So many great players have helped Germany's most successful club stay at the top in the past quarter-century, but how many will go down as legends?
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…
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty25Mehmet 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.
AdvertisementGetty24Stefan 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."
Getty23Harry 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.
Getty22Xabi 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.
