Bayern Munich's 11 fledgling Bundesliga debutants under Vincent Kompany
When Deniz Ofli took to the pitch against VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 30, he became one of 11 teenagers to make their league debuts for Bayern Munich since Vincent Kompany was appointed as head coach.
While Kompany has turned Bayern into an attacking force as they go in search of the Bundesliga’s all-time scoring record, he also deserves credit for giving a series of youngsters their first taste of elite action.
Bayern Munich have already fielded 10 teenagers this season – more than any other Bundesliga club and an all-time league record.
The previous Bundesliga record belonged to Schalke, who used as many U-20 players in 1980/81 as Bayern have this term. While the 10 Schalke teenagers made it to 93 Bundesliga games in the 1980/81 season, the 10 Bayern teenagers have just 40 Bundesliga games after 30 matchdays. Most telling of all, more than half of those appearances have come from one player - Lennart Karl.
Watch: Happy days at Bayern
Here are the players, aged 18 or under, who have made their maiden appearance for Bayern under the Belgian’s watch.
Adam Aznou – 18 years, 5 months
Like Osmani, Aznou made his league bow against Union, coming on in the 80th minute for Alphonso Davies as Bayern won 3-0 on Matchday 9 last term. A Morocco youth international, he made three further appearances for the Bavarians before joining Real Valladolid on loan for the second half of 2024/25.
With first-team opportunities limited, Aznou moved to Everton last summer, although he has managed just one appearance for the English club to date.
Jonah Kusi-Asare – 17 years, 9 months, 22 days
Kusi-Asare was an 88th-minute substitute for Harry Kane in the 3-0 victory over Mainz on Matchday 31 of last season. Impressive for the club’s youth team, he made one more Bundesliga appearance at the start of this campaign before joining Fulham on loan.
First-team minutes have been rare in west London, although he has performed well for the Cottagers’ U21 side.
Lennart Karl – 17 years, 6 months, 9 days
Of all the debutants under Kompany, Karl has been by far the biggest success. His form at youth level meant an early call-up to the first team was inevitable, and he was promptly introduced off the bench in the opening-day 6-0 defeat of RB Leipzig. He has gone from strength to strength since, playing an important role in the absence of the injured Jamal Musiala earlier this season.
On the continental stage, Karl became Bayern’s youngest-ever UEFA Champions League scorer against Club Brugge last October, while he is also the youngest player to score in three consecutive games in the competition.
Karl is the only Bayern teenager who plays regularly for the first-team. The 18-year-old high-flyer, who only made his debut in the Bundesliga this season, has already played 24 times this season (15 times in the starting XI) with nine goal involvements to his name (five goals and four assists).
The 20 Bundesliga games he played before his 18th birthday are a record for a Bayern player, although his campaign has been derailed of late due to a torn muscle fibre injury.
Watch: Karl opens Bundesliga account
Wisdom Mike – 17 years, 2 months
Having scored goals aplenty for Bayern’s U17s and U19s, Mike also started the 2025/26 season with the senior squad and was first thrown into the action as a late substitute in the 4-0 win over Werder Bremen on Matchday 5.
There have been a handful of other outings, but he has spent the majority of the second half of the season at U19 level as he continues his development. On the four occasions Mike has been used by Kompany in the Bundesliga, he has been brought on as a substitute late in the game.
David Santos Daiber – 18 years, 11 months, 11 days
One of several players on this list to be included in Bayern’s FIFA Club World Cup squad last year, Santos Daiber had to wait until December 2025 and the Matchday 15 triumph over Heidenheim for his maiden first-team game.
He made another appearance against Borussia Mönchengladbach in March before signing his first professional contract shortly after.
Cassiano Kiala – 16 years, 11 months, 10 days
Kiala was another who pulled on the Bayern shirt for the first time against Heidenheim, as a late change for Dayot Upamecano. Unsurprisingly, given his age, that remains his only appearance to date, with an ankle injury also preventing him from featuring more often.
Felipe Chávez – 18 years, 9 months, 1 day
Remarkably, Chávez was already a full Peru international by the time he came on for Michael Olise in the 83rd minute of the 8-1 mauling of Wolfsburg on Matchday 16 in January.
The attacking midfielder got one more run out in the Bundesliga before joining Cologne on loan in the final days of the winter transfer window. He has since featured five times for the Billy Goats.
Maycon Cardozo – 17 years, 4 months, 24 days
Bayern’s astonishing goals tally means they have often been comfortably ahead in the second half of Bundesliga games this campaign. As such, that has afforded chances to the likes of Cardozo, who saw a full 30 minutes of action on his debut against Gladbach on Matchday 25.
The Brazilian winger has been included in a number of matchday squads since.
Erblin Osmani – 16 years, 10 months, 2 days
Osmani replaced Leon Goretzka in the 87th minute against Union. That was the culmination of a nine-year journey through the youth teams, but there is likely to be plenty more to come from the 16-year-old.
Bara Sapoko Ndiaye - 18 years, 3 months, 11 days
Ndiaye is Bayern’s latest teenage debutant, having replaced Jamal Musiala in Bayern's 5-0 victory against St. Pauli on Matchday 29, earning praise from Max Eberl: "He got into the game very well. You couldn't tell he was nervous," said Bayern's board member for sport.
Deniz Ofli - 19 years and 21 days
Ofli could not have wished for a more memorable day to make his Bayern debut as he came on late on while the Bavarians clinched the Bundesliga title in the 4-2 win over Stuttgart.
The left-back has impressed at U19 level and, after signing a contract until 2028 in November, will hope this appearance is far from his last for the club.
