric Choupo-Moting International Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/12945/eric-choupo-moting/national/career)
10. [Everything you need to know about Eric Choupo-Moting, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/everything-you-need-know-about-eric-choupo-moting)
11. [0268 120883db5f94 3f62f848156a 1000 Highlights Report Paris Edge Bayern, uefa.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0268-120883db5f94-3f62f848156a-1000--highlights-report-paris-edge-bayern/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of Africa › West African footballers › Footballers of Cameroon and smaller West African states*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license