Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s story is one of passion, identity, and a deep connection to his roots. Born to a Cameroonian father and a German mother, Choupo-Moting’s football journey has always been about more than just the game. Despite having strong ties to Germany, he chose to honour his father’s heritage by representing Cameroon on the international stage—a decision that speaks volumes about his sense of belonging and pride.
Balancing Two Worlds: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Life Between Germany and Cameroon
From an early age, Eric’s talent on the pitch was undeniable. He became somewhat of a high school celebrity, with his charm extending beyond the field, eventually leading him to meet the love of his life, Nevin Darko, who would later become his wife. Their journey together, alongside their son Liam, is a beautiful part of his life, grounding him amid the challenges of a professional football career.
Eric’s rise in football wasn’t just about talent—it was about determination and honoring his family’s legacy. From his childhood, through his early footballing days, to his career highs, he has stayed true to himself, combining the best of both worlds—Cameroon and Germany. This is Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s story, one of a composed finisher with powerful dribbling, a devoted family man, and a footballer who has never lost sight of where he comes from.
A Journey from His Childhood to Football Stardom – Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Biography.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Childhood Story:
For Bio starters, he prefers the nickname – Mr Chuppo. And his full name is Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
The Cameroonian footballer was born on the 23rd day of March 1989 to his Father, Mr Just Moting, and Mother, Mrs Chupo-Moting.
Choupo-Moting’s birthplace is not Cameroon but the city of Hamburg in West Germany.
From what we’ve gathered, Eric is the only sibling born into the marital union between Just Moting and his wife. Now, let’s introduce you to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s parents.
A rare photo of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Parents. His Mother is a German, while his Dad (Just Moting) is a Cameroonian.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Early Life:
Regarding where he spent his childhood, our research points to Altona. This is a small town in Hamburg, Germany – also known as Hamburg-Altona.
Also, in our research, we found that Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Mother gave birth to him in Asklepios Clinic, Altona.
The above Clinic, where his parents had him, is a teaching hospital of the University of Hamburg. Until 2005, we knew this health institution as General Hospital Altona.
Choupo-Moting was brought up in a Christian Religious home which has a German/African cultural mixture.
The Hamburg-born Cameroon international fell deeply in love with the game during his boyhood years.
According to those who were acquainted with Choupo-Moting (during his early years), his soccer ball (which he played for fun) was a natural extension of his legs.
Young Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as a kid (pictured right) – in his early years with Soccer.
The youngster began playing football in Ottensen, a small neighbourhood in the district of Altona, Hamburg.
Because Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s parents had their family home close to a small soccer pitch, life became easier. The small field gave him the opportunity to learn his early football tricks.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Family Background:
The first thing to know about members of his household is the fact that they (his parents) are very enthusiastic about football.
Regarding what Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Dad does for a living, research has it that Mr Just Moting is a retired Cameroonian basketballer.
Truth be told in this Bio, it was hard for the former Basketballer to deal with retirement.
To keep his sporting dreams alive, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Father vowed to make his son carry on with the family’s greatness on the fields. Is there any resemblance between Dad and Son?
Since his son’s early years, Just Moting has wished that Eric Maxim uphold the family’s sporting dream – which he has done.
Although Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Mum appears discrete in public affairs, we believe she is a very good homemaker as well as a football fan.
In fact, both of his parents were responsible for Eric’s humble beginnings, resourcefulness, and his spirit of reverence.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Family Origin:
He always sees himself as a Baller with two hearts. Those words define Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s nationality.
Put simply, the Soccer player is a Cameroonian (from his father’s side) and a German (from his Mother’s side). Now, let’s dive deeper into Eric’s family’s origin.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Mother’s Origin:
Earlier in his Bio, we told you about the Borough or quarter of Hamburg called Altona. Research on her family ancestry reveals Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Mother is a native of Altona.
This town, in the westernmost part of Hamburg, is where Choupo-Moting calls home.
This is a map of Hamburg, showing Altona – where Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Parents lived. Altona is his birthplace and where he spent most of his childhood.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Father’s Origin:
The Footballer’s light brown skin colour is a reflection of his Cameroonian ancestry. Choupo-Moting’s Father has his ancestry from the Central African country (Cameroon).
From a football perspective, when you think about Cameroon, you’ll likely remember names like Samuel Etoo and Roger Milla.
This is the home of the Indomitable Lions (Cameroon). Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Grandparents (paternal) hail from Cameroon – the country of his Dad.
Ethnicity:
Judging from the origin of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s parents, you can best call him an Afro-German or Black German.
This ethnic group refers to individuals of Sub-Saharan African descent who either live in or hold citizenship in Germany. One of the cities with a significant Afro-German population is Hamburg.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Education:
The Cameroonian forward is a product of Altona High School in Hamburg, Germany. Ask Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and he will tell you that the greatest moment of his life happened in his secondary school.
Did you know?… He met Nevin Darko, his wife, while they attended Altona High School. Nigeria’s Taiwo Awoniyi also found love while in his secondary school. The same goes for Malick Thiaw, the former C Schalke 04 Defender.
The two lovebirds, as pictured below, met and fell in love in the schoolyard of their high school. Choupo and Maxim understand each other without words.
Both, who are on the same wavelength, have been together for 15 years and counting (from the time of writing his Bio).
Nevin Darko is the highlight of her Husband’s secondary schooling years.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Biography – Football Story:
At six, in the year 1995, the youngster began playing soccer in his hometown.
Eric Maxim began his football academy career with the youth of FC Teutonia 05, a small club in the town of Ottensen, Hamburg. The academy helped him lay a good career foundation.
Early on, Just Moting began equipping his son for the future. Aside from being at a soccer academy, he made Eric attend Gymnasium Altona, which has rich sporting facilities.
Just Moting, as seen here, never took any of his son’s early sporting development for granted.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Dad has, from day one, promoted his son’s inner growth and strength.
At the dawn of the new millennium, Choupo-Moting left Teutonia 05 for Altona 93, another great football academy. While there, he won his first youth cup.
He only stayed with Altona 93 – for three years – before getting a move to FC Sankt Pauli in the year 2003.
The year 2004 was when everything got serious for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. That year, he joined Hamburg SV Academy, which is by far the biggest football club in his city.
Three years into their Academy, Eric got promoted, and he became a professional footballer.
Road to Fame Story:
Just maybe you never knew Hamburger SV was such a great Bundesliga team in the late 2000s.
While at the German club, Choupo-Moting played alongside Vincent Kompany, Jerome Boateng, Rafael van der Vaart, etc. He also played alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was nearing his retirement.
Back in the day, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was like a schoolboy to Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The Manchester United Legend took him under his wings, and both had a formidable partnership in Hamburger attacks. At 21, Eric Choupo-Moting left Hamburger for greater challenges.
The Fax Machine Story:
During the Bundesliga 2010/2011 season January transfer window, Choupo was supposed to make a switch to FC Koln.
However, that transfer didn’t work out because of a technical defect in a fax machine. Now, let’s tell you what actually went wrong.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Father and adviser played their role in faxing the completed contract to FC Koln at 5:49 pm.
Unfortunately, only one page of the contract arrived at its destination. The main page which has Choupo-Moting’s signature, reached Koln by 6:13 pm.
Because of a 13-minute delay, the transfer failed. FC Köln then lodged a complaint with the DFL, stating that a technical defect with a Fax machine prevented them from meeting the transfer deadline.
Sadly, the club’s appeal of the failed transfer was not considered.
Funny enough, Moting also suffered from another tech issue ten years later. This time, it involved him, his Dad (Just Moting), Bayern Munich, and Cameroon’s national team.
An Online source revealed that an email address controversy prevented Choupo-Moting from joining his Indomitable Lions squad.
Club career Struggles:
The ages of 21 to 26 are supposed to be the most important years in a professional footballer’s life.
Top strikers – the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Christopher Nkunku, Darwin Núñez, and Dušan Vlahović can attest to that. Sadly, that wasn’t the case for Choupo-Moting.
After a failed loan move to FC Nürnberg, he accepted a transfer to Bundesliga side 1. FSV Mainz as a replacement for André Schürrle.
Choupo-Moting played in a team that had Liverpool FC reject Loris Karius and a 37-year coach – in the person of Thomas Tuchel.
With a poor goal-per-appearance ratio (20 goals in over 70 appearances), Kasper Hjulmand, who coached FSV Mainz after Tuchel, sold Choupo Moting to Schalke 04.
If you are a passionate football lover, you’ll know that Choupo-Moting joined a very good German team.
At that time, Schalke 04 had big youngsters. For example, the likes of Joel Matip, Sead Kolasinac, Thilo Kehrer, Leroy Sane, Leon Goretzka, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Julian Draxler, etc,. Moting was also in a great team that had Breel Embolo and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, etc.
Similar to his performance with Mainz, Choupo-Moting did not do so well at Schalke despite having the above big names around him.
Although, the German Cameroonian did score his first Bundesliga hat-trick and a couple of goals (with acrobatic celebrations), as seen here.
Following his inability to impress the club, Choupo-Moting’s Schalke contract, which expired at the end of the 2016/17 season, wasn’t extended.
The Hamburg native, who was yet to have a trophy in his career, decided it was time for another change in his career.
Moving abroad for the first time – with Stoke City:
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s parents supported their son’s decision to continue his football career outside of Germany.
Among the suitors that came for Choupo were Stoke City FC, a club that played in the Premier League (at that time). Just Moting (Eric’s Dad) made the deal happen.
On 7 August 2017, a three-deal free transfer to Stoke took place after the English club approved the departure of Marko Arnautovic and Bojan Krkic.
With Stoke, Choupo Moting played alongside the likes of Peter Crouch and Xherdan Shaqiri – as forwards.
Thanks to his new confidence, a bright start to Moting’s Stoke City career led to goals – especially against Jose Mourinho‘s Manchester United.
More interestingly, an unforgettable bromance between Choupo Moting and Kurt Zouma formed a huge highlight of days at Stoke City.
If there is one thing Choupo-Moting can remember about Stoke city, it is that bromance he had with Kurt Zouma.
Although Stoke City suffered shock relegation from the Premier League that 2017/2018 season, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s impact on that season was greatly appreciated.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Biography – Success Story:
Similar to Joselu, the Spanish Forward, the greatest turnaround in Choupo-Moting’s club career finally came. It occurred when the Cameroonian Forward got an opportunity to reunite with his former Boss, Thomas Tuchel, who in the 2018/2019 season managed PSG. Eric joined PSG with one thing in mind – win trophies.
There were many above him, and the Cameroonian accepted to be a second striker behind Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe.
Also, he was behind wingers like Ángel di María, Julian Draxler, etc. Not being in PSG’s first team didn’t go down well with most young superstars.
The likes of Goncalo Guedes, Lo Celso, Javier Pastore, Moussa Diaby, Christopher Nkunku, Timothy Weah, Yacine Adli, etc, all left the club to get first-team opportunities elsewhere. Even as a second Striker, Moting impressed Thomas Tuchel by scoring these goals for PSG.
Following years of disappointment, all the Cameroonian footballer (just like Pablo Sarabia) wanted was to win a trophy in his career.
With PSG, he won four titles in the space of two seasons. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s family (his wife and son) were a big part of these trophy celebrations.
Winning his first-ever trophy at 30 years old. What a wonderful feeling for both Eric and his entire family.
More trophies with Bayern Munich:
After losing out to this German club in a Champions League final, Choupo-Moting got a lucky transfer to the same European cup holders on the 5th of October, 2020.
In the presence of Robert Lewandowski, it is difficult for any Bayern striker to get consistent playing time – and Choupo understood that.
The Cameroonian player and Joshua Zirkzee played as second fiddle to Lewandoski – with the latter finding his way out on loan.
With Bayern Munich, a lucky Eric Choupo-Moting won more trophies. Although losing the Champions League, he went on to win the FIFA Club World Cup.
He missed the Champions League trophy but won something bigger – The Club World Cup, including other trophies with Bayern. This is the story of Choupo-Moting, a Late Bloomer.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting with the Indomitable Lions:
Truth be told, if he had waited a little longer, the Hamburg native would have played for either Joachim Low or Cole Palmer‘s German side.
Choupo, who went through the German youth national teams, decided to honour a call from the country of his Dad (Just Moting).
He once spoke about the decision to play for Cameroon with the words…
For me, the temptation to play a FIFA World Cup alongside a great superstar like Samuel Eto’o was simply too great.
In May 2010, Moting and Vincent Aboubakar were called to the Cameroonian national team by Paul Leguen to partner with Samuel Eto’o.
Years later, he was replaced by Karl Toko Ekambi for the 2017 AFCON. German-born Joel Matip also missed out for personal reasons.
The Striker (at the time of putting up his Bio) is optimistic about having a successful 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The rest, as we say of the Baller who once had a weird soccer transfer, is now history. Having told you Choupo’s story, it is time to unveil more details about his wife (Nevin) and son (Liam).
Love Life:
Nevin Darko, the beautiful girl he met at the schoolyard of Altona High School, has lived with him for many years.
As many of their admirers would say, both lovers share the same wavelength. Behold the celebrity couple who have been together for almost 15 years.
Choupo-Moting and his wife, Nevin, are compatible lovers. They began dating in their teenage years.
About Nevin Darko:
Starting off, her family is from Hamburg, like her husband. The Altona high school graduate loves dressing in black clothes – just like Eric Maxim.
This is why fans describe them as lovers on the same wavelength. Not forgetting, Nevin Darko is the same age as her husband.
When Nevin Darko was at school in Hamburg-Altona, she met Eric, and they became “best friends” until things really got going between them.
A very important fact about Nevin Darko is that – she has stood by Eric’s side during the worst moments of his career years.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Nevin Darko’s Wedding:
When the Hamburg native played at Mainz 05 under Thomas Tuchel, he (at 24 years old) decided to create a new chapter in his life. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, in 2013, proposed to Nevin Darko. In the summer of that year (2013), the two lovebirds got married.
Nevin Darko and Choupo-Moting having their wedding kiss.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Children with Nevin Darko:
Did you know?… Nevin was already pregnant with Eric’s child when they got married in 2013. Months after their wedding, Choupo-Moting’s wife gave birth to a son. Liam Choupo-Moting – their first child – was born on the 17th day of October 2013.
Liam Choupo-Moting’s parents are pictured celebrating his birthday.
Happy parents – Eric and Nevin were proud to celebrate Liam’s birthday. A look at Liam’s birthday cake tells a lot about his passion for a favourite superhero character. We know of Stars like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose son loves superheroes – as showcased in the Gabon Striker’s Bio.
Personal Life away from Football:
Away from football, who is Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting?
We’ll explain his personality, away from what he does on the soccer pitch.
Starting off, there is a saying that a father-son relationship can be complex. Eric Choupo-Moting is the kind of Dad who understands his son’s interests and has found a way to relate to them. Liam loves basketball, and his Daddy sure knows how to give him the best slam dunk.
Although Moting can play football, he is surprisingly a good dancer. Choupo is the kind of guy who you wouldn’t necessarily think would have this excellent dance rhythm.
Next is another of Eric Choupo-Moting’s hobbies which is Skateboarding. For the Indomitable Lion, using a skateboard has always been somewhat of his underground subculture. So naturally, it is very interesting for soccer fans to see Moting skate rather than using his car.
Next, Choupo-Moting loves being lively, and he also knows how to express it with people who are exactly like him.
One of such person is no other than Dani Alves – his PSG Dancer in crime. Have you ever seen both footballers singing? Now, listen to their voices.
Next, the Indomitable Lion has a huge fan base following from all around the world, especially in Cameroon. Never a dull moment with these fans who see Mr Choupo as their national hero.
More on his Personality:
Next, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting loves special children. During his time with PSG, he did find time to spend with these exceptional kids. They look up to him as he gives them that feeling of friendship.
On another note, Eric Choupo-Moting’s parents gave him the best life during his childhood. He gets very emotional to see many children of Cameroon live in abject poverty.
Each time Choupo Moting gets on his Cameroon bus in those environments, he feels grateful for how lucky his life has been.
LifeStyle:
The Forward sees the beach lifestyle as perfect for his health as well as his wellness. When you talk about the way the Cameroonian lives his life, one thing is constant. The fact that Choupo-Moting, together with his wife (Nevin Darko), are persons who always love to feel at home. This photo speaks for itself, and it tells the fact that Choupo is indeed a homebody.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s family lives in a home with a gigantic kitchen.
Inside Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s house, the gigantic kitchen is for everyone. As far as cooking for the family is concerned, Choupo doesn’t believe it’s just a woman’s job. As observed from the photo above, the proud father always finds time to assist his dear wife in the kitchen.
The two Hamburgers, as pictured below, enjoy what we call the average lifestyle. They are not the type who go about showcasing exotic cars and making boastful statements about their family wealth. Eric and Nevin live like average, loveable people, as seen here.
The lovebirds, Eric and Nevin, are deeply into each other.
Summer holidays are always a special moment for Choupo-Moting, his wife, Nevin and his Son, Liam. For Eric, it is the perfect way to get his mind off career stress. The cute family of three loves enjoying themselves at some of the world’s best seaside destinations.
The beautiful lifestyle of the Choupo-Moting Family.
Family Life:
In the household of the German-Cameroonian, the support for one another is oil that eases friction. This section of Choupo Moting’s Bio tells you more about his family members, starting with the super supportive Just Moting, his Dad.
About Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Father:
Just Moting is a football agent and a manager to his son. Severally, he has defended his Eric, without fear, for the things he refers to as football injustice. Just Moting once spoke in February 2022 on a case between him and former National team coach, Antonio Conceiçao.
About Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Mother:
To start with, she is the type of Mum who would rather stay away from the media rather than show public support for her footballing son. Unlike her husband (Just Moting), Choupo’s Mum is less attracted to social media. She maintains a great private relationship with her beloved Son.
About Choupo-Moting’s Relatives:
The Aries-born footballer has many extended family members – both from his father’s and mother’s sides. Because he played for Cameroon, Choupo Moting’s relatives (from his Dad’s side) followed the progress of his career the most.
The Hamburg-born Striker maintains close contact with his relatives in Cameroon. Also to note, Choupo and his Dad (Just Moting) enjoy combining international match travelling and paying visits to their Cameroon extended family members.
Untold Facts:
In the concluding phase of Choupo-Moting’s Biography, we’ll tells you more information about him. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
1. Biggest miss of his career – was this why PSG sold him?
In what we refer to as the greatest miss of his career, Choupo once stopped a ball from going towards the goal line. As BBC says, Moting made of the worst misses in the history of football.
2. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Salary Breakdown and Net Worth:
From our findings on how much he makes with Bayern Munich, we notice a fact. That Eric Choupo-Moting is a Cameroonian Billionaire.
We say this because Eric makes more than a Billion francs every year. To calculate Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Net Worth, we took into consideration many factors.
Like his more than 15 years of professional football experience, contract bonuses and endorsement deals. As of 2022, we place Moting’s Net Worth at 18.5 million euros.
3. Comparing Choupo-Moting’s Salary to the Average Cameroonian:
Where Eric Choupo-Moting comes from, the average Cameroonian makes around 460,000 XAF per month. Did you know?… Such a citizen would need 96 years to make Moting’s weekly salary with Bayern Munich. Wao!… that is more than the average Cameroonian’s lifetime.
4. Choupo-Moting FIFA Facts:
Have you ever wondered why they call Eric Maxim a complete striker? It is because he (just like Andre Ayew) is far above average in terms of attacking, movement, and power. Below is a piece of photo evidence. At the age of 32, Choupo lacks only two things on FIFA.
Dribbling is his most valuable football asset and he only lacks FK accuracy and interception (below average).
5. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s Religion:
The Hamburg-born Cameroonian footballer is a devout Christian. As revealed earlier in his relationship life, Choupo-Moting and his wife (Nevin Darko) both had a Christian wedding. The 6 foot 3 Striker, just like many Cameroonian footballers, practices his religion privately.
6. A victim of Robbery:
Around 2018, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s family witnessed a shock. Thieves broke into their home to steal his wife’s (Nevin) handbags worth £200k.
It didn’t end there. They also got away with a £350,000 jewellery collection while his whole family was at PSG’s stadium.
EndNote:
Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (his full name) was born on the 23rd of March 1989 to a Cameroonian Dad, Just Moting and a German Mum.
The Footballer spent his childhood years at Altona, a small town in Hamburg, Germany. Eric Choupo-Moting’s Mum had him at Asklepios Clinic, Altona.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s parents are from two racial groups. According to research, his mother’s family are natives of Altona in Hamburg, Germany.
On the other hand, Eric Maxim Maxim Choupo-Moting Dad (Just Moting), is from Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon.
As a child, Choupo-Moting loved football. He began playing the game on small pitches in Ottensen, a small neighbourhood in the district of Altona, Hamburg. Early on, he got lots of support from his Dad (Just Moting), a retired Cameroonian basketballer who became a soccer agent.
The Cameroonian forward as a child attended Altona High School of Hamburg, Germany. While at the school, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting met his wife, Nevin Darko.
Eric and Nevin dated for more than half a decade before getting married in 2013. Eric and Nevin Darko have a son named Liam Moting.
For Choupo, the quest to become a professional footballer began in 1995 with Teutonia 05.
Then, he journeyed through the rosters of Altona 93, FC St Pauli and Hamburger SV before becoming a pro in 2007. Three years later, he got a Cameroon national team call.
Just like Iago Aspas and Matt Doherty, Choupo-Moting is a late bloomer. He enjoyed unfruitful years with Hamburger, Nürnberg, and Mainz.
Moting’s market value went up while he was at Schalke 04 and Stoke City, a feat that earned him transfer moves to PSG and Bayern Munich.
Appreciation Note:
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