Club World Cup as an opportunity: These Bayern talents can prove themselves in the USA
FC Bayern kicks off the Club World Cup on June 15. Seven young talents are also participating, bringing a diverse portfolio with them for the trip to the USA.
Lennart Karl (left) and Jonah Kusi-Asare (center) have previously been part of FC Bayern's professional squad. IMAGO/Christian Schroedter
When FC Bayern Munich plays its first match of the Club World Cup against Auckland City this coming Sunday (6 p.m., LIVE! on kicker), the record champions will boast numerous young talents in addition to Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof, who have been released from their contracts early. Coach Vincent Kompany is relying on a broad spectrum when selecting his Club World Cup squad .
Lennart KarlThe fact that Lennart Karl was allowed to board the flight despite his tender 17 years is a reward for the U17 international's strong season. Karl played for both the U17 and U19 teams of Munich this season, reaching the semifinals of the German championship with both teams. Karl and his team reached the last 16 of the Youth League. Across all competitions, the attacking midfielder, who is equally at home in the center of the field and on the wings, scored 34 goals in 30 matches and provided eleven assists.
Karl, born in Markt Frammersbach in Lower Franconia, has also been part of the first team squad on several occasions. He made his first appearance in an away match against FC Augsburg, and later was part of the squad for the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Inter Milan. He hasn't been called up to the first team yet, but is close to it. It's quite possible that he'll get a chance in the opening game against Auckland.
David Santos DaiberDavid Santos Daiber also had to stay out of action for a long time. Due to a knee injury, the Portuguese U18 international, who grew up in Munich, was forced to sit out most of the season. Santos Daiber, who has been playing for FCB's youth team since 2016, only returned to full fitness at the end of the season, playing for the U19s in the German championship semifinal against Leverkusen ( 3:4 after extra time ). Despite his long injury, Santos Kompany was able to convince his team of a call-up with his "feel for building up play as a defensive playmaker in front of the back line."
Leon KlanacA goalkeeper, Leon Klanac, is also traveling to the USA. The record champions describe the 18-year-old U-18 international as a "complete goalkeeper who is lightning-fast off the line and possesses both outstanding technical ability and great strengths on the line." Klanac, whose stature resembles former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Yann Sommer, kept eight clean sheets in 28 matches for the U-19s. The FC Augsburg-trained goalkeeper collected three more clean sheets in the Youth League.
At just 16 years old, Cassiano Kiala is the youngest member of the Bayern squad. The central defender, who transferred from Hertha BSC's youth academy to the Bayern Campus in the summer of 2024, was a regular in the U17s, making 21 appearances, and is also considered a promising young talent by the DFB. The young defensive specialist is expected to contribute his strengths in heading and positioning, as well as his speed, to the first team and has already demonstrated his skills in training at Säbener Straße on several occasions.
Jonah Kusi-AsareFCB lured the then 16-year-old Swedish striker Jonah Kusi-Asare to Säbener Straße with a long-term contract in the winter of 2024. The towering 1.96-meter-tall attacker appeared in four competitions last season. He scored four points (two goals, two assists) in twelve Regionalliga matches for Bayern Amateurs, and added three more for the U19s in the DFB-Nachwuchsliga and the Youth League.
The 17-year-old striker also made his Bundesliga debut on Matchday 31 in the home game against 1. FSV Mainz 05: After 88 minutes, Kusi-Asare, who despite his height is technically adept and possesses a great deal of speed, was substituted for Harry Kane. However, the Swede still lacks composure in front of the opposing goal.
Adam AznouAdam Aznou is no longer one of the classic talents in Bayern's World Cup squad; the 19-year-old Moroccan international (three appearances) has already gained too much experience in the professional arena. The left winger made his competitive debut for the German record champions in late 2024 in a 3-0 win over Union Berlin. He played another five minutes of Bundesliga football in February 2025 in a 4-3 win against Kiel. The lightning-fast winger has also played in the Champions League. Aznou played 120 seconds in the 5-1 win against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The talented player was loaned to Spanish first division club Real Valladolid until May 2025, where he made 13 La Liga appearances. Aznou, who trained in Barcelona and is the best friend of superstar Lamine Yamal, impresses above all with his versatility, as he can demonstrate his pace and dribbling skills on both the attacking and defensive flanks. He is firmly planned as a backup for the coming season.
Even though he's only 19 years old, Maurice Krattenmacher has long since outgrown his status as a young talent. In the summer of 2024, the record champions brought the midfielder, who had already played in FC Bayern's youth team from 2013 to 2017, back from their partner club SpVgg Unterhaching and loaned him directly to second-division newly promoted SSV Ulm. There, Krattenmacher developed into an undisputed regular, contributing eleven points (three goals/eight assists) in 32 second-division matches and one DFB-Pokal match.
However, the Bad Aibling-born German U-20 international couldn't prevent the Sparrows' relegation. Krattenmacher can be deployed in the attacking half positions or in the center, where he operates more as a false nine. In addition to an "outstanding first touch," his employer also attests to his excellent playmaking skills—qualities that Kompany now hopes to exploit at the Club World Cup.
