Karl as hope for the national team
World champion from 1990 compares Bayern’s young star with Messi
11/20/2025 – 8:53 a.mReading time: 1 min.
Lennart Karl impresses Olaf Thon with his style of play at FC Bayern. The 1990 world champion has a lot of confidence in the 17-year-old – and compares him to superstar Lionel Messi.
Olaf Thon, former soccer world champion, recognized great potential in Lennart Karl and compared him to a world star because of his style of play. “Not just to become a regular at Bayern, but also in the national team. His style of play makes him comparable to Messi,” said the 1990 title winner in an interview with Sport 1.
Messi is actually Karl’s great role model. “Unfortunately I haven’t played against him yet,” said the winger in a recent DFB interview. Thon also said: “Whether he can emulate this great idol remains to be seen. But the beginnings are there.” First of all, Karl has to assert himself against the German record champions.
Bayern’s attacking midfielder could prove to be a candidate for the German national team at the upcoming World Cup. Other young players such as Karl’s Bayern teammate Tom Bischof and Cologne’s Said El Mala are also in the focus of national coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Thon emphasized: “All three are exceptional.” Assan Ouédraogo from RB Leipzig, who scored a goal on his DFB debut against Slovakia, and Nicoló Tresoldi from FC Brugge are also long-term candidates for the national team. According to Nagelsmann recently, all of them are “in the draw” for the World Cup in the summer in the USA, Canada and Mexico.