The dream was clearly defined: to hit the ground running at FC Bayern and be at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico in the summer. But Tom Bischof is currently a long way from achieving this goal. The 20-year-old is experiencing his first real dry spell at the record champions – and in a crucial World Cup year of all years
Bischof moved to Munich on a free transfer from league rivals TSG Hoffenheim in the summer of 2025. After a strong season in Kraichgau and his debut for the senior national team in the Nations League against France, his path seemed to be mapped out. He got regular playing time in the first half of the season, started nine times in the Bundesliga and impressed with his flexibility. He even helped out at left-back and did a solid job
Coach Vincent Kompany was quick to praise him: „He has the right attitude, a lot of talent, is very good on the ball and dangerous from distance. This is his first season at a really top level. We are very happy that he is with us.“ Words that sounded like long-term confidence
Competitive pressure instead of minutes
However, the picture has changed in the second half of the season. Bischof has not featured in the starting eleven in the last five league matches. Three times he was only substituted briefly, twice he did not feature at all – as well as in the DFB Cup quarter-final against Leipzig. His last starting appearance was in the Champions League match in Eindhoven at the end of January
The reasons are easy to explain. While numerous defensive absences in the first half of the season caused rotation, the squad is now almost completely fit. With the exception of Alphonso Davies, all outfield players are available. At the same time, the fixture schedule in February was less tight, meaning Kompany hardly had to rotate. For Bischof, this means: bench instead of stage
World Cup dream shaky
Bischof was aware that the competition at FC Bayern is brutal. With Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leon Goretzka, he is competing with three established internationals in central midfield, which is why he was initially called up to the U21s again in the autumn, even as captain
In the meantime, his versatility raised hopes of a renewed invitation from national coach Julian Nagelsmann, but the reality is clear: as a supplementary player without regular playing time, his chances of a World Cup ticket are dwindling rapidly, as reported by BILD
A decisive phase is now beginning for Bischof. If he wants to recommend himself for the World Cup, he needs match practice – at the highest level. If he remains a wild card, the dream of playing in the tournament in the summer is unlikely to be realized.