Top 10 greatest players of all time: FC Bayern Munich

In this article, we present to you our pick of the ten greatest-ever male players to ever represent FC Bayern Munich.

Founded in 1900, Bayern are arguably the biggest club in the history of German football. They have won a record 33 German Bundesliga titles, 20 DFB-Pokale, six UEFA Champions League titles, one UEFA Cup, and two Club World Cups among other accolades. The period of their greatest success was probably the 1970s, when under the captaincy of Franz Beckenbauer they won the European Cup three consecutive times between ’74 and ’76.

Throughout their storied history, Bayern Munich have been home to a plethora of exceptional players, each of whom has left an indelible mark on the club. Among these illustrious names are legends such as Gerd Müller, whose incredible goal-scoring prowess earned him the nickname “Der Bomber“, Robert Lewandowski, another striking sensation who shattered records with his phenomenal goal-scoring ability, and no discussion about the Bavarian giants be complete without mentioning Der Kaiser Beckenbauer, who revolutionised the sweeper role and led the team to multiple domestic and international triumphs. 

For this list, we’ve taken a very specific set of criteria into account:

• Impact
• Longevity
• Statistics
• Trophies

#10 Paul Brietner

Paul Breitner is considered one of the greatest left-backs of his generation. The German footballer continually reinvented himself, going from an explosive left-back at Bayern in his first spell with the club to a world-class midfielder in his second stint with them.

A World Cup winner in 1974, Breitner is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world in his day, though it was his attacking prowess that made him stand out among his peers, as evident from his goals in both the 1974 and 1982 World Cup finals. 

Known for his partnerships with Franz Beckenbauer, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, and Berti Vogts in defence for the West Germany national team, as well as his midfield combination with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge at Bayern, Breitner played 255 league games for Bayern, scoring 83 goals—a superb return for a player who spent much of his time in defence. 

#9 Oliver Kahn

One of the greatest goalkeepers in German history, Oliver Kahn’s reputation often preceded him, and many players who found themselves one-on-one with the giant keeper would miss the target simply out of fear. 

A dominant and aggressive keeper, Kahn prowled his area like a tiger, demanding excellence from his defence and striking fear into the hearts of opposing strikers. Nicknamed “King Kahn”, the German legend made a total of 632 appearances for Bayern. 

Kahn has also served Bayern Munich as their CEO, bringing the same determination and grit to the role as he did as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

#8 Thomas Müller

Thomas Müller is arguably the most complete attacking midfielder Germany has ever produced and probably one of the best the world has ever seen. Moving between the lines, Müller is the master of manipulating space in the final third. He dominates the attacking play, and his vision, passing ability, and incredible work rate make him one of the most crucial players in the Bayern lineup.

It’s not just that Müller has won everything in his career—from the World Cup to almost a dozen Bundesliga titles—it is his intelligence and use of space that make him one of the best. The German describes himself as a “Raumdeuter“, a term which roughly translates to “space interpreter”.

The most decorated German footballer of all time, Müller has collected 32 trophies so far. Given that his game is based more on movement and intelligence, there’s no reason why he can’t play on for a few more seasons at the very top. 

#7 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

People these days remember Karl-Heinz Rummenigge from his time as the CEO and former vice-president of Bayern Munich, posts he held for almost two decades, but during his playing days at the Bavarian club, Rummenigge was one of the best strikers in Europe. 

As a player, Rummenigge had his greatest career triumphs at Bayern, winning one Intercontinental Cup, two European Cups, and two league titles and domestic cups each. He also won two Ballons d’Or—in ’80 and ’81.

A versatile forward who could play anywhere across the forward line, Rummenigge will always be one of the greatest players in Bayern history. 

#6 Lothar Matthäus

During his two spells with Bayern Munich, Lothar Matthäus won everything there’s to be won at club level barring the European Cup, though he also lifted the World Cup as Germany’s captain and remains till date the only German player to be voted the FIFA World Player of the Year. 

A versatile and complete player, Matthäus is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time and was renowned for his perceptive passing, positional sense, well-timed tackling, and powerful shooting. He usually operated as a box-to-box midfielder, although late in his career he played as a sweeper. 

Matthäus was so good that he won the German Footballer of the Year award aged 38. To this day, he remains the most capped German player of all time, with 150.

Also read: SSC Napoli’s top 10 greatest players of all time

#5 Sepp Maier

Regarded as one of football’s greatest goalkeepers, Sepp Maier was nicknamed “Die Katze von Anzing” (“the cat from Anzing”) for his fast reflexes, agility, flexibility, speed, and consistency. One of the most well-respected players Bayern have ever fielded, he spent all 18 years of his career at the club.

With 709 matches played across seventeen seasons, Maier was Bayern’s all-time record appearance holder until he was surpassed by Thomas Müller in 2024. The ever-consistent Maier once recorded 442 consecutive appearances in the league—a record that still stands strong today. He was also West Germany’s goalkeeper at four successive World Cups. 

Three consecutive European Cups, four Bundesliga titles, and one World Cup trophy is impressive enough to land Maier at fifth on our list. Perhaps even more telling is the fact that he was named Footballer of the Year three times, something unheard of for a goalkeeper. 

#4 Phillip Lahm

A versatile player that could comfortably play on either flank of the defence, there’s no doubt that Philipp Lahm is one of the most consistent, intelligent, and successful fullbacks of all time; his record speaks for itself.

Lahm was renowned for his technique, stamina, and precise tackles. His diminutive stature earned him the nickname the “Magic Dwarf”. He was an accurate crosser of the ball, defensively intelligent, and incredibly hard-working.

Pep Guardiola once described the 113-cap former Germany international as the most intelligent player he had ever coached, and it showed. Lahm was in the right place every time. 

#3 Robert Lewandowski

For someone who never actually wanted to become a footballer in the first place, it’s remarkable that Robert Lewandowski has gone on to become one of the most prolific strikers in the history of the sport.

The veteran Pole was arguably the most feared marksman in Europe while he was in Bavaria. Lewandowski won the Bundesliga top scorer award seven times and even beat former Bayern legend Gerd Müller’s record of 40 goals in a single season when he scored 41 in the 2020/21 season.  

Alongside the usual awards and trophies you’d expect from a Bayern Munich player, Lewandowski has also collected four Guinness World Records thanks to the five goals he scored in less than nine minutes while playing for Bayern against Wolfsburg. 

#2 Gerd Müller

Only one other striker can compete with Robert Lewandowski’s goalscoring record for Bayern Munich, and that’s the legend himself, Gerd Müller. In his 15 seasons with Bayern Munich, Der Bomber, as the former West Germany international was called, scored an incredible 398 league goals in 453 appearances. 

One of the most lethal goal poachers of all time, Müller was often seen lurking around the six-yard line, waiting to pounce on any mistakes made. If you thought his domestic numbers were good, his European and international numbers were even better. In European competitions, Müller scored 65 goals in 75 games and 68 international goals in 62 appearances. 

Müller’s record is simply extraordinary; his goals-to-appearances ratio is very nearly one, which is why he is still regarded as the most lethal striker of all time. It’s hard to overlook the importance of Gerd Müller, as his years at Bayern saw the club become the best in Germany, and they’ve remained there ever since.

#1 Franz Beckenbauer

The player credited with inventing the role of the modern sweeper, a two-time European Footballer of the Year, and a World Cup winner both as a player and a manager, Franz Beckenbauer was the ultimate football man. 

With Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won three consecutive European Cups and four Bundesliga titles as a player before winning the Bundesliga and the UEFA Cup as a manager during his two-year managerial stint. The only defender to win the Ballon d’Or twice, Beckenbauer virtually created the sweeper role, whereby the defender would also engage in attacking play by “sweeping” up the pitch to carry the ball or serve as an extra option in midfield.

Nicknamed Der Kaiser by fans and media alike, Beckenbauer’s influence has been everlasting; he’s undoubtedly the greatest Bayern Munich player of all time.