Expectations are always sky high in Bavaria, but can the club live up to them this summer?
Any conversation about the baddest teams on the block must include Bayern Munich. They have the trophies to stand toe-to-toe with any club in the world, and despite last season’s Bundesliga blip, the German giants are back to their best.
In Bayern land, Bundesliga titles are expected – the real prize is silverware beyond Germany’s borders. The Champions League is usually their stage for that, but this summer, they’ll have another shot at proving they’re the best club in the world.
Bayern enter this summer’s Club World Cup as favorites, as always, expecting to win. They’ve been handed a manageable group their stars should navigate with ease. With Thomas Müller rumored exit signaling a potential transition, will moving on from their longtime star impact things?
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.
Next up is Bayern, with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the Bundesliga's serial winners ahead of this summer's tournament.
GettyThe Basics
DOMESTIC LEAGUE: Bundesliga
CLUB WORLD CUP HISTORY: Two Club World Cup wins (2013, 2020)
GROUP: C (Auckland City, Benfica, Boca Juniors, Bayern Munich)
OPENING MATCH: Auckland City – June 15, 12 pm ET, Cincinnati
AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow they got here
With their 2019-20 Champions League triumph coming just outside of the threshold for automatic qualification as winners, Bayern did earn their place due to their consistent European performances in the years since. They were the best-ranked eligible team in UEFA's four-year ranking, leading a nine-team group to join recent Champions League winners Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Chelsea.
GettyThe player to watch
There are storylines aplenty in this Bayern team: Harry Kane's trophy hunt, Alphonso Davies' ACL absence, and the futures of stalwarts Muller, Manuel Neuer, and Joshua Kimmich, to name a few. For the purist, though, the continued evolution of Jamal Musiala is special to watch because, right now, there simply aren't many players that can do what he does.
The 22-year-old German international glides on the pitch in a way that others can't even imagine, making him one of the world's most exciting young players. Over the last year or so, though, Musiala has continued his evolution from young player to superstar, establishing himself as one of the game's best so early in his career.
He already has one hell of a trophy haul, having lifted four Bundesligas, three DFL-Supercups, a UEFA Supercup, and notably, the 2020 Club World Cup, but Musiala is just getting started, which is what makes his game all the more exciting.
Getty Images SportRealistic expectation
Expectations at Bayern are always sky-high due to their dominance in Germany. Their run of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles defied logic and, even after seeing that streak snapped last season, it looks like they may go on to make it 12-for-13 with another trophy this year.
Because of that domestic success, Bayern's seasons are so often weighed by how they do in continental competition. They last won the Champions League in the COVID-hit 2020 campaign, which was obviously one of the more unique trophy runs in recent memory. A run at the Club World Cup this summer would feel like a real statement of intent from this club, which is why this tournament will be more important to them than most.
The expectation, then, is simple: win the trophy. The path there won't be easy, but it never is, and it certainly won't be for any team drawn up against Germany's giants.
