Bayern Munich have started the 2025-26 season with 13 consecutive wins to equal the record set by AC Milan in 1992-93 across the five major European leagues. And they’ve done so without star midfielder Jamal Musiala, who broke his leg at the Club World Cup over the summer and will miss most of the campaign.

But they’ve also announced the next wonderkid on the European scene, as 17-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl has taken the world by storm to score twice in a week. Indeed, Karl has gone from rising star to regular first-team contributor at Bayern in only a matter of months, during which time he became the club’s youngest-ever Champions League goal scorer when he netted against Club Brugge.

He first joined Bayern academy at age 12, after formative spells at Viktoria Aschaffenburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, but he raced through multiple youth groups within three years, made his bow for the senior team and signed a professional contract that runs until the end of 2028 (with a reported automatic option to extend it longer on his 18th birthday, Feb. 22, 2026)

A long-term prodigy within Germany’s youth national teams, Karl’s development has been both anticipated and carefully managed. Despite having only featured up to Under-17 level so far, his impact there has been emphatic, with seven goals in 13 outings, and he is often used as the creative lynchpin of a talented generation.

The goal for Bayern against Brugge put him on the map as one of Germany’s most promising young prospects, and he continues to impress when given a chance to shine.

His game fits the concept of the modern Bayern attacking midfielder perfectly. Quick, direct, tactically flexible and technically superb, Karl has all the tools at his disposal and scored his first Bundesliga goal against Borussia Mönchengladbach at the weekend.

Position

Though generally comfortable in any role behind the central striker — including as a No. 10 — Karl is most effective as a right-sided playmaker who drifts inside onto his stronger left foot.

Excellent at playing between the defensive lines, his low center of gravity — he measures at just under 5-foot-6 — gives him the balance and agility to navigate short spaces. Meanwhile, an explosive first step makes him elusive in crowded areas, often allowing him to slip away from defenders before they’ve had the chance to get settled.

While predominantly right sided, Karl’s versatility is also a significant plus. He can operate centrally as a linking midfielder, or push wider to create overloads, showing the spatial awareness and timing to adjust as the game develops.

His ability to receive the ball on the half-turn and connect quickly his teammates has also successfully translated to senior level.

Strengths

play

Bayern’s 17-year-old Lennart Karl scores a beauty for his first Bundesliga goal

Bayern’s 17-year-old Lennart Karl scores a beauty for his first Bundesliga goal to pad the lead against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Arguably, Karl’s most distinctive feature is his ball progression at pace. He manages physical contact well for his size, handles the ball neatly in tight areas and accelerates quickly away from pressure. His rapid changes of direction often open up space that he can exploit with disguised passes, give-and-go combinations, or early crosses. All of which are skills that make him hard to defend against.

Karl has also demonstrated that his build-up capabilities can be turned into end product. Across his U17 and U19 seasons at Bayern, Karl produced more than 30 goals and 10 assists, which are excellent figures for a teenager operating largely from wide or advanced midfield areas.

Those numbers match well with what scouts consistently praise: his direct, purposeful runs into the box, a confident shooting technique and an instinct for striking the ball early before defenders have time to react.

Even with only a handful of senior appearances under his belt, Karl’s decision making in the final third is mature for his age. He often receives the ball cleanly, generally releases at the right moment and shows composure under pressure. Moreover, there a clear tactical imprint from Bayern’s coaching at “The Campus” academy to his game: a preference for short, quick exchanges around the area, but also the vision to attack space when defenders step up too high.

Technically, Karl is very well equipped and thrives in combinational play, yet he also carries enough individual flair to create moments on his own. His first touch sets up his next move and his body orientation when receiving possession allows him to open up multiple passing angles.

While not a natural playmaker in the classical sense, his creative instincts — especially on cutbacks and disguised through balls — make him a valuable “connector” between midfield and attack.

While Karl isn’t physically imposing, he does compensate to a certain degree with remarkable balance and coordination. Early signs have shown that he can deal with challenges, regain his footing and keep the ball alive under contact, which are pre-requisites for someone entering the physical intensity of top-flight football. Furthermore, his intensity also matches Bayern’s brand of possession-dominant, attacking football.

Things to work on

Karl’s next steps mostly revolve around consistency and robustness. While his technical base is already outstanding, sustaining intensity across full matches — particularly off the ball — remains an obvious area to work on.

Applying himself in the counter-press, tracking runners and maintaining compact defensive shape are also learning points and should come with maturity and physical development.

Some habits from youth football will need refining too. Against academy opponents, Karl could often beat one extra defender and still find a way to take a shot; at senior level, however, the right choice may be an early one-two pass or finding the overlapping right back. And while the speed of his decision making is good, exploiting the split-second “execution window” against experienced defenders is likely to be a key area to improve.

Bayern’s head coach Vincent Kompany has publicly urged calm by stressing patience over premature expectations. That balance suits Karl’s personality well, as he’s grounded and receptive to feedback, aided by the presence of his agent and mentor — former Germany captain Michael Ballack — who advises him on his career and on developing the defensive side of his game.

In quotes

“Lennart considers Martin Ödegaard as a role model, and I really do see parallels. But he’s also a bit like Arjen Robben and Michael Olise – players who like to cut inside and finish.” — Bayern youth coach Patrick Kaniuth

“I’m not a fan of hype, and now he will be getting some of that. I’m a fan of training and calm … Everyone knows he can score goals and if he keeps going like this, he’ll get a chance and maybe at the right time he’ll need a bit of calm.” — Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany

“As a young player, you don’t have pressure. I want Lennart to feel that too. He has to enjoy what he’s doing. If he makes mistakes, we’ll discuss it. Hopefully, at some point, the pressure will be on his shoulders. But for now he should enjoy these moments without any pressure.” — Kompany

“He’s a fantastic player. He’s not afraid to dribble. He just has to keep working hard, and he’ll have a great future ahead of him.” — Bayern teammate Harry Kane

“I really want to establish myself here at Bayern … I always want to play and prove myself, whether it’s with the first team, the U19s or the U17s. I intend to always give my all in order to continue to develop.” — Lennart Karl

What’s next?

Bayern’s stated progression plan for Karl is sensible: they want to avoid external noise and ensure his gradual exposure to senior football. After all, pre-season minutes have turned into real matchday opportunities, which is already an encouraging sign at a club where young attackers often wait longer for opportunities.

In the short term, Bayern seem intent on rotating Karl through multiple attacking roles: as a right-sided inside-forward, a narrow No. 10, and occasionally a left-sided option to encourage his two-footed development. Each role offers a different challenge, but will help refining abilities such as acceleration, composure, flexibility, game intelligence and creative risk-taking.

His continued involvement with Germany’s youth teams is also expected and a U21 call-up seems a logical next step in November. Though at this rate a senior call-up (perhaps even for the summer’s World Cup?) should not be ruled out either.

The bombshell NBA scandal that took place as part of an FBI investigation last week has led to many questioning the sports betting market, even the legal side of it. 

That was especially the case with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who was among more than two dozen arrests for his role in the sports betting FBI probe where he allegedly gave non-public information regarding his injury status and when he would be exiting a game to hit certain prop bets. 

There was a similar situation last season with ex-Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, who was banned from the NBA indefinitely and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Porter, who is connected to this current FBI investigation, had previously been found guilty of disclosing confidential information to sports bettors about his own health status and bet on games in violation of league rules. 

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So, seeing a situation like this happening on a perhaps larger scale, Fanatics Betting & Gaming CEO Matt King was “disappointed” to see “criminal elements” come into play in a market that has grown exponentially as more states legalize it. But given his expertise, King explained why he feels this situation proves the legal side of sports betting is working. 

“If you look at the chronology, the suspicious betting activity was flagged immediately, was reported immediately, investigations were kicked off immediately,” King told Fox News Digital earlier this week. “You had the right people involved. Obviously, the leagues were out ahead trying to aggressively understand what was happening, but they don’t have subpoena power, so they’re able to see part of it. But everybody worked in collaborations with the FBI, who were able to have subpoena power and really dig in. Ultimately, the perpetrators were caught, and I’m confident they’re going to be brought to justice.”

Fanatics Sportsbook is a newer operation and was in the early stages of its development when Rozier was accused of being involved in potential betting irregularities in a March 23, 2023, game. But King’s experience in this industry goes beyond the work he does with Fanatics Betting & Gaming now, having served as CEO and CFO of FanDuel during previous years. 

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So, regarding the question about the future of sports betting, especially the prop betting market, King gave a perfect analogy.

“This type of thing is inevitable, and I look at it through the lense of – the parallel I draw is the stock market,” he explained. “People have traded stocks for hundreds of years, and there’s always been the risk of insider trading. Consequently, there’s a healthy and aggressive regulatory enforcement regime around making sure people don’t trade on insider information. This is no different from that.

“I look at it as a great case study of the market and regulation all working and the industry participants working in concert together. I’m hoping the perpetrators were made an example of, because the deterrence element is equally as important.”

CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming, Matthew King inside the Fanatics Sportsbook at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sept. 14, 2025.   (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images )

King also gave some perspective on how these instances were caught from the start, and what an operation like Fanatics Sportsbook does when that flag comes up when wagers start coming in. 

“A lot of times, the first flag that comes out of suspicious activity is a volume well in excess of what we would’ve expected,” King said about a suspicious bet. “That typically tips off and tips you into further investigation. In particular, when an under [prop bet] or low-grade tennis match or something like that is ahead of expectations, then it’s really the question of, ‘Where is it coming from? Who’s making the wager? Where are they making that wager from? Is this consistent with their historical betting patterns?’ Questions like that. We have a lot of analytic resources and a lot of people on staff that kind of spend time looking at this data and make sure we understand. 

“Now, a lot of times you get a false flag. You dig into it and it’s like, ‘Hey, we didn’t expect this much action on the underdog, and it turns out the popular underdog that had a big Instagram story, and people are just piling on some narrative that exists in sports,’ which is great. It’s healthy. So, there’s a lot of false flags, but ultimately a chunk of those flags that get raised turn into something suspicious and we report that to the appropriate authorities.”

In short, King knows that, like any market prediction, there is going to be those who want to gain an edge. So, the future of betting in any professional sport will have those trying to cheat the system. 

However, King feels the strongest point to get across about this alleged criminal activity is having a legal market, coupled with aggressive regulations and monitoring, can at least diminish the potential for illegality. 

A self-service betting kiosk displaying NBA game odds inside the Fanatics Sportsbook on Nov. 23, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

“The most important fundamental point of this conversation is for everybody to understand that sports betting is going to exist no matter what,” he said. “You can’t show me an era of history, a country in the world, a sport that’s popular and doesn’t have some level of sports betting. We just have to accept that sports betting is going to exist. It’s then simply a question of do you want this to exist as a legal market or an illegal market? 

“The reality is this activity was caught because it is a legal market, because you were able to have relationship with leagues and have integrity monitoring services that you could flag data for and people could investigate. If you didn’t have legalized sports betting, all you’d have is the illegal markets that don’t have any commitment to integrity or consumer protections, which is the other side to remember. If you’re betting on an illegal sportsbook, they have no requirement, no interest to make sure you’re betting within your means or things like that.”

“I would argue the best thing for the integrity of the game, the best thing for consumer protection is a two-pronged strategy of a legal and robust market paired with aggressive enforcement against the illegal market.”

Fanatics Sportsbook, as well as having key Responsible Gaming tools for consumers, also has a unique “Fair Play” policy, which protects bettors from early player injuries. 

Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (3) looks to pass against the Boston Celtics during the second half at Spectrum Center. (Nell Redmond/USA Today Sports)

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This consumer protection addresses those situations where it’s clear key players get injured, but also the potential of something like the Rozier case. Being a starting guard on a team, Rozier’s prop bets are abundant every night he’s on the court, but if he leaves early and never returns, Fanatics Sportsbook voids that bet through Fair Play. 

Overall, there is no true way to root out the illegal side of sports betting, but operations like Fanatics Sportsbook, and leaders like King, continue to put the necessary regulations, technology and collaborations with leagues in place to ensure a fair and level playing field for all those wishing to play. 

“We will always be front of the line with leagues and regulators for what’s the right mix of prop bets to offer,” King said. “What I would say, though, is there’s a balance. Because ultimately, if you have a legal sports betting market, but one where regulations were strict with what you can offer to the point where it’s not giving consumers what they want, they will then go into the illegal market. You undermine the value of having a legal market. So, I look at it as finding that right balance that ensures we can limit, and make common sense decisions, but also make something the consumers want.”

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Dooney Johnson, the No. 28 recruit in the 2027 class per ESPN, has committed to Gonzaga, two days after his official visit to the school, he told ESPN on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5 wing from Milwaukee is the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Mark Few’s program since Chet Holmgren (No. 1), Hunter Sallis (No. 16) and Nolan Hickman (No. 24) all signed with the Bulldogs in the 2021 class.

Johnson picked the Bulldogs over multiple schools, such as Indiana, Syracuse, LSU, Missouri and Wake Forest. Marquette and Wisconsin coveted the local product, too.

Johnson earned all-state honors last season as a sophomore when he averaged 25.5 PPG and 8.2 RPG for Milwaukee Juneau High school.

“It was a really good process,” Johnson told ESPN exclusively about his commitment to Gonzaga. “Me and Gonzaga have been talking all throughout the year. The conversation we’ve had has been great. We made that connection in person and over the phone. Going on the official visit, it really solidified it for me.”

The four-star recruit said he plans to remain in the 2027 class.

On Monday, Johnson and his family took an official visit to Gonzaga on the same night Tyon Grant-Foster was cleared by a judge to play this season after he’d initially been denied an extra year of eligibility.

Johnson said the support around Grant-Foster, a class of 2018 recruit who has missed multiple seasons due to injuries and cardiac ailments, was a factor in his decision.

“It was more so how they carried themselves and the brotherhood they had,” Johnson said. “It was how they all fought for him and went to court for him and really came together in these tough moments. It really meant a lot. Even with me coming down at that time, they still took care of me. It made me feel special. It made my family feel special.”

Johnson’s father, Torre Johnson Jr., said his son’s commitment proves that a blue-collar city like Milwaukee can produce high-level Division I talent. Previously, the city has had many of its top stars pick prep schools at this stage in their careers.

“We represent the Milwaukee kids,” he said. “That’s another reason why we stayed in Milwaukee and didn’t go to a prep school. I personally wanted to prove and show that if you guys work hard, you can make it out of a Milwaukee public school and go Division I.”

Torre Johnson Jr.’s connection to an NBA standout also influenced his son’s choice to play for Mark Few’s program. He coached Jalen Suggs, the former Gonzaga star and Orlando Magic guard, on the grassroots circuit when he was in fifth grade. That started a bond between Suggs and Johnson, which influenced his commitment on Wednesday.

“That’s my guy,” Johnson said. “I’ve always looked up to him.”

He said he plans to bring more wins to Gonzaga and help the program chase a national title.

“Coach Few is a winner,” he said. “Gonzaga is a winner. It’s a great program.”