For years, FC Bayern has been among the clubs that provide a large portion of their professional players to national teams. A new analysis by UEFA now reveals just how significant the burden on the Munich club actually is.
In the European Club Talent Competition Landscape Report published on Friday, the European soccer association examined more than 700 clubs from its member associations. Among other things, the report analyzed transfer trends, attendance figures, and the usage of players and coaches.
In one category, the German record champion ranks at the very top: During the recent World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, Bayern players logged a combined total of 5,800 minutes of playing time. No other top European club reached a higher figure.
17 Bayern pros in action at the World Cup
A total of 17 players from Bayern’s squad at the time played for their respective national teams during the tournament. Only Manchester City fielded even more World Cup participants, with 19 players. In terms of actual playing time, however, the English club trailed the Munich side with a total of 5,558 minutes.
Next in line were Paris Saint-Germain with 16 players and 4,819 minutes, and Arsenal with 15 players and 4,735 minutes. Even FC Barcelona, with 4,397 minutes, lagged significantly behind Bayern’s total.
At the same time, the figures underscore the Bundesliga’s strong presence at the World Cup. According to UEFA, 9 percent of all minutes played were accounted for by professionals from Germany’s top division. Only the Premier League had a higher share, at 16 percent. Spain and France each reached 7 percent, while Italy reached 6 percent.
Bayern Squad Has Been Together for a Particularly Long Time
Borussia Dortmund was also prominently represented at the World Cup. Eleven BVB players represented their national teams. This meant Dortmund fielded even more players than Real Madrid and Liverpool FC, which each had ten.
The UEFA report also provides an interesting insight into FC Bayern’s roster planning. The metric known as “squad stability” examined how long, on average, the players had already been with their respective clubs prior to the start of the 2025–26 season.
Here, too, the record champion holds a special position. While the Bundesliga achieved the highest average of all leagues examined at 2.1 years, Bayern’s average was as high as 3.3 years.
Long-time key players such as Manuel Neuer contributed significantly to this figure. At the same time, the numbers show that, despite regular transfers, FC Bayern has relied on a comparatively stable core over the years.