Bayern Munich, a German outfit also known as ‘Die Roten’ popularity and success transcend the Bundesliga as one of the greatest and finest clubs in world football.
The Bavarian have been the dominant team in the Bundesliga for ages, while their European exploits down the years have also placed them among the elite as one of the world’s finest clubs.
While the word ‘Legend’ often gets tossed around in football a lot by fans of the game, the question is which players truly deserve to be called legend.
- 1. Franz Beckenbauer – (Germany, 1964-1977)
- 2. Karl-Heinz Rummeniggge – (Germany, 1974-1984)
- 3. Robert Lewandowski – (Poland, 2014-2022)
- 4. Gerd Muller – (Germany, 1964-1979)
- 5. Philipp Lahm – (Germany, 2002-2017)
- 6. Uli Hoeness – (Germany, 1970-1979)
- 7. Franck Ribery – (France, 2007-2019)
- 8. Arjen Robben – (Netherlands, 2009-2019)
- 9. Oliver Kahn – (Germany, 1994-2008)
- 10. Manuel Neuer – (Germany, 2011-Present)
- 11. Thomas Muller – (Germany, 2008-Present)
- 12. Sepp Maier – (Germany, 1962-1980)
- 13. Claudio Pizarro – (Peru, 2001-2007 & 2012-15)
- 14. Mehmet Scholl – (Germany, 1992-2007)
- 15. Bixente Lizarazu – (France, 1997-2004)
- 16. Raimond Aumann – (Germany, 1980-1994)
- 17. Hans Pflugler – (Germany, 1981-1992)
- 18. Lothar Matthaus – (Germany, 1984-88, 1992-2000)
- 19. Paul Breitner – (Germany, 1970-74, 1978-83)
- 20. Roy Makaay – (Netherlands, 2003-2007)
1. Franz Beckenbauer – (Germany, 1964-1977)
- App: 457
- Goals: 60
Who else but “Der Kaiser or the Emperor” would be the number one on our list having made a huge impact and influence in the history of Bayern Munich and football generally.
Talk of a player who played with elegance, finesse, and tidiness on the pitch, Beckenbauer made football so interesting to watch with his commanding presence and breathtaking skills.
As a player, he won four Bundesliga titles, four DFB Pokals as a captain, and three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976 for the Bavarian giant, a great feat that inked his name in the lore of German football.
2. Karl-Heinz Rummeniggge – (Germany, 1974-1984)
- App: 422
- Goals: 217
Karl-Heinz Rummeniggge, the first Ballon d’Or winner in the history of German football is unarguably one of the legends of Die Roten, who donned the jersey of the club for a decade before moving abroad.
The legendary midfielder started his career at the amateur side Borussia Lippstadt, playing for a few years before joining Bayern Munich at the age of 19 in 1974.
Rummeniggge represented the Bavarian giant in 422 matches and scored 217 goals which made him the third-best goal-scorer in the club’s history.
3. Robert Lewandowski – (Poland, 2014-2022)
- App: 375
- Goals: 344
Call him “LewanGoalski” You won’t be wrong considering how proficient, efficient, and ruthless he could be in front of the goal.
The Pole legend is far more than just a goal-scorer who can also serve as a number-nine and creator when he drop-deep into the midfield.
Lewandowski’s career had humble beginnings no doubt having started his career in Poland in the lower leagues before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2010, a distinctive move that transformed his professional career.
The legendary number-nine currently plays for Barcelona, but he remains a legend and fan favorite at the Allianz Arena having painted the league with goals and breathtaking performances throughout his stint in Germany.
4. Gerd Muller – (Germany, 1964-1979)
- App: 607
- Goals: 565
There’s a reason Muller is called Der Bomber having been a pain in the neck of opposition throughout his time at Bayern Munich scoring 565 goals in 607 matches for Bayern Munich.
Gerd Muller’s status as the greatest goal-scorer ever could only be contested by the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, considering their impact and consistency for a decade and a half at the highest level.
He won every trophy he ever competed with Die Roten and West Germany, winning four Bundesliga titles, four DFB Pokals, three European Cups, and the European Winners’ Cup.
5. Philipp Lahm – (Germany, 2002-2017)
- App: 517
- Goals: 17
The Magical Dwarf as his name suggests is absolutely one of the greatest German players to ever grace a football pitch, with his second-to-none talents that stand him out among the rest.
Lahm started his professional career at Stuttgart after being loaned out from Bayern Munich’s youth academy to gain more experience.
He came back into the team with an exceptional work rate and went on to become one of the most respected Germans in world football, winning eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB Pokals, and a Champions League.
6. Uli Hoeness – (Germany, 1970-1979)
- App: 239
- Goals: 86
Unfortunately, glory on the pitch was very hard to come by following the horrific knee injury he sustained in 1978 that forced him to retire at the age of 27.
However, before he retired he picked up a total of three European Cups, three Bundesliga titles, a DFB Pokals Cup, and a single international cup during his time as Bayern Munich striker.
In 239 appearances for Die Roten, he netted 86 goals at the majestic Allianz Arena that has seen many great footballers grace the hollowed pitch.
7. Franck Ribery – (France, 2007-2019)
- App: 273
- Goals: 86
Robbery as his nickname suggested, is arguably one of the best modern-day forwards to ever grace the hallowed turf of football in the modern era.
The legendary Frenchman’s skill, touch of the ball, and intelligence on the pitch made him pitted against great players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who dominated world football for many years.
Considering his sheer impact, contributions, and success on the pitch for Bayern Munich, Ribery is worthy to be called a legend of Die Roten.
8. Arjen Robben – (Netherlands, 2009-2019)
- App: 201
- Goals: 99
Arjen Robben is arguably football’s second-best left-footed player who is well renowned for his zigzag dribbling and nimbleness at all of the clubs he donned their jersey.
Robben’s ability and trickery to dance his way past defenders played a pivotal role alongside other top players in the team and helped Die Roten win the Champions League and other major trophies in world football.
As a player of excellence, he’ll forever remain a legendary figure at Bayern Munich considering his sheer impact and contributions throughout his stint at the club.
9. Oliver Kahn – (Germany, 1994-2008)
- App: 429
- Goals: 0
Oliver Kahn’s success and impact in world football won’t be forgotten in a hurry having made goalkeeping quite easy during his playing days.
Usually, great strikers terrorize the opposition’s defenses and goalkeepers with their talents, but with Kahn, the reverse was the case with the ways he scared strikers with his goalkeeping prowess.
The Karlsruhe-born goalie won quite a lot of trophies including eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB Pokals, a Champions League, and a UEFA Cup as one of the most decorated German players of all time.
10. Manuel Neuer – (Germany, 2011-Present)
- App: 508
- Goals: 0
Talk of a world-class goalkeeper whose career didn’t only transcend the German Bundesliga, Neuer is one of the best goalies in the history of Bayern Munich having joined the club in 2011.
The German goalie is arguably the first to usher in a new style of goalkeeping as he became the first to adopt the role of sweeper shot-stopper.
Since joining from Schalke 04 in 2011 where he established himself as one of the finest goalkeepers of his generation, he has won ten Bundesliga titles, two Champions League, and five DFB-Pokals.
11. Thomas Muller – (Germany, 2008-Present)
- App: 454
- Goals: 145
Thomas Muller, one of Germany’s most decorated players of all time needs no introduction, considering his sheer impact for Die Roten which undoubtedly transcends the Bundesliga.
Muller has been one of the pillars of Bayern Munich’s team since making his debut in the 2009-10 season under Louis van Gaal and till now he’s still a key figure both on the field and dressing room for Bayern Munich.
Winning a treble twice, 11-Bundesliga and 6-DFB Pokals ranks him among one of the finest German players who excelled both at club and international levels with a total of 32 titles to his name.
12. Sepp Maier – (Germany, 1962-1980)
- App: 536
- Goals: 0
The word ‘legend’ often gets tossed around in football a lot, but not many players deserve to be called a cult figure or legend but in Maier’s case his more than a legend.
The legendary goalkeeper was an unbreathable wall between the sticks, who achieved everything with Die Roten and Die Mannschaft throughout his career at the highest level of the game.
Maier won 4-DFP Pokal and 4 Bundesliga titles, and in the European competitions, his crowing achievement with Bayern was three consecutive Champions League between 1972-1974 which qualified him as a legend of the game.
13. Claudio Pizarro – (Peru, 2001-2007 & 2012-15)
- App: 222
- Goals: 125
Pizarro was a Bundesliga legend quite like no other whose impact and longevity transcend the German top flight where he graced the hallowed turf for many years.
His longevity and legacy in footballing lore won’t be forgotten in a hurry because of his sheer impact, influence, talent, and success as a professional footballer.
The Peruvian bid farewell to the game at the age of 41, but he’ll forever be remembered as one of the few players in the history of the Bundesliga to score more than 80 goals for two clubs 87 for Bayern Munich and 109 for Werder Bremen.
14. Mehmet Scholl – (Germany, 1992-2007)
- App: 469
- Goals: 117
Scholl was an undisputed superstar and crowd favorite who undoubtedly deserved to be called a legend for how well he entertained Bayern Munich’s faithful for a decade and a half.
He made 469 competitive appearances and scored 117 goals for the Bavarian giant, winning a total of 21 trophies before he finally bid farewell to Die Roten’s faithful in 2007 at the age of 36-year-old.
His love and loyalty for Bayern Munich was so huge that he never considered moving abroad when he turned down a lucrative offer from Barcelona in 1996.
15. Bixente Lizarazu – (France, 1997-2004)
- App: 273
- Goals: 8
Lizarazu is unarguably one of the best full-backs known for his marauding quality, dangerous crosses, and extravagant techniques that endeared him to Bayern Munich’s faithful.
The marauding full-back had an illustrious career both at the club and international level, where he stands a legend from 1997 to 2004 winning all of the game’s major trophies and scoring some remarkable goals.
He became a major star on his arrival in the Bundesliga following his ill-fated spell at Athletic Bilbao where things didn’t work as expected for the Frenchman.
16. Raimond Aumann – (Germany, 1980-1994)
- App: 268
- Goals: 0
From being signed from Augsburg to being a Bayern Munich legend says a lot about how phenomenon Aumann’s career was.
He stands for everything Bayern Munich is as a professional club where he kept a total of 268 competitive games, winning six league titles as well as two DFB Cup and DFB Supercup wins.
At the end of Aumann’s sporting career with the Bavarian giant, he also played for one of the biggest Turkish club Besiktas where he also won a league title.
17. Hans Pflugler – (Germany, 1981-1992)
- App: 277
- Goals: 36
Hans Pflugler was a one-club man who played the entirety of his career at Bayern Munich right from the U-17 days to when he got promoted into the main team in 1981.
His longevity at Bayern Munich epitomized his loyalty, love, impact, and influence for the club being a red through and through as a player who broke into the team at an age.
The statistics from the versatile defender’s career make for an impressive reading, considering his sheer impact and success at Bayern Munich where he won five league titles and three DFB Pokal titles.
Aside from being a defender whose assignment is basically to protect his goal, he was also very handy in front of goal scoring 36 goals and 14 assists in 277 appearances.
18. Lothar Matthaus – (Germany, 1984-88, 1992-2000)
- App: 464
- Goals: 85
Ballon d’Or winner, Lothar Matthaus, was a player who is well revered among German fans being one of the greatest central midfielders of all time who played for many teams during his career at the highest level.
He didn’t only stay long at Bayern Munich as a peripheral player, he was a player in Die Roten’s midfield line either as a central or defensive midfielder.
Matthaus won seven Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and made a total of 464 appearances in the German’s top flight, with his influence and impact admittedly felt across the league.
19. Paul Breitner – (Germany, 1970-74, 1978-83)
- App: 255
- Goals: 83
Breitner, a former Die Roten’s superstar was one of the world’s finest players in the late 1970s and early 80s known for his trademark beard and swashbuckling style of play either as a full-back or midfielder.
The controversial defender cum midfielder off the pitch in his day was no doubt a brilliant player who became an important figure in Bayern Munich’s team with his speed and accurate crossing down the flanks.
In his first two spells with the Bavarian giant, Breitner won three of his five Bundesliga titles, two DFB Pokal Cups, and the 1974 European Cup.
Aside from recording a lot of success in Bayern Munich’s shirt, he also achieved a lot of honors with arguably the greatest football club in world football Real Madrid.
20. Roy Makaay – (Netherlands, 2003-2007)
- App: 178
- Goals: 102
Roy Makaay, like Robert Lewandowski, is another foreigner who painted the Bundesliga blue and black with his goals and also felt right at home in Bayern Munich.
The legendary Dutch striker scored 102 goals for Die Roten in 178 games having joined from Deportivo La Coruna in the 2002-03 season after scoring a hat trick against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
He won four Bundesliga titles with Die Roten and other titles he could win before leaving the German giant towards the twilight of his career.
Other Greatest Bayern Munich Players Of All Time
- Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck
- Klaus Augenthaler
- Bastian Schweinsteiger
- Jens Jeremies
- Mario Gomez
- Willy Sagnol
- Hasan Salihamidzic
- Udo Horsmann
- Mark van Bommel
- Roland Wohlfarth
- Franz Roth
- Ze Roberto
- Juergen Klinsmann
- Jean-Marie Pfaff
- Thomas Helmer
- Rainer Zobel
- Jupp Kapellmann
- Alan McInally
- Norbert Eder
- Dietmar Hamann
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