Top 10 Greatest Players Of All-Time: Bayern Munich

Founded in 1900, FC Bayern Munich is the biggest club in the history of German football. Bayern have won a record 33 Bundesliga titles, 20 DFB Pokals, 6 UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA Cup, and two Club World Cups, and many more. The club had its period of greatest success in the mid-1970s when, under the captaincy of Franz Beckenbauer, they won the European Cup three consecutive times (1974–1976).

Throughout its storied history, Bayern Munich has been home to a plethora of exceptional talents, each leaving 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, making him one of the greatest modern footballers. And, of course, no discussion about Bayern Munich would be complete without mentioning Franz Beckenbauer, “Der Kaiser,” who revolutionised the sweeper role and led the team to multiple domestic and international triumphs. 

Thus, in this article, we have decided to come up with a list of the 10 best Bayern Munich players ever, and to do so, we’ve taken a very specific set of criteria into account, which are as follows:

• 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, from an explosive left-back with Bayern in his first spell with the club to a world-class midfielder in his second stint with the Bavarian giants.

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

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

#9 Oliver Kahn

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

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

A part of Bayern’s history, the former player was also the CEO of Bayern Munich, 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; pobably 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 makes him one of the most crucial players in the Bayern lineup.

It’s not just that the German midfielder has won everything from the World Cup to almost a dozen Bundesliga titles; it is his intelligence and use of space that makes Müller one of the best. The German describes his role as Raumdeuter, a term which translates, literally, 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. 

#7 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

People will remember Karl-Heinz Rummenigge from his days 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 success with Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, two European Cups, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups. He also won two Ballon d’Or awards, in 1980 and 1981.

A versatile forward who could play anywhere across the forward line, Rummenigge will always be one of the greatest players in Bayern’s history, finishing with 162 league goals for the club he would serve for almost half his life. 

#6 Lothar Matthäus

During his two spells with Bayern Munich, Lothar Matthäus won everything there’s to be won at club level except the European Cup, though he would go on to lift a World Cup as Germany’s captain and become the only German player to be voted the FIFA World Player of the Year till date. 

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 and well-timed tackling, as well as his powerful shooting. During his career, he usually played 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 at age 38. To this day, he’s still the most capped German player of all time, with 150 caps, a true legend of the game.

#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 has ever had, one-club man Sepp Maier spent his entire 18 years as a professional goalkeeper with the club.

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

Three consecutive European Cups, four Bundesliga titles, and a World Cup trophy is impressive enough to land him in fifth place on our list, and perhaps even more telling is the fact that the goalkeeper 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 the left or right side of the defense, there’s no doubt that Philipp Lahm was one of the most consistent, intelligent, and successful full-backs of all time; his record speaks for itself.

He was renowned for his pace, technique, stamina, and precise tackling abilities, as well as his small stature, which earned him the nickname the “Magic Dwarf”. Lahm was an accurate crosser of the ball, defensively intelligent, and incredibly hard-working.

Pep Guardiola had once described the German 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, there isn’t a more prolific striker in the modern game than Robert Lewandowski. The former Bayern Munich player was the most feared marksman in European football for over a decade.

Lewandowski had 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 goals in the 2021 season.  

As well as the usual awards and trophies you’d expect from a Bayern Munich player, Lewandowski also holds four Guinness World Records after scoring five goals 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 West Germany international was called, scored an incredible 398 league goals in 453 appearances. 

One of the most accurate and 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. 

Gerd’s record is simply extraordinary; his goals-to-appearances ratio is very nearly a goal every game, which is why he is still regarded as the most lethal German striker of all time. Thus, it’s hard to overlook the importance of Gerd Müller, 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 as both player and manager, Franz Beckenbauer was the ultimate player. 

With Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won three consecutive European Cups and four Bundesliga titles as a player before winning the Bundesliga and UEFA Cup as a manager during in two year managerial stint. 

The only defender to win the Ballon d’Or twice, Beckenbauer literally created the sweeper role, whereby the defender would also engage in attacking play by essentially “sweeping” upfield to carry the ball or add 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.