Bayern Munich's greatest players of all time: Where does Thomas Muller rank?

Thomas Muller brought his glittering career at Bayern Munich to an end on at the 2025 Club World Cup.

The attacker made the move to Bayern at the age of 10, progressing through the various youth teams at the club before making his first-team debut in 2008.

Muller would go on to play for Bayern on 756 occasions, scoring 250 times, and he will forever be remembered when it comes to the history of the biggest club in German football.

The 36-year-old, who now plays for Vancouver Whitecaps, won a record 13 Bundesliga titles, two Champions League trophies, six German Cups and eight German Super Cups.

Bayern have had some of the greatest players in the history of football represent them during a glittering history, as 34-time German champions, while they have also lifted the DFB-Pokal 20 times, in addition to the European Cup on six occasions, with their last success in the Champions League coming in 2019-20.

Naturally, there have been a host of outstanding talents at the club, with many contributing heavily to their success both on and off the field.

Here, Sports Mole has taken on the incredibly difficult task of naming the top 10 greatest players to ever represent Bayern, and it was very tough due to the amount of influential figures to have turned out for the club, with some big names having to be left out.

10. Manuel Neuer

One of two goalkeepers on this list, Neuer continues to feature between the sticks for Bayern, and he sits sixth on the all-time list in terms of appearances, representing the club on 570 occasions.

The 39-year-old was again in excellent form during the 2024-25 campaign, keeping 19 clean sheets in 34 appearances, and he has a contract at Allianz Arena until the summer of 2026.

Neuer is viewed as one of the most influential goalkeepers in the history of football due to his role as a sweeper, and his ability on the ball has inspired many in his position.

He is also one of the most successful players in the history of Bayern in terms of trophies, having won 12 Bundesliga titles, five German Cups and two Champions League crowns.

Neuer's future beyond this season is unclear, but there is absolutely no question that he will go down as one of the best goalkeepers to have ever taken to the field.

9. Bastian Schweinsteiger

Schweinsteiger came through the youth system at Bayern before progressing to first-team level in 2002, and he would go on to play for the Munich outfit 500 times, scoring 68 times in the process.

The German won eight Bundesliga titles, seven German Cups and the Champions League during his time with Bayern, and his influence during a successful period in Munich cannot be downplayed.

Schweinsteiger has held off competition from the likes of Klaus Augenthaler and Mehmet Scholl to make the top 10, and he is fully deserving of a position in this list despite the number of talented players who have missed out.

In truth, it was hard not to place him higher considering what he brought to the club.

8. Lothar Matthaus

Matthaus had two separate spells with Bayern, turning out for the club between 1984 and 1988, before returning in 1992, and he would then play another eight years for the German giants.

Capable of operating as a midfielder, centre-back and a sweeper, Matthaus enjoyed huge success for Bayern, scoring 69 times in 150 appearances during his first spell, before managing 31 in 256 appearances upon his return to Allianz Arena.

Matthaus won six Bundesliga titles and two German Cups, but he was one of the players to suffer heartache in the 1999 Champions League final, as Manchester United won the trophy in incredible circumstances.

7. Philipp Lahm

Lahm represented Bayern between 2002 and 2017, making 517 appearances for the club, winning eight Bundesliga titles, six German Cups and the Champions League, and he was an incredibly influential figure for the Munich outfit.

The long-serving captain was one of the most consistent full-backs in the modern era, and the quality of his play and influence on Bayern during such a successful period perhaps does not get the recognition that it deserves.

Some incredible players, including Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, Uli Hoeness, Stefan Effenberg and Paul Breitner have missed out on spots in this list, but there simply had to be a position for Lahm.

Legendary football manager Pep Guardiola famously once called Lahm "one of the best players ever".

"He is one of the most fantastic players I ever trained in my life and one of the most intelligent. Football is going to miss one of the best players ever. He can play in 10 positions, no problems because he understands the game perfectly," said Guardiola back in 2017.

6. Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski is still doing the business for Barcelona at the age of 37, and he will forever be remembered as one of the best forwards to ever take to the field in professional football.

Between 2014 and 2022, the Poland international scored 344 times in 375 appearances for Bayern, while he also came up with 73 assists, which is a staggering statistic for a player who was so focused on goals.

Lewandowski won eight Bundesliga titles, three German Cups and the Champions League, and the fact that he is still scoring regularly for Barcelona at this stage of his career is testament to his professionalism.

There have been suggestions that Lewandowski could retire next summer when his Barcelona deal expires.

5. Oliver Kahn

One of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Kahn was Bayern's man between the sticks between 1994 and 2008, winning eight Bundesliga titles, six German Cups, the UEFA Cup, the Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup.

Kahn was a dominant force between the sticks, but he was also a dominant force in terms of the dressing room, with his winning mentality playing a leading role in Bayern enjoying so much success.

The German is third in the all-time list when it comes to appearances, representing the club on 632 occasions, with Thomas Muller and Sepp Maier, who is unfortunate to miss out on the top 10, the only two players to represent the club more times.

When discussing the best goalkeepers to ever take to the field in professional football, Kahm must always be in the conversation.

4. Thomas Muller

Muller's career with Bayern, as mentioned, came to an end over the summer, and what a career it has been for him in Munich.

The 35-year-old is Bayern's all-time record appearance maker, turning out for the club on 756 occasions, while he is third in the all-time scoring list, finding the back of the net 250 times in all competitions.

Muller has won 13 Bundesliga titles, six German Cups and two Champions League titles during his time at Allianz Arena, and his contribution during a dominant period for the Munich team has been absolutely immense.

The attacker will forever be remembered as a club legend.

3. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Rummenigge won two European Cups, the Intercontinental Cup, two Bundesliga titles and two domestic cups during his time with Bayern, in addition to claiming two Ballon d'Or awards in 1980 and 1981.

The former forward turned out for the Munich giants between 1974 and 1984, scoring 217 times in all competitions, which places him fourth on the all-time scoring list behind Gerd Muller, Lewandowski and Thomas Muller.

A supremely-gifted technical player, he will forever be remembered when the history of Bayern is discussed, and he places high on this list due to his contribution for the Munich giants over the 10-year period.

2. Gerd Muller

Muller just misses out on top spot, but that should take nothing away from his achievements, with the former striker regarded as one of the best goalscorers to ever take to the field.

He managed 565 goals in all competitions for Bayern, which is a record, helping the team to win three European Cups, the Intercontinental Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup, in addition to four Bundesliga titles.

Muller, who was the Ballon d'Or winner in 1970, also has the most Bundesliga goals for Bayern, scoring 398 times in the league between 1964 and 1979; he was a true penalty-box striker - something which is truly lacking now in the modern game, with very few world-class true number nines now present in football.

1. Franz Beckenbauer

Beckenbauer was always going to be at the top of this list, with the German, who passed away in 2024, a true Bayern legend, representing the club between 1964 and 1977, winning four Bundesliga titles, four German Cups, three European Cups, the Intercontinental Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup.

The former defender, who was nicknamed 'Der Kaiser', is one of only nine players in the history of football to have won the World Cup, European Cup and Ballon d'Or. Beckenbauer was a true force that inspired Bayern throughout the 1970s, and he must be considered as one of the finest players to have ever taken to the field in professional football, let alone Bayern.

He became the first player to win three European Cups as captain of his club, while he would later become manager and president of Bayern.