Every club has a few number that have been made iconic by their legends, whether it be the No. 7 of Manchester United or the No. 10 of FC Barcelona. Bayern Munich is no exception. A club like Bayern naturally has many iconic numbers that its many legends wore, and this writer has narrowed them down to the best five.
It should be noted that some of these records stretch back many decades, back to when assigned shirt numbers were not a fixed concept in football. So there are examples where different players would share numbers depending on the match. At least so it seems according to Transfermarkt, where the research stems from. This piece will therefore focus mainly on the players who were best known for the respective numbers.
Every team needs a great goalkeeper to guide them to greatness, and most of them are known for their No. 1 shirts. In Bayern’s case, Sepp Maier was the most iconic goalkeeper for decades, wearing the number for club and country, before Oliver Kahn followed in his footsteps. Currently, the number is worn by living legend Manuel Neuer, who is regarded by many as not just the best goalkeeper in German history, but in footballing history.
Apart from the No. 12 for the supporters, Bayern has officially retired only one other number, the No. 5. The number is naturally associated with Franz Beckenbauer, widely regarded as the best defender in footballing history, as well as Germany’s best ever player. The number was retired after Beckenbauer’s passing in 2024. Other than the Kaiser, Klaus Augenthaler was another icon to wear the number. Some more names include Patrik Andersson, Daniel van Buyten, and, believe it or not, Hansi Flick. It was one of many numbers Flick wore while playing for Bayern.
A team is only as good as its striker. Just ask Bayern during the 22/23 season. Having been home to many world class strikers, Bayern’s No. 9 is as iconic as it gets. Gerd Müller was Bayern’s greatest ever player to wear the number, although he wore the No. 13 for the national team. Younger fans will most likely associate the number with Robert Lewandowski, while Hall of Famer Giovane Élber also wore the number, as well as treble winner Mario Mandžukić. The number is currently worn by Harry Kane, who has been scoring goals left, right, and center since joining the club three years ago.
The No. 10 is a number that many players dream of, and is one of the most famous numbers in all of football. However, in Bayern’s case, the number does get slightly overshadowed by the No. 5 and 9, mostly due to the presence of Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller. That said, the 10 was still worn by many legends. Honorary president Uli Hoeneß wore the number in his playing days. Lothar Matthäus wore the number for both club and country during most of the 1990s. Perhaps the most iconic Bayern 10 is Arjen Robben, who wore the number for a full decade and won Bayern their fifth Champions League. Other legends who briefly wore the number include, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Mehmet Scholl, and Stefan Effenberg, although they are more associated with other numbers. The number currently belongs to Jamal Musiala.
This number was made iconic solely because of Thomas Müller, Bayern’s record appearance maker and Germany’s most successful footballer at the time of writing. No further explanation is necessary for the world champion’s exploits. Although he, like his namesake Gerd, wore the No. 13 for Germany, there were a few times he wore his famous 25 shirt for his country as well. The shirt was only worn by two other players, fellow Champions League winner Thomas Linke and French defender Valérien Ismaël.
Naturally, there are many other numbers that Bayern icons have worn, or numbers that star players are wearing now. Perhaps one day in the future, someone will make their own number iconic as Thomas Müller did his. Or perhaps someone will add to an already rich legacy by putting in stellar performances. Whatever the case may be, it will be fun to watch.
As a Bayern fan, this writer hopes that Bayern’s list of iconic numbers will grow, each with their own unique legacy.
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