Bayern Munich have won pretty much everything there is to win over the past decade or so, yet something has been missing.

Since the emergence of Thomas Muller in 2008, Bayern fans have not had a German academy graduate come through to star on the pitch.

But that has now changed.

Seventeen-year-old Lennart Karl announced himself to the world last month with two stunning goals in the space of three days.

With strikes against Club Brugge and Borussia Monchengladbach, the winger became Bayern's youngest scorer in the Champions League and third-youngest in the Bundesliga.

On Wednesday the teenager scored Bayern's equaliser in their 3-1 defeat at Arsenal, as one of his footballing inspirations Martin Odegaard watched on from the opposition bench.

In doing so, Karl became the youngest player in Champions League history to score in each of his first two starts, breaking Ethan Nwaneri's record for Arsenal.

Less than a year after Karl was playing under-19s football, many are clamouring for his inclusion in Germany's 2026 World Cup squad. His rise has been remarkable.

'This kid has something special'

Taufig Khalil became aware of Karl's progress two years ago when his teenage son, then 15 like Karl, went to watch his friend play against a Bayern U17s side containing the winger.

"When my son came home he said 'Papa, it's unbelievable. This guy, Lennart Karl, he scored five goals'," Bayern Munich reporter Khalil told BBC Sport.

"It was pretty obvious that this kid had something really special."

Last season, Karl notched 34 goals and 11 assists in 31 games for Bayern and Germany's U17 sides combined, earning him a surprise call-up to Vincent Kompany's squad for the Club World Cup.

Such ruthless finishing probably could have been predicted.

In 2018, a 10-year-old Karl went viral for an audacious goal he scored while playing for Eintracht Frankfurt's U11s in a sports hall.

With his back to goal, Karl controlled an aerial ball with a back heel before swivelling and rifling a left-footed volley into the top corner.

Karl won Eintracht's academy goal of the year award, and was presented with a custom pair of Nike boots at a Bundesliga match by the club's then president Peter Fischer and then sporting director Fredi Bobic.

Born 45 minutes from Frankfurt am Main in the north-west Bavarian town of Frammersbach, Karl joined Eintracht's academy in 2017 from his first club Viktoria Aschaffenburg.

Eintracht saw huge potential in Karl, but then so did Bayern.

It remains a sore point at Eintracht that, after relations between Karl's parents and the club took a turn, he briefly rejoined Aschaffenburg before Bayern recruited him aged 14 in 2022.

According to SportBild, external, Germany's most successful club topped up the nominal compensation fee owed for a junior player to 35,000 euros, divided between his two former teams.

"We tried everything and would have done anything for him," Eintracht's former head of academy Andreas Moller told told Merkur earlier this year, external.

"But Bayern has a very special appeal, and we had no chance."

Karl's younger brother Vincent still plays in Eintracht's youth teams.

Fast forward to June 2025 and Karl made his senior Bayern debut in the 10-0 thrashing of Auckland City at the Club World Cup in the United States.

After reports of interest from Real Madrid and Ajax, Karl signed his first professional contract over the summer.

So far this season he has made 15 appearances, with his direct and fearless playing style earning plenty of plaudits and comparisons to legends of the game.

"He plays the Messi style, because his centre of gravity is very low, which means he can make very fast turns," Khalil said of the 5ft 6in Karl.

"He uses his centre of gravity to make fast turns and cuts, like an NFL running back. Sometimes he does it too much, but he is young."

There are similarities with former Bayern forward Arjen Robben too. Like Robben, defenders know Karl wants to cut in from the right wing and shoot with his left foot.

Like Robben, defenders find it very difficult to stop him.

"Even among non-Bayern fans, there's a real appreciation for Karl's energy and technical quality," German football journalist Mark Lovell told BBC Sport.

"He plays with freedom and confidence, and that's refreshing to see at a club where the pressure is so intense."

School in the morning

Most striking though is Karl's maturity and the level-headed way he handles his rare talent.

He trains hard, absorbs information from his experienced team-mates and is not getting carried away by his newfound stardom.

In an interview with Bayern's club website he said he intends to prove himself and develop, whichever age category he is playing in.

"For someone his age, he doesn't look out of place at all," Lovell said.

"His decision-making, composure on the ball, and understanding of Bayern's tactical demands under Kompany have been remarkable. He plays with intelligence, not just flair.

"You sense he listens, learns quickly, and adapts. Beyond that, his work-rate and attitude have stood out - he presses, tracks back, and always looks engaged."

As if to prove his head is in the right place, Karl turned up for his school classes the morning after scoring on his first Champions League start.

"You don't have to get the boy on track," Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl told the Bundesliga website.

"He knows what he can do and he shows that on the pitch."

Does the World Cup await?

Despite calls for him to receive a first senior call-up, Karl was named in Germany's U21s for the first time for the November international window.

"At the moment he still needs more Bundesliga minutes. It's too early for the senior team," said Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann.

Karl scored three goals during the November international break as the U21s beat Malta and Georgia 6-0 and 2-0 respectively in qualifiers for the 2027 European U21 Championship.

He scored his second Bundesliga goal days later, this time to kick-start Bayern's fight back from 2-0 down to beat Freiburg 6-2.

Four days later he produced an electric performance against Arsenal in only his second Champions League start.

Though football is littered with cautionary tales of young players burdened by expectations, it's hard imagine that Karl will not reach the next level.

"As long as his head stays clear and he trusts in his abilities... he knows what he can do and he is doing it without thinking," said Khalil.

"But give him time, let's not say that he has to play at the World Cup. Let him go if he is mature enough, good enough and has good minutes."

With former Germany captain Michael Ballack as his agent and experienced professionals like Harry Kane and Manuel Neuer as team-mates, Karl certainly has the right people around to help him become Bayern's long-awaited homegrown star.

"Karl's emergence is something people have been dreaming of," said Khalil.

With every appearance he makes, football fans across Germany are beginning to realise what might be on the horizon.

"There's a sense of excitement that Germany might have another top young talent developing right before our eyes," said Lovell.

"He's not just there for the highlight moments, he's contributing in every phase of play. That balance between creativity and discipline is what makes him so exciting." (BBC)

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