Kai Merk
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 August 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Dahn, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Alga Bishkek | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2017 | Pirmasens | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2020 | SV Elversberg | 29 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | VfR Aalen | 36 | (4) |
| 2021–2025 | Pétange | 79 | (27) |
| 2025 | Dudelange | 6 | (0) |
| 2025 | Dordoi Bishkek | 14 | (6) |
| 2026– | Alga Bishkek | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Kyrgyzstan | 29 | (3) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14 February 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 June 2026 (UTC) | |||
Kai Merk (Russian: Кай Мерк; born 28 August 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Kyrgyz club Alga Bishkek. Born in Germany, he represents the Kyrgyzstan national team.
His brother Kimi is also a footballer.
Club career
Merk started his career with German side SV Elversberg, helping them win the 2018 Saarland Cup. In 2021, he signed for Pétange in the Luxembourg National Division.
On 3 July 2025, Dordoi Bishkek announced the signing of Merk on a contract until the end of the 2025 season.
International career
Born in Germany, Merk is of Kyrgyzstani descent through his father. He was called up to the Kyrgyzstan national team in March 2023.
Merk scored his first international goal on 16 November against Malaysia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 November 2023 | Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |  Malaysia | 3–1 | 3–4 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC 2nd round |
| 2. | 21 March 2024 | Nanzih Football Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |  Chinese Taipei | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
| 3. | 10 June 2025 | Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan |  United Arab Emirates | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC 3rd round |
References
- ↑ "Kai Merk: I was in tears making my Kyrgyz Republic debut". FIFA. 2 February 2024.
- ↑ "Ein Pirmasenser sorgt für viel Aufsehen". saarbruecker-zeitung.de. 6 September 2017.
- ↑ "Pirmasenser Kai Merk als Profifußballer beim VfR Aalen". rheinpfalz.de. 4 August 2020.
- ↑ "Kai Merk: Ein Pirmasenser spielt für Aalen gegen Pirmasens". rheinpfalz.de. 18 January 2021.
- ↑ "Merk spielt für Nationalteam vor". fussball.de.
- ↑ "Kai Merk : " Confiance en ce projet de jeu "". moien-mental.lu. 31 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ↑ "Kai Merk: "2023 könnte ein Superjahr für mich werden"". rheinpfalz.de. 10 January 2023.
- ↑ "Pirmasenser Kai Merk ist ein Pendler zwischen drei Nationen". rheinpfalz.de. 7 January 2022.
- ↑ "Сборная Кыргызстана по футболу-2023: швед, по два немца, казахстанца и россиянин - кто это?". sport.kg.
- ↑ "Nationalspieler aus der BGL Ligue". tageblatt.lu.
- ↑ "Кош кел, Кай 🤝". instagram.com/fcdordoi/?hl=en (in Kyrgyz). FC Dordoi Bishkek Instagram. 3 July 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ↑ "Das große Abenteuer eines Pirmasensers". rheinpfalz.de. 11 June 2019.
- ↑ "Quand le Kirghizistan mise… sur un petit gars de Pétange". lequotidien.lu.
- ↑ "Stürmer Kai Merk über das Erfolgsrezept der UT Petingen: "Wir sind relativ unbekümmert"". tageblatt.lu (Archived). Retrieved 12 September 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Kai Merk und sein Sommer-Abenteuer in Kirgisistan". saarbruecker-zeitung.de.
- ↑ "Сборная Кыргызстана по футболу решила натурализовать немца из Люксембурга". fergana.ru.
External links
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