With Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano out of the World Cup, Harry Kane is the last remaining Bayern player in the tournament. In the semifinal against Argentina, the Englishman is fighting not only for a spot in the final but also to maintain an impressive streak for the German record champions.
FC Bayern could lose an extraordinary record at the 2026 World Cup. Since the 1982 World Cup, at least one player from the German record champions has been on the field in every final. Following France’s semifinal loss to Spain, this streak now rests solely on Harry Kane.
The English captain will face defending champion Argentina with the Three Lions on Wednesday evening. Only if England reaches the final will Bayern’s impressive streak continue.
A record streak since 1982
It all began at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Back then, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Paul Breitner, and Wolfgang Dremmler represented Germany in the final against Italy.
Other Bayern pros followed in nearly every final over the past four decades. In 1986, Lothar Matthäus, Andreas Brehme, and Norbert Eder reached the final, before Klaus Augenthaler, Jürgen Kohler, and Stefan Reuter finally became world champions in 1990.
In 1994, Jorginho represented FC Bayern on Brazil’s World Cup-winning team; four years later, Bixente Lizarazu won the title with France on home soil.
The streak continued unabated in subsequent tournaments as well. Oliver Kahn, Thomas Linke, and Jens Jeremies were in the 2002 final, and Willy Sagnol played for France in 2006. In 2010, Arjen Robben and Mark van Bommel played for the Netherlands.
The highlight from Bayern’s perspective was the 2014 World Cup. No fewer than seven Munich players were in the starting lineup or saw action during Germany’s triumph over Argentina: Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Jérôme Boateng, Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and final-match goal scorer Mario Götze.
In 2018, Corentin Tolisso kept the streak alive with France, and in 2022, Dayot Upamecano, Kingsley Coman, and Benjamin Pavard reached the final once again with Les Bleus.
Kane vs. Lautaro – a streak will come to an end
With Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano eliminated in the semifinal against Spain, all hopes now rest on Harry Kane.
At the same time, a second remarkable streak is on the line. Alongside FC Bayern, Inter Milan has also fielded at least one player in every World Cup final since 1982.
The second semifinal will thus feature a direct showdown between these two record-breaking streaks. While Harry Kane represents Bayern Munich, Lautaro Martínez leads Argentina as an Inter Milan player.
One thing is already certain: After the second semifinal, one of these extraordinary streaks will come to an end.