By far the best club team in Germany for decades, Bayern Munich has seen its fair share of star forwards walk through the Bavarians’ door. Let’s take a look at the team’s top frontmen of all-time.
Gerd Müller (1964–1979)
One of the most prolific goalscorers of all-time, German striker Gerd Müller netted a remarkable 615 goals in 636 games for the Bavarian club. He has three times the number of goals as the team’s second-place goalscorer Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. The 1970 Ballon d’Or Müller led the side to a collection of trophies including a string of three European Cups in a row from 1974 to 1976, four Bundesliga titles, and four German Cups.
Robert Lewandowski 2014–
Robert Lewandowski has been a scoring machine in the Bundesliga. After scoring more than 100 goals for Borussia Dortmund, he signed for Bayern Munich in 2014 where he continued his prolific scoring record. After five years with the club, he’s netted 173 times in 217 matches. In addition to being fourth on Bayern Munich’s all-time scoring list — he also scored a world record five goals in nine minutes — his Bavarian honors include two Bundesliga titles, a DFB-Pokal, and a UEFA Champions League runner-up.
Thomas Müller 2008–
Thomas Müller is a versatile player who excels in a variety of positions, one of them as forward. His 181 goals with the Bavarian side make him Bayern’s third most scoring player of all-time. He’s also one of the team’s most winningest footballers with seven Bundesliga titles, four DFB Pokals, and a Champions League trophy.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 1974–1984
With over 200 goals, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is the second-leading Bayern Munich goal-scorer of all time. A well-rounded striker, his decade-long tenure with the club witnessed a spell of trophies including two league titles, two German Cups, two Europeans Cups, and one Intercontinental Cup.
Giovane Elber 1997–2003
The Brazilian striker Giovane Elber netted 139 times in his 265 appearances for the Bayern Munich side. His seven-year tenure led to an accumulation of trophies for the team, including four Bundesliga titles, three German Cups, and one victorious Champions League victory in the 2000/01 season.
Jurgen Klinsmann 1995–1997
The German striker played two productive years with Bayern Munich, finishing twice as the team’s top goalscorer with 48 goals total. He also helped the team win the 1995/96 UEFA Cup and Bundesliga title.
Arjen Robben 2009–
The Dutch footballer has spent a productive nine seasons with Bayern Munich, capping off with an unforgettable 89-minute goal against Borussia Dortmund to win the Champions League in 2012. The attacking midfielder has scored over 100 goals for Bayern, powering Bayern to six Bundesliga titles, four DFB Pokals, and the Champions League treble.
Frank Ribery 2007–
The Frenchman won the 2007-2008 German footballer of the Year in his first year with the club. He has since made over 250 appearances and scored 80 domestic league goals along with over 180 assists. The left winger has won the Champions League along with 8 League titles and 5 German Cups.
Claudio Pizarro (2001 – 07) (2012 – 2015)
Still the top scoring foreign player in Bundesliga history with 193 goals, the Peruvian forward Claudio Pizarro had two stints with Bayern Munich. In his first six years, he scored a century’s worth of goals in 256 appearances along with three Bundesliga titles and three DFB-Pokal. He would repeat that success on his return from 2012 – 2015 with three more league titles, another DFB-Pokal and last but not least, the 2012-13 Champions League trophy.
Mario Gómez 2009–2013
Once setting a Bundesliga record for a €30–35 million transfer fee in 2009, the German striker netted 113 times in 174 games with the club. His honors include two Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokal, and a 2012/13 Champions League.
Luca Toni 2007–2010
The top-scorer in the 2007/98 Bundesliga with 24 goals, the tall Italian striker finished his Bayern Munich career with 58 goals in 89 games. He helped the squad win both the Bundesliga and German Cup in the 2007/08 season.
