The Bundesliga (Federal competition), often known as the Fußball-Bundesliga or 1. The Bundesliga is the premier football competition in Germany. It was founded in 1963 and now has 18 teams. The two teams in the bottom half of the standings following a season-long double round-robin tournament are immediately relegated to the 2. Bundesliga (Zweite Bundesliga). The top two teams in the 2. Bundesliga takes their spot, with the third-placed team in the league playing the 16th-placed team in the Bundesliga in a promotion/relegation playoff to decide who advances to the other division. Find the list of the Top 10 Bundesliga players of All Time below.
Top 10 Bundesliga players of All Time
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben, one of the all-time greats in the Bundesliga, had to be on this list. The former Dutch winger played for Bayern Munich for ten seasons in Germany. He left a hero and contributed 62 assists. In 2010, Robben was named the VDV Bundesliga Player of the Season, the Kicker Man of the Year, and the Footballer of the Year in Germany, and he also won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokals, five DFL-Supercups, one UEFA Champions League, and one UEFA Super Cup at the Allianz Arena. The former member of the FIFA FIFPro World XI scored 37 goals in 96 games for the Netherlands.
During his nine seasons with Bayern, attacking midfielder Arjen Robben scored over 100 goals. He led his team to six Bundesliga crowns, four DFB Cups, and a Champions League treble. To win the 2012 Champions League, the Dutchman finished off an incredible 89-minute goal against Borussia Dortmund.
Frank Ribery
With his combination of speed and technique, Ribery terrorized defenses for years and had to be considered among the top players in the Bundesliga. With Bayern Munich, the 39-year-old (1983) winger helped the team win nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokal Cups, three DFL-Supercups, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. He recorded 120 assists in 12 seasons with the team. The Frenchman won Bundesliga Player of the Year once, finished first in the Bundesliga in three seasons, and was once named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI. Before quitting football for France in 2014, Ribery played in 81 games and scored 16 goals.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Schweinsteiger was one of the best players in the Bundesliga and a mainstay of Bayern Munich throughout one of their most prosperous periods. With 13 seasons and eight Bundesliga titles, seven DFB-Pokal cups, one DFL-Supercup, a UEFA Champions League, a FIFA Club World Cup title, and a UEFA Super Cup, the former Germany international midfielder contributed 68 assists. In 2013, Schweinsteiger won Germany’s Footballer of the Year award. With 121 games played and 24 goals scored, he is Germany’s fourth-most-capped player of all time. He has represented his country in three World Cups and four European Championships and won the 2014 tournament.
Manuel Neuer
The 36-year-old goalkeeper for Bayern Munich (1986) began his Bundesliga career at Schalke 04. He made 156 games over five seasons and won the DFL-Ligapokal and one DFB-Pokal. Neuer, who is currently in his 12th season with the Bavarians, is widely considered as one of the finest in his position in the game. He has won 10 titles, five DFB-Pokal Cups, seven DFL-Supercups, two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, and two FIFA Club World Cups.
The sweeper-keeper is the player with the most wins (315) in the history of the Bundesliga. He has broken and set numerous other records. Neuer has won Footballer of the Year twice in Germany. He has also won Best European Goalkeeper five times and FIFA FIFPro World XI four times. The 2014 World Cup champion with Germany was played by the 2020 German national player of the year. He has played in 113 international matches to date.
Philipp Lahm
The former German full-back played for Bayern Munich during his first two seasons in the Bundesliga on loan with Stuttgart. In 53 appearances, he scored twice and provided three assists during his career. Throughout 17 seasons, Lahm played 332 games with Die Roten, contributing 45 assists and 12 goals. He was the winner of eight championships, including one FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Champions League, three DFL Supercups, and six DFB Pokal Cups. In 2017, Lahm won the German Footballer of the Year award. He finished his international career with five goals in 113 appearances and helped his nation win the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Oliver Kahn
The former German goalie, who played 128 games over seven seasons with Karlsruher SC, left to join Bayern Munich. Throughout his final 14 professional seasons, Kahn played 429 games, won eight titles, six DFB-Pokal Cups, five DFB-Ligapokal Cups, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup, and one Intercontinental Cup while playing at the Allianz Arena. In addition to winning German Footballer of the Year twice, he was awarded Best European Goalkeeper four times and Best Bundesliga Keeper seven times. After 86 games for his nation, Kahn won the 1996 UEFA European Championship.
Robert Lewandowski
Beginning with his time in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, the Poland international striker is the second-highest goalscorer in Bundesliga history. Lewandowski, 34 (1988), won two crowns, one DFB-Pokal, and one DFL-Supercup with the Black and Yellows in four seasons while racking up 74 goals and 30 assists in 131 games. After that, he signed for Bayern Munich, where he immediately made it big as their new number nine. He played 253 games throughout his eight-year tenure, scoring 238 goals and providing 45 assists.
During his tenure at Allianz Arena, Lewandowski won eight championships, three DFB-Pokal Cups, five DFL-Supercups, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. He was the Bundesliga Player of the Season twice, the Bundesliga Team of the Season nine times, the winner of two European Golden Shoes, and the leading goalscorer in the Bundesliga seven times. Lewandowski will go down in history as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He set and broke numerous league records for goals scored. He has made 132 appearances for his nation and scored 76 goals thus far.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
The former German forward made 58 assists in ten seasons with Die Roten. Rummenigge became the Bundesliga’s top goalscorer three times. He won two Bundesliga crowns, two DFB-Pokal Cups, two European Cups, and an Intercontinental Cup. In 1980 and 1981, he was named the Ballon d’Or winner and, in 1980, the German Footballer of the Year. With West Germany, Rummenigge won the 1980 UEFA European Championship with 45 goals in 95 games.
Gerd Muller
The late German striker is regarded by many as the best player the league has ever seen. He still retains the record for most goals scored in league history. At the Allianz Arena, Muller played in 14 championship seasons, 92 assists, four DFB-Pokal Cups, three European Cups, one European Cup Winners’ Cup, and one Intercontinental Cup. The 1970 Ballon d’Or winner holds numerous Bundesliga records, has been named Footballer of the Year twice in Germany, won two European Golden Shoes, and was ranked seventh in the Bundesliga. Muller excelled in international competition, scoring 68 goals in 62 games to help West Germany win the 1974 World Cup and the 1972 UEFA European Championship. He just missed out on the top spot on our list of the Top 10 Bundesliga players of All Time.
Franz Beckenbauer
Beckenbauer had to be on this list; he is arguably the greatest of all time, not just in the Bundesliga. After four years in America, the former German defender returned to the league. He played two more seasons with Hamburger SV. He played for Bayern Munich for 12 seasons. Der Kaiser, often known as “The Emperor,” scored 44 goals and provided 70 assists in 396 games for Die Roten. During his brief tenure at Die Rothosen, he participated in 28 games. He was unable to score goals or earn any awards.
Beckenbauer garnered four Bundesliga championships, four DFB-Pokal cups, three European Cups, one European Cup Winners’ Cup, and one Intercontinental Cup during his time with Bayern. The four-time German Footballer of the Year is a national hero and is listed in the Bayern Munich All-Time XI. With 14 goals in 103 appearances, Beckenbauer helped West Germany win the 1974 World Cup and the 1972 UEFA European Championship. The two-time Ballon d’Or winner is among the greatest football players to have ever graced the German first division. He tops our list of the Top 10 Bundesliga players of All Time.
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