Sebastian Haller has scored his first competitive goal for Borussia Dortmund since recovering from testicular cancer, a milestone that coincides with World Cancer Day on February 4, 2023. The former West Ham striker, who returned to action three weeks ago, headed in Dortmund’s third goal in the 51st minute, helping the BVB demolish Freiburg 5‑1 in their Bundesliga clash.
The 28‑year‑old Ivorian was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2022, just days after signing for Dortmund as Erling Haaland’s replacement. He underwent two operations, four rounds of chemotherapy and surgery in November before being ruled out of competitive football to focus on his health. Haller returned to the pitch on January 22 in a 4‑3 home win over Augsburg and made his first start for Dortmund against Bayer Leverkusen a week later.
After the Freiburg match, Haller told Sky Sports, “I’ve been waiting for this moment since day one. When I scored the goal, it felt like the whole stadium was on fire. I am happy, but the way is still long, so we will keep walking and hoping for more goals.” Dortmund marked World Cancer Day by placing a lump on the centre circle before the match and again at half‑time to raise awareness of testicular cancer. The club’s tweet read: “Before the match and during the half‑time break, a bulge that symbolizes a testicular tumor will be added to the centre circle to raise awareness for testicular cancer. It’s never too early to get a cancer screening and please do it regularly!”
In the game, Freiburg’s Kiliann Sidillia was sent off after 17 minutes, and Dortmund’s other scorers were Nico Schlotterbeck, Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt and Gio Reyna. The victory moved Dortmund up to third place in the Bundesliga, two points behind leaders Union Berlin.
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