The next prodigy is made by Bayern!

Bayern Munich started the 2025-26 season with 13 consecutive victories, tying AC Milan's winning streak in the five major European leagues set by AC Milan in the 1992-93 season. Remarkably, they achieved this result without star midfielder Musiala, who suffered a broken leg at this summer's Club World Cup and will miss most of the season.

But Musiala's absence also allowed Bayern to announce the birth of the next prodigy in the European arena: 17-year-old midfielder Lennart Carr. He staged world waves twice within a week, shocking the world. In fact, Karl went from rising star to a regular in Bayern's first team in just a few months, scoring against Club Brugge to become the club's youngest ever Champions League goalscorer.

Lennart Karl joined Bayern's youth academy at the age of 12 and previously trained in Aschaffenburg, Victoria and Frankfurt. After joining Bayern, he was repeatedly promoted to higher-level youth teams, and finally entered the first team this summer at the age of 17 and signed a professional contract until the end of 2028. There are reports that on his 18th birthday, February 22, 2026, he will have the option to automatically extend his contract.

Karl is a frequent player of the German U-series national team and has always been hailed as a "prodigy". His development has been carefully managed. So far, he has only played for the German U17 national team and has not skipped a level to participate. However, he has a huge influence on the German national team, scoring 7 goals in 13 games, and is often regarded as a generational talent.

That goal against Club Brugge established him as one of Germany's most promising young players, and when he was given the chance to shine, he took it and continued to impress in the Bundesliga.

His playing style perfectly fits the concept of modern Bayern attacking midfielder - fast, straightforward, tactically flexible and technically superb. He has all the necessary skills and scored his first Bundesliga goal against Monchengladbach last weekend.

Position

While Carr is generally capable of playing any role behind the center - including the No. 10 position - his most effective position is as a playmaker on the right side, where he can cut inside and shoot with his better left foot.

He is good at shuttling between the opponent's defense lines. His height of less than 1.68 meters makes his center of gravity very low, and he has the balance and agility to move within short distances. At the same time, his explosive starts make him elusive in congested areas, often getting rid of defenders before they can establish themselves.

Although Karl is mainly active on the right, his versatility is also a major advantage. He can be used as a midfielder connecting the front and backcourt, or he can open up the wings to create a numerical advantage. His excellent spatial awareness will be displayed as the game develops.

His ability to half-turn to catch the ball and quickly coordinate with his teammates also makes him a natural in the game.

Advantages

It can be said that Karl's most notable feature is his rapid advancement. He is able to maneuver the ball in tight areas and accelerate quickly after breaking away from pressure. His quick changes of direction often create space, allowing him to use these spaces to combine passes or direct crosses. All of these tricks make him difficult to guard against.

Karl not only has organizational ability, but also has strong finishing ability. In the season when Bayern played for U17 and U19 (2024-25 season, he played for U17 in the first half of the season and was promoted to U19 in the second half of the season). Karl contributed more than 30 goals and 10 assists. For a young player who mainly operates on the wing or in the midfield, this is already quite outstanding data.

These numbers are in line with what scouts have always praised: He drives into the penalty area directly and purposefully, shoots with confidence, and before the defender can react.

Even if Karl doesn't play many games in the senior team, his decision-making in the offensive third is far more mature than his peers. He catches the ball cleanly, usually delivers the ball at the right time and remains calm under pressure. In addition, Bayern's coaching style in the "campus" youth academy is also clearly imprinted on his game: he likes to make quick changes in short distances in the penalty area, and also has the vision to find offensive space among taller defensive players.

From a technical perspective, Karl is very good. He is good at coordination and has enough personal talent to create opportunities on his own. His first touch sets him up for his next move, and his body position when receiving the ball allows him to create multiple passing lanes.

Although he is not a natural playmaker in the traditional sense, his creative instincts - especially when it comes to back-passing and deflection passes - make him a valuable "connector" between midfielders and attacking players.

Although Karl is not physically strong, his excellent balance and coordination make up for this shortcoming to a certain extent. Early experience showed that he can cope with confrontation, establish his feet and maintain control of the ball in the presence of physical contact, which are all prerequisite physical conditions for entering the top flight of football. In addition, his physique is consistent with Bayern's possession-based offensive football style.

The next step to improve

Karl should mainly strengthen stability and robustness. While his technical foundation is already excellent, maintaining a high level of intensity throughout a game—especially off the ball—is still an obvious area for improvement.

Working hard to counter-press, follow the opponent's off-ball runners, and maintain a compact defensive formation are also key points for him to learn. These should be naturally improved as his mind matures and his body develops.

Some habits developed during adolescence also need to be improved.. Against youth team players, Carr can often break past a defender and find a shot; however, against the senior team, the correct choice may be to play a one-on-one with a teammate, or find the right back to cover. Although his decision-making speed is fast, how to use the instant "execution window" to find shooting opportunities when facing experienced defenders may be a key point that needs improvement.

Bayern head coach Kompany publicly called on the outside world to remain calm and patient with Karl, and to avoid premature and excessive expectations that would backfire. This balance is a perfect fit for Karl's character, as he is down-to-earth and receptive to feedback, while his agent and mentor, former Germany national team captain Ballack, has also provided advice on his career and defensive improvement.

Next step

Bayern's plan for Karl is reasonable. They hope to avoid outside interference and ensure that he can gradually integrate into the adult team. Going from a pre-season appearance to a chance to play competitive football is an encouraging sign for a club where young forwards often have to wait longer for their chance.

In the short term, Bayern seems to be interested in letting Karl participate in the rotation of multiple offensive positions: inside right forward, narrow No. 10 position, and occasionally on the left, in order to promote the improvement of his ability with both feet. Each position presents different challenges, but all contribute to Carr's ability to accelerate, composure, agility, game intelligence and creative risk-taking.

He is expected to continue playing for Germany's youth teams, with selection for the U21 national team in November appearing to be the logical next step. However, if this continues, it is not impossible to be selected for the German national team or even participate in next year's World Cup.