For someone who spends most of his life being watched by millions around the world, FC Bayern player Jamal Musiala has a surprising number of things left to discover. Away from the pitch, he harbors some serious martial arts abilities, an award-winning poetry flow, and a growing knack with 18-hole golf. The 23-year-old is one of the most recognisable young players in international football, yet his interests extend well beyond the game.
That curiosity is central to Garden Theory, the new Google Pixel campaign created by AKQA Berlin. Produced by ZERO and directed by Rogelio González, the campaign explores something Musiala already understands instinctively: how to make space for the things that matter beyond the demands of professional sport.
His interests have always extended beyond football. “Always been that way,” he says when asked whether having multiple passions is something he has discovered with age. As a child, he played table tennis and basketball alongside football, and those experiences feed back into the way he plays. “I take a lot from other sports and bring it into my game. It all connects.”
That last thought says something about the way Musiala approaches the world. He is interested in the mechanics of things, in finding his own focus and figuring out how different disciplines can inform each other. Basketball gives him another relationship with space.
Football has been part of Musiala’s life for as long as he can remember. “Honestly, there’s no ‘before football’ for me. It’s always been there.” Growing up, he filled his time with other interests too, but sport remained a constant. “More grown up, sure, but still curious, still love sport.”
The professional version of that childhood obsession arrived in stages. Moving to England, joining Chelsea's academy and later FC Bayern each made the possibility of a career more tangible. But one moment cuts through the gradual progression. “Probably the call from Hansi Flick, first time training with the first team—that’s when it got real,” he says, laughing.
The scale of it, admittedly, still feels surreal to Musiala. “Seeing my name on shirts, full stadiums, the size of it all,” he says. He remains conscious of what that attention means to other people, particularly in the small moments: an autograph, a photo, making someone’s day. “I don’t take that for granted.”
“I try to stay aware of what football means to people,” he says.
That perspective becomes increasingly valuable as the attention builds. Musiala experienced major football moments while still very young, including the 2019/20 season and his first World Cup. The first goals brought their own rush of expectation. “After the first goals it came fast, a big wave.” Learning to exist inside that wave happened gradually. “Step by step.”
His answer to pressure is surprisingly straightforward: stay himself. The calmness people see on the pitch isn't a performance or a carefully constructed persona. “Just who I am.” He wants to win, wants to give everything, but doesn't see anger as particularly useful. “I keep good vibes around me—bad emotions on the pitch don’t help anyone.”
That mindset is at the heart of Garden Theory. Google Pixel 11 Pro sits within the campaign as a tool for managing the noise around an increasingly connected life, with Gemini Intelligence helping with everyday tasks and HiLight designed to reduce digital distractions. The technology is there, but the larger idea is human: knowing when your attention belongs somewhere else.
For Musiala, that somewhere else can be nature. “When I need some peace and quiet, I like to spend time outside in nature or in the garden.” The reason is simple. “It helps me recharge—and that’s exactly what helps me on the pitch, too.”
It's important to note that for him, there is still plenty of room for mischief. Ask him what people might be surprised to learn and the answer arrives with a laugh: “I can be annoying; ask my siblings, or a few of my closest teammates. They’ll confirm.”
The priorities he wants to preserve are equally clear. “Family stays the family. They’re my foundation.” Beyond that, he wants to hold onto the things that existed before the fame became so enormous: curiosity, gratitude, sport and the ability to enjoy himself.
“Not forgetting who you are, what you stand for. Staying grateful for all of it.”
