Bayern Munich’s top 15 German internationals of all time
Numbers 5 to 3
5. Philipp Lahm
Former Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm is not only the best German full-back of all-time, but also one of the great full-backs to ever play the game. Pep Guardiola, who has managed a fair few talented players, praised Lahm’s intelligence and labeled him one of the “best players ever.”
Though Lahm excelled throughout his career as both a left-back and defensive midfielder, he’ll be best remembered for the way he played his right-back role to near-perfection. Mr. Consistency, Lahm was rarely a standout player in a match, but he almost never under-performed. His understated approach may not have been the flashiest, but it certainly got the job done.
Lahm was a solid player in each of three World Cups he featured in, finally leading the Nationalelf to total victory in 2014, following an historic 7-1 slaughtering of hosts Brazil in the semi-final. His 115 caps put him fifth on Germany’s all-time appearance list and cement him as one of the best players in his nation’s history.
4. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is not only one of the greatest modern chairmen, but also one of the best forwards to feature for his national side. He is widely remembered as one of the most complete and versatile attackers in his nation’s history. Equally comfortable playing as a lone center-forward or in tandem with another striker, Rummenigge was the focal point of the attack for any team he played on.
Twice a World Cup runner-up with West Germany, Kalle led the German line with aplomb between 1976 and 1986. He never became a world champion with die Mannschaft, but won the 1980 Euros with his national side. Rummenigge also amassed quite the collection of personal accolades, including back-to-back Ballon d’Ors in 1980 and 1981.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s work off the pitch since his retirement has been almost equally impressive. He just recently resigned from his post as chairman of the European Club Association, but has been a powerhouse and visionary for Bayern Munich since joining the club as Vice President in 1991. He has played a massive role in ushering in a new era of success at the club throughout the past two decades.
3. Lothar Matthaus
Germany’s most-capped player, dynamic midfielder Lothar Matthaus was the poster boy of his nation for much of the ’80s and ’90s. A serial winner and one of the most successful players in history, Matthaus featured in nine major tournaments with his national side, winning a European championship in 1980 and a World Cup just a decade later.
Speaking of World Cups, Matthaus holds the record for playing the most matches in the world’s biggest competition (25) and is one of only two players to have played across five different World Cups. But his World Cup victory in 1990 — the same year he won the Ballon d’Or — with West Germany is undoubtedly the highlight of his illustrious career.
On the pitch, Lothar was a sensational all-rounder. A natural-born leader who typified the stereotypical German efficiency, Matthaus’ play may not have always been the prettiest, but it definitely got the job done. His vision and passing range were supreme, his man-marking and work-rate second to none. He excelled in either a deep playmaking or box-to-box role, but enjoyed much success as a more attack-minded midfielder and as a sweeper as well.
Off the pitch, however, is a much different story. Lothar has become a divisive figure who can’t seem to keep his name out of the headlines — nor does he make any attempt to. Big mouth and ego aside, there’s no denying the immense talents Matthaus possessed as a midfielder and sweeper for Germany and Bayern Munich.