Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski & the 25 best Bayern Munich players of the 21st century so far – ranked

Bayern Munich have won 42 trophies since the turn of the millennium, including 17 Bundesliga titles and 10 DFB Pokals. They have set extraordinary new standards of dominance in Germany, while also lifting the Champions League three times, enhancing their status as one of the biggest clubs in world football.

In the 20th century, Bayern were blessed with world-class players such as Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Paul Breitner and Lothar Matthaus – all of whom played vital roles in building a lasting dynasty. They set the bar impossibly high, but new heroes have emerged over the last 25 years to ensure that Bayern have continued to reach the same giddy heights.

These players have embraced the club’s ‘Mia san Mia’ (‘We are who we are’) motto with every fibre of their being. Talent can get you through the door, but only those with an iron-strong will and insatiable hunger to win leave a lasting mark at the Allianz Arena.

GOAL has thus ranked the top 25 Bayern players of the 21st century so far who fit into that bracket, including some who are still building their legacies in Bavaria…

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  25Mehmet Scholl

  Mehmet Scholl earned a cult following at Bayern across his 15 trophy-laden years at the club, with many of his best performances coming in the second half of his career. An elegant playmaker who could dribble past any defender and had ice in his veins in front of goal, Scholl made everything on the pitch look easy.

  The former Germany international was also a wizard from free-kicks, and always showed fierce loyalty to Bayern even when attracting attention from just about every top club in Europe. Bayern probably wouldn’t have won four of the first six Bundesliga titles of the 21st century without Scholl, who also racked up seven goal contributions during their run to the 2000-01 Champions League crown.

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    24Stefan Effenberg

    Steffen Effenberg qualified for this list despite only being on Bayern’s books for two years in this century, which is a testament to the colossal impact he had at the club in a relatively short period. Controversy off the pitch overshadowed Effenberg’s career somewhat, but on it, he was a fierce competitor and a natural leader. The tough-tackling midfielder also boasted an underrated passing range, and had a penchant for the spectacular, often demonstrating immaculate ball-striking skills.

    Bayern could always count on Effenberg in the most crucial moments, including in the 2001 Champions League final against Valencia, when he coolly converted a penalty to level the scoreline and ultimately set his team up to go on a clinch the trophy. As former Bayern boss Omar Hitzfeld once said: “When others are looking for a hiding place, that’s when Effenberg steps forward.”

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    23Harry Kane

    Harry Kane showed great courage to leave his Tottenham comfort zone and head to Bayern in August 2023. The England captain put the chance to win silverware ahead of potentially breaking the all-time Premier League goal record, embracing a whole new culture and lifestyle to make it happen.

    Bayern finally found their replacement for Robert Lewandowski, and Kane more than lived up to his €100 million (£84m/$109m) price tag in his first season, scoring 44 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions to land the European Golden Shoe. Unfortunately, though, Kane’s brilliance couldn’t prevent Bayern from slumping to their first trophy-less season in 12 years.

    Kane was unfairly made a scapegoat after struggling in the biggest matches, but he carried Bayern’s charge on domestic and European fronts almost single-handedly. The 31-year-old has picked up from where he left off in 2024-25, and it won’t be long before he finally breaks his trophy curse, because it’s impossible for Bayern to keep failing with the world’s most complete striker leading the line.

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    22Xabi Alonso

    Xabi Alonso is best known for his spells at Liverpool and Real Madrid, as he won the Champions League with both clubs while establishing himself as an elite midfielder. But the former Spain international spent the final three years of his career at Bayern Munich after getting a call from Pep Guardiola, and oozed class in a conductor role for the German giants.

    Everything went through Alonso as Bayern followed the same ‘tiki-taka’ philosophy that had garnered so much success for Guardiola at Barcelona. In a 2-0 win over Koln on September 14, 2014, Alonso smashed the record for the most touches in a Bundesliga game (204), and he was the unsung hero behind Bayern three successive title wins under Guardiola.

    “I was so lucky to have him in Munich,” Guardiola admitted after Alonso announced his retirement in 2017. “One of the best midfielders I’ve ever seen in my life.” Bayern didn’t have Alonso in his prime, but that just makes the influence he had all the more remarkable.

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    21Roy Makaay

    Bayern went all out to sign Roy Makaay after seeing the Dutchman score a hat-trick against them for Deportivo La Coruna at the Olympiastadion in the 2002-23 Champions League. Makaay won the European Golden Shoe that season, which prompted a bidding war, and Bayern paid a then-club-record fee of €19m (£16m/$20m) to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to his signature.

    It would prove to be a worthy investment, as Makaay hit 102 goals in 178 appearances for Bayern, winning four domestic trophies along the way. The former Netherlands striker was deadly with both feet and his instincts in and around the box were second to none. It was rare for any defender to get the better of Makaay in the air either, with Bayern often able to grind out results purely thanks to his predatory skills.

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    20Giovane Elber

    Giovane Elber joined Bayern in 1997 as a proven force in the Bundesliga after a prolific three-year spell at Stuttgart. The step up to one of the world’s biggest clubs didn’t faze the Brazilian, who was a larger than life personality with magic in his boots.

    Bayern won seven trophies during Elber’s time at the club, five of which came after the turn of the century. He was the hero in Bayern’s 2001 Champions League semi-final triumph over Real Madrid, scoring in both legs, and his final season at the club cemented his status as an icon as he led the way in securing another domestic double in 2002-03, finishing as top scorer in the Bundesliga with 21 goals.

    Elber was a master at keeping the ball close to his feet and a ruthless finisher with bags of pace. Former Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness summed up his impact on the club perfectly: “He’s a fabulous lad, a super chap with a healthy dose of cunning. The folk out there love him.”

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    19Claudio Pizarro

    Claudio Pizarro was nicknamed Bayern’s ‘Bomber of the Andes’ – a nod to all-time great Muller – during his first spell at the club between 2001 and 2007, which was more than fitting. The Peruvian marksman hit 101 goals across those six seasons, becoming the highest-scoring foreigner in Bundesliga history.

    A real fox-in-the-box who also thrived as a link-man, Pizarro was a complete centre-forward with an imposing physical frame that made him a nightmare for defenders. He was a popular figure in the dressing room, too, and Bayern jumped at the chance to bring him back for a second stint at the Allianz Arena in 2012.

    Pizarro was only given an initial one-year deal, but soon earned an extension, famously scoring a 33-minute hat-trick in a Champions League group-stage clash with Lille. Bayern would eventually clinch the treble in 2012-13, with Pizarro racking up 21 goal contributions to further enhance his standing as a fan favourite.

    “He was one of the most talented players I have ever seen,” former Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has said of Pizarro’s impact at the club. “A brilliant, magnificent footballer – it was a pleasure to play together with him.”

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    18Javi Martinez

    Javi Martinez’s transfer to Bayern in the summer of 2012 marked the beginning of the most successful period in the club’s entire history. The Spanish midfielder finished each of his nine seasons with Bayern as a German champion and picked up two Champions League winners’ medals, while he also scored the winning goal in the 2020 UEFA Super Cup final.

    Had it not been for cruel luck with injuries, Martinez probably would have been higher on this list. He was a tenacious tackler who covered every blade of grass, and was also surprisingly nimble on the ball for a big man. He was so comfortable in possession that Guardiola converted him to a centre-back during his three-year spell in charge, and the former Athletic Club star made the transition look easy.

    Jupp Heynckes was the manager who got the best out of Martinez, though, because he appreciated that “when the going gets tough, he stands up”. Bayern supporters will remember Martinez as a true fighter who always gave everything for the collective cause, even when the odds were stacked against him.

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    17Jamal Musiala

    Bayern knew they had signed a gem when Jamal Musiala left Chelsea to join his family in Munich back in 2019, but they could scarcely have imagined just how quickly he would surge to prominence. Musiala made his Bundesliga debut at just 17 years and 115 days in June 2020, becoming the youngest player to ever feature for Bayern in the competition, and became their youngest goal-scorer of all-time with a strike against Schalke on the opening day of the 2020-21 season.

    Those record-breaking feats put a huge spotlight on Musiala, but he’s shown a maturity far beyond his years to deal with the pressure. Musiala’s breakthrough season came in 2022-23 as he posted 32 goal involvements in 47 appearances across all competitions, while operating in several different positions across the frontline.

    The fleet-footed Germany international can wreak havoc between the lines and rarely makes the wrong decision in the final third. He’s now the man Bayern rely on to open up defences with a killer pass or dizzying run, despite the fact he’s still only 21, and the former Chelsea starlet could become a genuine Ballon d’Or contender if he stays on his current trajectory.

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    16Serge Gnabry

    Bayern’s €8 million capture of Serge Gnabry in 2017 wasn’t just a bargain – it was a masterstroke. The Arsenal academy graduate was loaned out to Hoffenheim initially, and played a key role in the club’s run to a third-place Bundesliga finish, which prompted Bayern to trust him to replace Douglas Costa on the right wing in 2018-19.

    Gnabry would prove to be an upgrade on the Brazilian, finishing as Bayern’s second-highest goal-scorer across the 2018-19 season, and was vital to their treble success in the following campaign under Hansi Flick, notching 23 goals and 14 assists.

    Few players can time runs better than Gnabry, who always looks for quick combinations to advance and keeps a cool head in front of goal. Bayern have put Gnabry’s versatility to great use over the years as he’s swapped between both wings and a false nine role, while even filling in at full-back on occasion.

    The Germany winger’s injury-enforced absence last season seriously hampered Bayern, and his return could be a decisive factor as they seek to wrestle the Bundesliga crown back from Bayer Leverkusen.

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    15Michael Ballack

    Michael Ballack was the most sought after player in Europe after his stellar 2002 World Cup showing for Germany, with Real Madrid among those to push for his services, but the all-action midfielder ultimately chose to swap Bayer Leverkusen for Bayern. That decision paid off as Ballack won three league and cup doubles at Allianz Arena, hitting his peak in the 2005-06 campaign.

    Fondly dubbed ‘The Little Kaiser’ by supporters, Ballack possessed many of the same qualities as Beckenbauer in his prime, including a natural air of authority and stoicism. He was a relentless ball-winner with an exceptional passing range and a rocket for a right foot, with a large number of his goals for Bayern coming from long range.

    Ballack was named Germany’s Footballer of the Year twice during his time at Bayern, which was a deserved reward for his influence. Even though Champions League success always eluded him, Ballack was Bayern’s most consistent performer across his four years at the club and left a lasting mark.

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    14Toni Kroos

    Toni Kroos will mainly be remembered as a Real Madrid legend, having won five of his six Champions League crowns at Santiago Bernabeu, but he was made in Bavaria. He burst onto the scene at Bayern as a 17-year-old, registering two assists on his Bundesliga debut off the bench, and ended his first season with 20 appearances in all competitions.

    Regular minutes did not come Kroos’ way after that, though, and Bayern sent him on loan to Leverkusen in 2009-10 to play under Heynckes, who was able to unlock his full potential. The pair reunited at Bayern in 2011 and Kroos was immediately given a starring role as the orchestrator in the team.

    Incredibly, Bayern finished as runners-up in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League in 2011-12, but came back the following season to win all three competitions, with Kroos’ brilliance underpinning their success.

    In terms of pure footballing intelligence and technical quality, Kroos was unmatched by that stage, as Guardiola also asserted after getting the chance to work with him following Heynckes departure.

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    13Kingsley Coman

    Bayern brought in a 19-year-old Kingsley Coman from Juventus in 2015 on an initial two-year loan deal, and he quickly became indispensable for Guardiola with his explosive turn of pace and eye for a killer pass. “He has rare dribbling skills that you do not see very often,” Guardiola said. “I have only ever worked with one player who could do it all at such a young age.”

    Coman has since been unable to get near the same level as Lionel Messi, in no small part due to fitness problems, which started creeping in after Guardiola’s departure. But the Frenchman still boasts 131 goal contributions in 302 games for Bayern, who signed him outright in April 2017, and he’s often given them an X-factor in the biggest matches, including in the 2019-20 Champions League final.

    It was Coman’s superb header that sunk Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon, which made him an instant Bayern immortal. He’s struggled to build on that career-defining moment in subsequent seasons, but is still only 28 and still has plenty to offer if he can finally stay clear of injuries.

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    12Oliver Kahn

    Oliver Kahn’s final eight years on Bayern’s books cemented his standing as not only the best goalkeeper in Germany, but also the entire planet. He won six Bundesliga titles and the Champions League between 2000 and 2008, coming third in the vote for the Ballon d’Or twice along the way and earning the label ‘King Kahn’.

    Bayern seemed impenetrable when Kahn was at his very best. The eccentric German commanded his box like a general and set an outstanding example to his team-mates with his courage and athleticism between the sticks.

    In addition to being a brilliant shot-stopper, Kahn excelled in one-on-one situations and his lightning fast reflexes bailed out Bayern on countless occasions. He was Bayern’s unchallenged No.1 right up to the day of his retirement at 38 and the embodiment of the club’s never-say-day attitude.

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    11Jerome Boateng

    Jerome Boateng made 362 appearances for Bayern across 10 years after joining the club from Manchester City in 2011, earning widespread admiration for his warrior mentality and superb ability to read the game. He was also an underrated technician, completing 62 percent of his 2,447 long passes in the Bundesliga.

    Guardiola called Boateng “one of the top three centre-backs in the world” when he was at his peak, which was an accurate assessment. The German ace seldom came off second-best in a challenge and his strength in the air gave Bayern an aura of invincibility at the back, especially during their 2019-20 treble run.

    Like Coman, injuries often disrupted Boateng’s rhythm, but his tremendous powers of resolve helped him to bounce back after every blow, eventually leaving the club with an incredible haul of 22 trophies.

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    10Thiago Alcantara

    When Guardiola took the managerial reins at Bayern in 2013, one of his first orders of business was to convince Thiago Alcantara to follow him to Germany from Barcelona. Bayern’s €25m (£21.6m) purchase of the Spaniard turned out to be a major coup as he finally stepped out of the shadow of Barca’s talismanic duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta to prove himself as one of the best midfielders in the business in his own right.

    Thiago became the heartbeat of the Bayern side under Guardiola, a masterful ball manipulator who dictated the pace of games with his passing. He was adept at breaking up play and his press resistance forced the opposition into retreat, with Bayern usually dominating possession from the first minute to the last thanks to his genius.

    Guardiola’s eventual departure to Manchester City didn’t derail Thiago either. The ex-Barcelona star continued to thrive under Carlo Ancelotti and Nico Kovac, the latter of whom described him as a “coach’s dream”, and he was integral to Bayern’s treble success with Flick at the helm. Bayern probably should have done more to keep Thiago away from Liverpool at the end of that season, having not made it back to the Champions League final since.

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    9Joshua Kimmich

    Joshua Kimmich is the footballing equivalent of a chameleon. He can play in almost any defensive or attacking role and often goes under the radar because of his flawless work. Bayern have nurtured the German’s unique talents perfectly since his breakthrough into the first team, gradually trusting him with more responsibility year after year, which he has never shirked.

    Flick even suggested Kimmich could become “the world’s best player” in 2021, and though he’s not quite lived up that billing, it’s fair to say no other player is more important to the Bayern set-up. Kimmich has an engine that never cuts out, and his distribution skills have been invaluable.

    Bayern are now at risk of losing Kimmich, with his contract set to expire next summer, and replacing him will be an impossible task. He may not get the headlines very often, but Kimmich has provided the foundation for Bayern’s dominance of German football over the last 10 years.

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    8David Alaba

    “David Alaba is our God,” Guardiola declared after deploying the Austrian in several different positions for Bayern at the start of the 2014-15 season. Alaba was fully capable of delivering top-class performances as a left-back, left-winger and central midfielder for Bayern, but it was at centre-half where he truly excelled.

    Bayern could count on Alaba to break through the lines with his progressive passing and dribbling, and his clever positioning always ensured that any counter-attacks were quickly snuffed out. Alaba has never been the tallest defender at 5ft 10in, but that wasn’t a weakness for Bayern because he made up for it with a tremendous leap and superb positional sense.

    He won 10 Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues in his 11-year stay at the Allianz Arena, and no one at the club could begrudge him for wanting to try something new at the end of the 2020-21 season. Real Madrid have enjoyed similar success since signing Alaba, but he gave the best years of his career to Bayern.

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      7Arjen Robben

      Arjen Robben arrived at Bayern in 2009 with a reputation as something of a prima donna, having only sparkled sporadically in his previous spells at Real Madrid and Chelsea. Bavaria proved to be Robben’s spiritual home, though, as he finally added the consistency to his game that had been lacking, hitting 23 goals in his debut campaign.

      The dazzling Dutchman would score another 121 goals for Bayern, including a stunning opportunistic effort against Borussia Dortmund that won his team the Champions League at Wembley in 2013. That was actually one of the rare occasions Robben found the net from a central area, as he was best known for cutting in from the right wing and curling the ball into the far corner with his wand of a left foot.

      It was remarkable how often that signature move came off for Robben despite his intentions being telegraphed, and it gave Bayern the edge in so many games, but he was more than just a one-trick pony. Robben could deliver teasing crosses even when running at near full speed and was also a set-piece expert who racked up over 100 assists for the club. To put it simply: Robben was Bayern’s most deadly weapon.

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      6Robert Lewandowski

      Borussia Dortmund had emerged as a genuine threat to Bayern’s position at the top of German football thanks to Robert Lewandowski’s exploits in front of goal during the early 2010s, so the Bavarians made it their mission to prise him away from Westfalenstadion. The Polish frontman finally completed his long-waited switch in July 2014, leaving a void in the Dortmund squad that could not be filled, and he proceeded to fire Bayern to eight-successive Bundesliga titles.

      Lewandowski hit a staggering 55 goals in all competitions as Bayern completed a clean sweep of domestic and European silverware in 2019-20, only to miss out on an almost-certain Ballon d’Or win due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He reacted to that disappointment by smashing the record for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season (41), despite only playing 29 games in 2020-21, and he also won the European Golden Shoe for the first time in his career.

      When he eventually decided to depart for Barcelona in 2022, Lewandowski did so with 344 goals to his name from 375 games for Bayern. Those staggering numbers put him right on the coattails of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. His all-round game didn’t quite match up to those two players, but Lewandowski became the ultimate finishing machine at the Allianz, and probably deserved more credit.

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      5Manuel Neuer

      When you hear the term ‘sweeper keeper’, Manuel Neuer is the first name that comes to mind. There were others goalkeepers before him who played outside of the penalty area, but the former Schalke man perfected the art after moving to Bayern in 2011, snuffing out danger with unerring confidence while becoming their 11th man in possession.

      Neuer could have been a midfielder in another life; he can execute 40 or 50-yard passes effortlessly, displaying unerring composure even when being closed down quickly. The giant German ‘keeper doesn’t just help prevent goals, he helps Bayern score them, and for a long time that gave them an advantage over almost any opponent.

      In recent years, Neuer’s powers have been on the wane, but that’s to be expected as he edges closer to his 40th birthday. In his heyday, though, Neuer was the perfect all-round goalkeeper. His shot-stopping often defied logic and he exuded confidence to the rest of the Bayern defence, even eclipsing Kahn in terms of overall influence.

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      4Bastian Schweinsteiger

      For the best part of 13 years, Bastian Schweinsteiger was the face of Bayern Munich. He initially made his name as a winger, standing out through a combination of agility and technical prowess, but gradually evolved into an all-action central midfielder, with Louis van Gaal the first manager to spot his potential in a box-to-box role.

      Schweinsteiger took Bayern to a new level after the switch, setting the tempo with his slick passing while using his supreme powers of anticipation to cut out dangerous attacks at will. Despite being a powerful player with an imposing frame, Schweinsteiger did everything with impeccable grace, and saw the game differently to mere mortals.

      His career could have gone differently, after a penalty shootout miss against Chelsea in Bayern’s 2012 Champions League final defeat, but Schweinsteiger also had an unbreakable mentality. He bounced back from that setback to spearhead Bayern’s treble bid, and was bestowed the title of ‘Fußballgott’ (‘Football God’) by fans before his 2015 exit to Manchester United. Never has a nickname been more apt.

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      3Philipp Lahm

      Phiipp Lahm has a strong case to be remembered as the finest right-back to ever grace the pitch, and had Bayern blood running through his veins. Initially joining the club’s academy at the age of 11, Lahm spent 22 years in Bavaria, and picked up 21 major trophies along the way.

      Guardiola described Lahm as “the most intelligent player I’ve ever coached”, and he was one of the first players to be used as an inverted full-back as the former Bayern boss reinvented the position during his time at the Allianz. Lahm was majestic whenever he stepped into midfield, but was at his most dangerous when making overlapping runs down the right, with his expert delivery often leading to goals for Bayern’s frontline.

      Lahm was deceptively strong for a small man, which helped him in both attack and defence, as his powers of recovery often seemed superhuman. After Marc van Bommel’s departure in 2011, Lahm became Bayern captain, which only increased his desire for success, with Scholl remarking after the defender’s eventual retirement in 2017: “In 75 percent of all the games you played in, you were outstanding. And in the other 25 you were world-class.”

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      2Franck Ribery

      Franck Ribery and Robben’s ‘Robbery’ partnership at Bayern was so effective because of how different they were. Robben mastered a specific routine to become a major asset for Bayern, but Ribery was far more unpredictable, and had more strings to his bow.

      The electrifying French forward, who joined Bayern from Marseille in 2007, was a magician with both feet and could glide past defenders at will. Ribery’s touch and control rarely let him down, his intelligent runs drew defenders out of position, and his final ball was exemplary.

      Injuries limited Ribery’s impact in the first phase of his Bayern career, but he gradually became more robust to become the club’s chief danger man, leaving supporters in awe with his trickery and ferocious desire to get on the ball and make things happen. Ribery was so influential for Bayern that many put him in the same bracket as Ronaldo and Messi, and he was extremely unfortunate not to pip both men to the Ballon d’Or in 2013.

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      1Thomas Muller

      Thomas Muller was never blessed with great physical attributes, he’s not a natural dribbler and struggles in one-on-one situations. But in terms of movement off the ball, Muller has always been in a class of his own, describing himself as a “space interpreter” who instinctively knows where to put himself to cause maximum damage.

      No player has contributed more to Bayern’s unprecedented success over the past 16 years than Muller. He’s scored 246 goals while setting up another 245, and now sits top of the club’s all-time appearances list. That’s an unbelievable record, but Muller’s effect at the Allianz cannot be quantified by numbers alone.

      Even as he edges towards retirement at the grand old age of 35, Muller is still impossible to pin down. There is no blueprint to play against the German icon, who has endeared himself to fans everywhere with his carefree nature and infectious enthusiasm for the game.

      At his peak for Bayern, Muller was unstoppable, and he’s never been anything less than a constant menace. Muller is one of a kind, and the world of football will be far less colourful when he decides to hang up his boots.