Bayern Munich holds a hallowed level of respect in the lore of world football. They are some of the club’s players from around the world who aspire to play one day. The lack of success of other Bundesliga clubs has caused Die Roten to fall behind in terms of popularity. Their credibility and respect remain as high as ever. Winning in a dominant fashion is synonymous with this historic club. So many wonderful footballers have created this winning tradition in Bavaria over the decades. Find the Top 10 Bayern Munich Players of all time below.
The Top 10 Bayern Munich Players of All Time
Arjen Robben
Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were better players than Arjen Robben at one point in time. Cutting inside and launching a mesmerizing rocket into the far corner was his characteristic maneuver. It became so obvious that it established a lasting meme. The story of international football in the late 2000s and early 2010s would not be complete without a lengthy discussion of Robben’s accomplishments alongside Franck Ribéry.
Before being sent off in 2018–19 at the age of 34, Robben scored 16 goals in his debut season with the Bavarians in 2009–10. Throughout his career, he would score more than ten goals six times. With the Dutch winger’s departure, an era came to an end for Bayern, who were undoubtedly the most dominant and reliable club in the world of football during that time.
Lothar Matthäus
Between 1984 and 1988, Lothar Matthäus played for Bayern Munich for two separate periods. They have scored 57 goals from midfield in just 113 appearances. Matthäus returned to the Bundesliga for the last phase of his career after putting up similarly remarkable figures for Inter Milan. His longevity should be the envy of nearly every other midfielder in the annals of football history.
Matthäus changed his style of play in his second chapter with the team. He became a more defensive player and deep-lying playmaker before developing into a full-fledged sweeper. For Bayern, Matthäus filled a historically significant role, and he did so with style. At his height, Matthäus was regarded as the best player in the world. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1990 while playing for the Nerazzurri. He was also named to the German Footballer of the Year team in 1999 and the Bundesliga Team of the Year five times.
Sepp Maier
Even more so than Juventus, Bayern Munich may have the greatest goalkeeping ancestry in all of football history. When Sepp Maier joined Bayern in 1962 and played 706 games for the dominant Bundesliga team, he contributed to the start of that bloodline. Maier is the player who has played the most for Bayern. His cat-like reflexes have helped his team win the coveted Champions League three times.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
One of the greatest German songs ever written is “So Wie Du Bist” by MoTrip and Lary. Perhaps it has even more special meaning for football fans because it was featured heavily in an advertisement saying goodbye to Bastian Schweinsteiger, the all-action captain of those legendary Bayern teams from the previous 20 years. Before assuming the No. 7 jersey and turning into the epitome of a midfield presence, Schweinsteiger was a winger in his early career.
A superb ball-winner, creator, and progressor, Schweinsteiger did it all for Bayern in the middle of the field. He selflessly led by example for his colleagues and carried out the grunt labor Bayern required. The success the squad experienced on the field and the unmatched respect he received from teammates and supporters alike speak louder than any statistics or accolades that can describe the 2013 German Footballer of the Year’s impact with Bayern.
Oliver Kahn
In German football history, there have been a lot of colorful individuals, but none quite as amusing as Oliver Kahn. Before Luis Suárez did, he would hurl his hat, shout in the faces of opponents, and even threaten to bite them. But Kahn was “unschlagbar” above all. When he was at his best, he provided Bayern and the German national team a sense of comfort that made them feel unbeatable. Kahn’s presence deterred strikers and bolstered the squad and defense. Not only did he have the greatest “fear factor” of any goalie in history, but he also made very few mistakes.
Robert Lewandowski
Given what Robert Lewandowski accomplished in his brief tenure at Bayern Munich, one may argue that he is the most prolific football player to have ever played for the team. By moving for free from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern, Lewandowski completely changed the landscape of German football, consigning Dortmund to a distant second place. As demonstrated to the world by his five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg, Lewandowski was a unique kind of goal-scoring machine.
But maybe no feat was more remarkable than Lewandowski’s 41 goals in the 2020–21 Bundesliga season at the age of 31, shattering Gerd Müller’s record, which many believed would never be surpassed. Even more impressive was the fact that Lewandowski accomplished this during a season when other players were struggling due to an excessively demanding schedule brought on by the worst of the pandemic. Lewandowski left Bayern with a bittersweet exit, and his total impact on the team was not as great as that of players who had a greater emotional connection with the fans. But Lewandowski’s performance on the field speaks for itself. He is without a doubt one of Bayern’s greatest ever.
Manuel Neuer
However, Manuel Neuer stands out as the greatest goalie in the history of Bayern Munich. Neuer changed the role in such a significant way that it is impossible to evaluate goalkeepers now without taking into account their role in a team’s possession hierarchy. Neuer was the ultimate equalizer because he could beat players on the ball like a midfielder. He skillfully slipped past charging opponents and finishing them off with spins and turns. But Neuer could pull it off, and his skill with the ball allowed his colleagues to recycle possession.
His sweeper plays were even more crucial since they eliminated obvious goal-scoring opportunities. Neuer had the distribution to convert such shifts in possession into goals for his club. He took calculated risks and almost always came out on top. Naturally, Neuer deserves equal recognition for his shot-blocking prowess. At his best, he possessed unmatched reflexes and wrist strength. This heroic save of a rocket from Cristiano Ronaldo will always be remembered.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was a fantastic forward who could score from almost any position on the field. He was possibly the fastest player in the world at one point in time. Rummenigge ranks seventh on the Bayern all-time scoring chart with 217 goals in his career. He was a nightmare for defenses to deal with. Rummenigge won the Ballon d’Or twice, and finished second once. He was named to the Bundesliga Team of the Season eight times. In the early 1980s, he was the best player on the planet and set the standard for goal-scoring forwards.
Gerd Müller
Even though another great Bayern Munich striker recently beat Gerd Müller’s single-season goal-scoring record, the Bundesliga’s face remains indelible in the club and league annals. Müller was unavoidable in front of the net. Everyone knew the ball was going to pop up in the back of the net when he got an opportunity.
Der Bomber averaged almost a goal a game for Bayern in the Champions League and overall, scoring 568 goals in 611 games with the venerable German powerhouses. Müller, a previous Ballon d’Or winner, became an expert at playing striker and inspired future generations. Müller, a superb finisher and professional, also deftly maneuvered around opponents with his little stature, outmaneuvering them when the ball slipped away, and changing course to open up a small window for a shoot-on goal. He just misses out on the top spot on the list of the Top 10 Bayern Munich players of all time.
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer, who played a pivotal role for Bayern Munich from 1964 to 1977, is widely regarded as the greatest defender of all time and is considered among the greatest football players of all time, regardless of position. He truly lived up to the moniker “Kaiser.” As the legendary “Libero,” Beckenbauer invented the sweeper position and revolutionized club and international football for both Bayern and the German national team. He led Die Roten to three Champions League titles after winning the World Cup, European Championship, and World Cup. Beckenbauer finished on the podium three more times and was awarded the Ballon d’Or twice along the way. As a manager, he even took home the World Cup in 1990!
In terms of how he enhanced the attack in that sweeper role, Beckenbauer was a distinct breed of center-back. He also established a standard that players in subsequent generations would adhere to. For example, discussing Sergio Ramos would be incomplete without discussing Beckenbauer’s contributions as a captain, defender, “quarterback” on the ball, and even goal scorer (he scored 74 goals throughout his Bayern career), helping him top the list of the Top 10 Bayern Munich players of all time.
