Bayern Munich

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Bayern Munich was founded in 1900 by eleven players led by Franz John. The club won its first national championship in 1932. Under Franz Beckenbauer's captaincy, Bayern won three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976. Overall, Bayern have won six European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, a German record, with the sixth coming in the 2020 final as part of a Treble. The club has reached the final 11 times and has 22 semi-final appearances. Bayern has also won one UEFA Cup, one European Cup Winners' Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups.

In Their Own Story

Inside the Santiago Bernabéu on 29 February 2000, Bayern Munich handed Real Madrid their biggest home loss in the Champions League at that time, winning 4–2. Fourteen years later, on 29 April 2014, Real Madrid returned the favor with a 4–0 victory in Munich—Bayern's heaviest home loss in European competitions. These two results bookend a rivalry defined by dramatic swings. In the 2011–12 semi-final, the tie was decided on penalties after a 3–3 aggregate score, with Bayern advancing but then losing the final on home soil. The 2013–14 semi-final saw Real Madrid win 5–0 on aggregate, while the 2016–17 quarter-final required extra time before Real Madrid prevailed 6–3.

Reader's Guide

Bayern Munich's traditional local rivals are 1860 Munich and 1. FC Nürnberg. The rivalry with Borussia Dortmund is known as Der Klassiker. The club plays home games at the Allianz Arena since the 2005–06 season, having previously played at Munich's Olympiastadion for 33 years. Team colours are red and white, and the crest shows the white and blue flag of Bavaria.

Did You Know?

• Bayern Munich is the only German club to have won all three of UEFA's main club competitions.
• The club had at least one player in eleven consecutive FIFA World Cup finals from 1986 to 2022.
• By winning the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, Bayern became only the second club to win the sextuple.
• As of November 2025, Bayern had more than 432,500 official club members, making it the largest sports club in the world by membership.