Lennart Karl
#21 · Midfielder · age 17
Surprise pick; youngest German at a World Cup in decades
67
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 70
- Career peak
- 92
- League level
- 89
- Competition pedigree
- 71
- International pedigree
- 15
- Longevity
- 54
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29
Karl is the squad’s lightning rod. Calling up a 17-year-old with one cap is exactly the kind of bet Nagelsmann’s predecessors avoided and exactly the kind he is willing to make. The realistic role is impact substitute off the right wing in the second half of group games, with Sané or Leweling starting. But Bayern’s academy directors will tell anyone who’ll listen that Karl is the most talented German teenager since Musiala — and Musiala was scoring in knockout rounds at 19.
Strengths
- one-v-one dribbling on either flank
- left-footed shooting from the right half-space
- fearlessness in tight spaces
- stamina for a press-heavy role
Recent form
Broke into Bayern's senior rotation in 2025-26 with multiple goal contributions across Bundesliga and Champions League cameos.
Bayern blocked Borussia Dortmund from signing him as a 14-year-old in 2022, paying a then-record youth fee for a player who couldn't yet legally sign a professional contract.