Florian Wiegele
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 March 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Graz, Styria, Austria | ||
| Height | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Viktoria Plzeň | ||
| Number | 44 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2007 | SV Strassgang | ||
| 2007–2019 | SK Sturm Graz | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2019 | Sturm Graz II | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | SV Lebring | 47 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | FC Gleisdorf 09 | 24 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | DSV Leoben | 12 | (0) |
| 2024– | Viktoria Plzeň | 20 | (0) |
| 2025 | → Grazer AK (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2026– | Austria | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 27 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 27 March 2026 | |||
Florian Wiegele (born 21 March 2001) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Czech First League club Viktoria Plzeň and the Austria national team.
Early life
[edit]Wiegele was born on 21 March 2001 in Austria and is a native of Graz, Austria. Growing up, he regarded Germany international Manuel Neuer as his football idol and has been nicknamed "Langer".[1]
Career
[edit]Wiegele started his career with the reserve team of Austrian side SK Sturm Graz in 2017. Two years later, he signed for Austrian side SV Lebring. In 2022, he signed for Austrian side FC Gleisdorf 09, where he made twenty-four league appearances and scored zero goals. During the summer of 2023, he signed for Austrian side DSV Leoben, where he made twelve league appearances and scored zero goals and suffered relegation from the second tier to the third tier while playing for the club.[2]
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, he signed for Czech side Viktoria Plzeň. Six months later, he was sent on loan to Austrian side Grazer AK. German magazine Kicker wrote in 2025 that he "immediately established himself as the number one goalie for GAK, pushing promotion hero Jakob Meierhofer to the bench" while playing for the club.[3] He had great half of the season in Grazer and he came back to Viktoria Plzeň where he is fighting for the number one.
Wiegele was named in the Austria squad for the 2026 Men's World Cup[4] and at 2.05m, became the tallest player to ever make a World Cup squad.[5]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 15 March 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sturm Graz II | 2018–19 | Austrian Regionalliga Central | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| SV Lebring | 2019–20 | Landesliga Steiermark | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | Landesliga Steiermark | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | Landesliga Steiermark | 28 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 47 | 0 | — | — | — | 47 | 0 | |||||
| FC Gleisdorf 09 | 2022–23 | Austrian Regionalliga Central | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| DSV Leoben | 2023–24 | 2. Liga | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Viktoria Plzeň | 2024–25 | Czech First League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | Czech First League | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| Total | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| Grazer AK (loan) | 2024–25 | Austrian Bundesliga | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 110 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 0 | ||
- ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
[edit]- As of match played 27 March 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
References
[edit]- ^ "Florian Wiegele und Kjell Scherpen sorgen für das größte Grazer Derby aller Zeiten" [Florian Wiegele and Kjell Scherpen ensure the greatest Graz derby of all time] (in German). Kleine Zeitung. 8 March 2025. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ "Dvanáctka nováčků Plzně: klenot do základu, obr v bráně i střelci" [Plzeň's twelve newcomers: a gem in the foundation, a giant in goal and scorers] (in Czech). Blesk. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ "Der Sonntag mit Rugby-Schuhen und Papa-Söhne" [Sunday with rugby shoes and daddy's sons] (in German). Kicker. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ "Alaba, Arnautovic feature as Austria name World Cup squad". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ^ "The squads in stats". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
External links
[edit]- Florian Wiegele at Soccerway
- Florian Wiegele at the Czech First League
|  | |
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Austrian men's footballers
- Men's association football goalkeepers
- DSV Leoben players
- FC Viktoria Plzeň players
- Grazer AK players
- 2. Liga (Austria) players
- Austrian Football Bundesliga players
- Austrian Regionalliga players
- Czech First League players
- Austrian expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in the Czech Republic
- Austrian expatriate sportspeople in the Czech Republic
- Austria men's international footballers
- 2026 FIFA World Cup players