What has Lennart Karl brought to 2025/26 Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich?
Teenage sensation Lennart Karl’s rise to prominence has been one of the stories of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. We look back on a dream breakout campaign at the Allianz Arena for the now fully capped Germany international.
Age: 18
Position: Attacking midfield / right wing
Appearances (starts): 24 (15)
Goals / assists: Five / four
Impact
After making his senior professional debut for Bayern in the second half of their 10-0 FIFA Club World Cup thrashing of Auckland City, expectations were high for the then-17-year-old Karl to slowly, but surely, bridge the gap from the Bavarians’ youth setup to the senior team. However, few could have predicted the steep trajectory he would follow in 2025/26.
Karl made his Bundesliga debut as a late substitute in the season's curtain-raiser as Der Rekordmeister demolished RB Leipzig 6-0, but Karl would not have to wait long to secure a place in the starting XI.
Watch: Lennart Karl lighting up the game
He registered his first senior goal involvement on his first start on Matchday 4, teeing up Harry Kane for the opening goal of a 4-1 away victory over Hoffenheim. A first goal followed a month later – his first of five in his maiden Bundesliga campaign – as the youngster found the net with a magnificent curling effort in a 3-0 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 8.
Such performances were not lost in translation to the European stage. In December, Karl became the youngest player ever to score in three consecutive UEFA Champions League matches , netting against Club Brugge, Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon to help Bayern sail through the league phase. He lifted his tally to four in the last-16 second leg against Atalanta in March.
Fearless, lithe, and with an eye for both a killer pass and a devastating shot, the sky is truly the limit for Karl – something which has likewise been recognised by Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, who handed the 18-year-old his senior international debut against Switzerland in March.
Standout moment
Although Karl’s first goal for Bayern against Gladbach was an absolute thunderbolt – as well as one which saw him become the Bavarians’ third-youngest Bundesliga goalscorer – his standout moment came in the 6-2 win at home to Freiburg on Matchday 11.
After Die Breisgauer fired themselves into an early two-goal lead at the Allianz Arena, Karl took matters into his own hands, beating his marker before finishing with his weaker right foot to halve the deficit. He followed that up by assisting Olise’s first-half equaliser, thereby laying the foundations for a second-half onslaught.
Watch: Karl stars as Bayern thrash Freiburg 6-2 on Matchday 11
What Kompany has said…
“I’m not a fan of hype, and now he will be getting some of that. I’m a fan of training and calm. Everyone knows he can score goals. Maybe at the right time he’ll need a bit of calm. I’ve always said there’s zero pressure on him.”
What Karl has said…
“I really want to establish myself here at Bayern. I always want to play and prove myself, whether it’s with the first team, the U19s or the U17s. I intend to always give my all in order to continue to develop.”
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