Borussia Dortmund All-Time Greatest Team for German players

Hummels and Reus

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Borussia Dortmund All-Time Team
Borussia Dortmund All-Time Foreigner Player Team

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the domestic players for Borussia Dortmund.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Borussia Dortmund was founded in 1909 by eighteen football players from Dortmund. Borussia Dortmund have won eight German championships, three DFB-Pokals, five DFL-Supercups, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and one Intercontinental Cup. Their Cup Winners' Cup win in 1966 made them the first German club to win a European title.

Kohler and Sammer

Team

GK: Stefan Klos  

Born in Dortmund, Stefan Klos arrived at Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 1990 summer, from neighboring TSC Eintracht Dortmund. He played over 300 matches there.  He was the starting keeper that won the Champions' league in 1996.  He joined Glasgow Rangers in 1998, where he stayed until 2007. He was one of the highest paid footballers in Europe, when he joined Rangers.  

GK: Hans Tilkowski 
Hans Tilkowski  played mainly for Westfalia Herne and Borussia Dortmund in the 1950's and 1960's. With Borussia Dortmund, he won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1966.  He later played for Frankfrut for three seasons. For West Germany, he was a member of the World Cup teams of 1962 and 1966.  In 1966, Tilkowski was the No. 1 goalkeeper of the West German team which lost the World Cup Final against England. He was the German Player of the Year in 1965.

Hans Tilkowski

GK: Roman Weidenfeller 
Roman Weidenfeller moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2002 on a free transfer as a replacement for Jens Lehmann.  He won 2 Bundesliga title.  He received his first cap when he started against England at the Wembley Stadium on 19 November 2013, making him the oldest ever German goalkeeper débutant. He won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as the backup keeper.

RB:  Stefan Reuter 
Stefan Reuter played 69 times for Germany between 1987 and 1998.  He was Germany's Golden Generation in the 1990's that won the World Cup in 1990 and the European Championship in 1996.  At the club level, he played with FC Nürnberg, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. His longest spell was with Borussia Dortmund, where he played over 300 matches. He won the Champions' League in 1996 with them.

Stefan Reuter 

SW/RB: Max Michallek
Nicknamed "the spider", Max Michallek started his career in the Oberliga West un the 1947-1948 season with Borussia Dortmund. He played with them until 1960. With them, he won the Deutsche Fußballmeisterschaft twice, in 1956 and 1957. The 1956 edition was Borussia Dortmund's first ever victory at the tournament. He later coached the club in the 1970's.

CB: Jurgen Kohler 
Jurgen Kohler was regarded one of the best defenders in the 1990's.   He earned 105 caps for West Germany/Germany between 1986 and 1998.  He won the World Cup in 1990 and the European Championship in 1996.  For his club career, he played with Koln, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.  He won the Champions' League in 1997 with Borussia Dortmund.  He was Footballer of the Year in Germany in 1997.

CB: Wolfgang Paul  
Wolfgang Paul was the captain of Borussia Dortmund to the European Cup Winners Cup in 1966.  He was a one club man with them between 1961 and 1971.  Paul got included in Helmut Schön's West German squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup.  Despite this, the defender never played a match for West Germany and had to retire early because of the effects an injury picked up in the late 1960s had to his game.

CB: Christian Worns 
Christian Worns started his career with Waldhof Mannheim but played the majority of his career with Bayer Leverkusen (1991-1998) and Borussia Dortmund (1999-2008). He also had a short stint with Paris St Germain(1998-1999).  He was capped 66 times between 1992 and 2005.  He went to Euro 1992 and 2004, and the 1998 World Cup Finals in France.  However, he was bypassed by German manager Jurgen Klinsmann for the 2006 World Cup Finals at home.

Christian Worns 

CB: Mats Hummels 
Mats Hummels came through the Bayern Munich youth system, but only made one appearance with the senior team.  He signed with Borussia Dortmund in 2009 after a loan spell. Over there, he established himself among the best centerbacks in the world.  In 2016, he made a dramatic return to Bayern Munich.  For Germany, he had over 60 caps since 2010.  He was a part of the 2014 World Cup winning team, where he was voted into the team of tournament.

LM/LB: Willi Neuberger 
Willi Neuberger played from 1966 until 1983 in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen, Wuppertaler SV and Eintracht Frankfurt. With Eintracht he won the DFB-Pokal in 1975 and 1981, and UEFA Cup in 1980. With his 520 Bundesliga appearances he was the record player for a long time. Currently, he is eighth on the all time appearance list of the Bundesliga. He was capped twice for West Germany in 1968.  He was named Bundesliga Team of the Year twice in the 1970's.

Willi Neuberger 

LB: Marcel Schmelzer

Marcel Schmelzer started his professional career with Borussia Dortmund, making his first appearance on 9 August 2008.  He played for them between 2008 and 2022.  He was a one club man. He won two Bundesliga title and three German Cups.  In the 2010-2011 season, he was named on the Bundesliga Team of the Season. From 2010 to 2014, he was capped 18 times by Germany.  He was a member of Germany's European Championship team in 2012.

DM: Dieter Kurrat 
Dieter Kurt spent 9 seasons with Borussia Dortmund. Nicknamed "Hoppy", he became a club legend, winning the German Championship, the DFB Cup, in 1965 and the European Cup Winner's Cup in 1966. He played over 600 matches for the club.  In 1974, he served briefly as a player-coach for the club on interim basis before joining SV Holzwickede.  He retired in 1976. He played for West Germany at the youth level.

DM/SW: Matthias Sammer 
Born under East Germany, he started with Dynamo Dresden.  After unification, he played for Stuttgart and Inter Milan. With Borussia Dortmund, he won the Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup in 1995, the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup, and European Footballer of the Year in 1996, and the UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup in 1997. With Germany as a player, Sammer won the UEFA Euro 1996. Sammer had with 74 total caps, 23 for East Germany and 51 for the unified side.

DM: Sebastian Kehl
Sebastian Kehl started his career with Hanover 96 and then, played for SC Freiburg before joining Borussia Dortmund in January, 2002.  He spent 14 seasons with the club and at one point, he served as their captain.  He was a part of their Bundesliga title winning team(2001–02, 2010–11, 2011–12).  He earned 31 caps for Germany. He was selected for both the 2002 and the 2006 World Cups, appearing once in 2002 and 4 times in the latter.

Sebastian Kehl

CM: Michael Zorc 
Born in Dortmund, Michael Zorc was a one club player.  He played 463 Bundesliga games for Borussia Dortmund (a club record) between 1981 and 1998, also being for many years the team's captain. He also ranked, at one time, the club's second all-time top goalscorer, thanks in part to his excellent penalty-taking ability. He won the Champions' League in 1996.  He was capped 7 times between 1992 and 1993.

RW: Stan Libuda 
Libuda played for FC Schalke 04 from 1961 until 1976 with two interruptions: from 1965 until 1968 he played for Borussia Dortmund, and 1972–73 for RC Strasbourg.  He was a major factor in Borussia Dortmund's 1966 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup championship. He scored the final goal against Liverpool F.C. to earn a 2–1 extra time victory for Dortmund.  Capped 26 times, he was a part of the team that finished third in the 1970 FIFA World Cup. 

AM/FW: Siegfried Held 
During Siegfried Held's career, he played 442 games (72 goals) in the Bundesliga, for Borussia Dortmund, Offenbach and Bayer 05 Uerdingen. He scored a goal at the 1966  Cup Winners' Cup Final, in which Borussia Dortmund won it by beating Bill Shankly's Liverpool.  He also made 41 appearances for the West German national team.  He was a member of both 1966 and 1970 World Cup Finals. He did not play in the Final of Euro 1972 because he was needed to play for his club at the league promotion round. 

Siegfried Held 

AM: Andreas Moeller 
Moeller played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus (1992–94), and Schalke 04. He won the UEFA Cup with Juventus in 1993, beating Borussia Dortmund 6–1 on aggregate, Moeller scoring one of the goals. He then won the Champions League with Dortmund in 1997, beating his former team, Juventus, 3–1.  With the national team, he was capped 85 times, winning the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96.  He also played for his country at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, as well as Euro 92. 

AM: Alfred Schmidt  
Schmidt played as attacking midfielder for Borussia Dortmund from 1956 to 1968, winning the German Cup in 1965 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1966. In total, he played for Dortmund 276 times, scoring 67 times.  Capped  25 times between 1957 and 1964 and was a member of the team that finished fourth at the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden.

AM/LW: Marco Reus
In 2009, Reus began his career with Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach. He became one of Europe's brightest young player.  In 2012, he joined Borussia Dortmund, his hometown club. Since 2011, Reus established himself as a regular member of Joachim Löw's national team, but he missed both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 European Championship through injuries.  He was a member of the team at the World Cup Finals in 2018.

Marco Reus

FW/RW: Lars Ricken

Ricken represented Borussia Dortmund during his entire professional career, which spanned 15 years. He was the youngest player to ever appear for the club in an official match, a record later broken by Nuri Şahin.  He scored in the 1996–97 Champions League final which Dortmund won. A German international for five years, Ricken represented the country at the 2002 World Cup and the 1999 Confederations Cup.

ST: Karl-Heinz Riedle
Rielde appeared in 207 Bundesliga games over the course of eight seasons, scoring 62 of his 72 goals for Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund. He won the 1996 Champions' League title in Dortmund. He also played for Lazio in Italy and Liverpool in England. A German international for six years, Riedle represented the country in two World Cups – winning the 1990 edition – and Euro 1992.

ST: Manni Burgsmüller 
Burgsmüller played in two different spells for local Rot-Weiss Essen and Bayer Uerdingen alike. In 1976, Burgsmüller left Uerdingen for Borussia Dortmund, where he played until 1983.  He played for 1. FC Nürnberg and second level with Rot-Weiß Oberhausen before joining Werder Bremen in 1985 as a veteran player nearly 36 years old.  The club won the Bundesliga in 1988.  He was capped 3 times in 1977 and 1978.

ST: Alfred Preissler 
Preissler is the all-time leading scorer for Borussia Dortmund. He played in the Dortmund team which won back-to-back German championships in 1956 and 1957.  Together with Alfred Kelbassa and Alfred Niepieklo, Preißler formed a famous  trio that was nickname "The Three Alfredos".  He played two matches for the then West Germany national football team in 1951 against Austria and the Republic of Ireland.

ST: Lothar Emmerich 
Lothar Emmerich won 5 caps for West Germany all in 1966, helping the national team to reach the Final of the World Cup Finals in 1966.  For his club career, he scored 115 goals in only 183 Bundesliga matches.  From 1960 to 1969, he played for Borussia Dortmund.  With them, he won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1966. He scored 14 goals (a record) during the competition (including 4 goals against defending champions West Ham United in the semi-finals). 

Lothar Emmerich

Honorable Mention

Bernhard Wessel (Germany), Heinrich Kwiatkowski (Germany), Eike Immel (Germany), Gregor Kobel (Switzerland), Wolfgang “Teddy” de Beer (Germany), Jens Lehmann (Germany), Rudi Assauer (Germany),  Christoph Metzelder (Germany), Günter Kutowski (Germany), Thomas Helmer (Germany), Lothar Huber (Germany), Willi Burgsmüller (Germany), Martin Kree (Germany), Michael Schulz (Germany),  Theo Redder (Germany), Willi Neuberger (Germany), Sven Bender (Germany), Steffen Freund (Germany), İlkay Gündoğan (Germany), Kevin Großkreutz (Germany), Lars Ricken (Germany), Jorg Heinrich (Germany), Karl-Heinz Riedle (Germany), Sven Bender (Germany), Jürgen Schütz (Germany), Alfred Kelbassa (Germany), Alfred Niepieklo (Germany), Mario Götze (Germany).

Squad Explanation

-- This team was reviewed on September, 2024.
-- Łukasz Piszczek, Dede, Stephane Chapuisat and Robert Lewandowski are the only foreign players on my Borussia Dortmund All-Time team.  So, 21 players from the all-time team made it to this all-time team for German players.  So this team is not much different from the all-time team.

-- For this blog team, I only added Marcel Schmelzer, Jorg Heinrich, Max Michallek and Sebastian Kehl to this team.

-- The 1996-1997 Champions League title was Borussia Dortmund's greatest trophy.  The team actually dominated Bundesliga during that era, where they won back-to-back title. Matthias Sammer, Michael Zorc, Stefan Klos, Stefan Reuter, Jurgen Kohler and Andreas Moeller were from that era. Eight of the starters against Juventus in the 1997 Final were Germans. Five of them had played in the Serie A before joining Borussia Dortmund.  Stefan Reuter, Jurgen Kohler and Andreas Moeller played for their opponent Juventus before.

-- In 2020, the Bundesliga official website released their selection of Borussia Dortmund's All-Time Best XI.  The players were Roman Weidenfeller, Łukasz Piszczek, Mat Hummels, Jurgen Kohler, Dede, Andy Moller, Michael Zorc, Matthias Sammer, Marco Reus, Robert Lewandowski and Stephane Chapuisat. Seven of them were Germans.

-- The Bild magazine came out with their 50 greatest players from Borussia Dortmund as well as an All-Time Best XI in 2022.  Their Top 20 as followed: 1) Michael Zorc, 2) Robert Lewandowski, 3) Wolfgang Paul, 4) Lothar Emmerich, 5) Manni Burgsmüller, 6) Aki Schmidt, 7) Matthias Sammer, 8) Karl-Heinz Riedle, 9) Jürgen Kohler, 10) Sebastian Kehl, 11) Erling Haaland, 12) Norbert Dickel, 13) Stephane Chapuisat, 14) Andreas Moller, 15) Roman Weidenfeller, 16) Sigfried Held, 17) Marco Reus, 18) Adi Preißler, 19) Hans Tilkowski, 20) Lars Ricken, 21) Dede, 22) Mats Hummels, 23) Kevin Grosskreutz, 24) Julio Cesar, and 25) Marcel Schmelzer.  Meanwhile, their All-Time Best XI were as followed: Roman Weidenfeller, Dede, Jürgen Kohler, Michael Zorc, Sebastian Kehl, Matthias Sammer, Marco Reus, Lars Ricken, Lothar Emmerich, and Manni Burgsmüller.

Matthias Sammer

-- The 90 Min.com also came up with their 25 greatest Borussia Dortmund players.  The Top 15 ranking was as followed: 1) Matthias Sammer, 2) Marcos Reus, 3) Jurgen Kohler, 4) Michael Zorc, 5) Adi Preißler, 6) Andreas Moller, 7) Mats Hummels, 8) Manni Burgsmüller, 9) Stefan Reuter, 10) Lars Ricken, 11) Roman Weidenfeller, 12) Karl-Heinz Rielder, 13) Robert Lewandowski, 14) Sebestian Kehl and 15) Dieter Kurrat, 16) Marcel Schmelzer, 17)  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 18) Lukasz Piszczek, 19) Alfred Schmidt, 20) Stephane Chapuisat, 21) Mario Gotze, 22) Stefan Klos, 23) Christian Worns, 24) Sigfried Held and 25) Seven Bender. Only four foreigners were ranked inside 25.  All top 10 players were Germans.

-- The sports program "The ran" on several German television channels assembled an All-Time Best XI for Borussia Dortmund. The lineup comprised Stefan Klos, Stefan Reuter, Mats Hummels, Jürgen Kohler, Dede, Michael Zorc, Matthias Sammer, Tomáš Rosický, Stéphane Chapuisat, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Manfred Burgsmüller.

Goalkeepers

-- The Goalkeeping position was the same as my greatest all-time team for Borussia Dortmund.

-- Roman Weidenfeller was an unsung and loyal member of the team, , embodying the essence of the club. He never gained the recognition he deserved by the national team.  He finally earned his first cap in 2013, making him the oldest ever German goalkeeper debutant and was an unused sub at the 2014 World Cup Finals.  He might not be Borussia Dortmund's best ever goalkeeper, but due to his status as a symbol of the club, he was the only undisputed selection for this position.

Roman Weidenfeller

-- My second choice would be Hans Tilkowski. Despite joining BVB later, he had significant successes with the club, including winning the DFB Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. He was a key player in the 1966 World Cup final. He was the first BVB player to be named "Footballer of the Year" in Germany (1965).

-- The third choice went to Stefan Klos, who played a key role in helping Borussia Dortmund win the Champions League. He spent eight seasons with the club, but several other goalkeepers were in close contention as well.

-- Known for his heroics in the 1963 German championship finals, Bernhard Wessel played a crucial role in Borussia's history as a goalkeeper. Although a German champion with Borussia in the 1950s, Heinrich Kwiatkowski faced challenges in international matches, particularly in the World Cup. He conceded eight goals against Hungary, and in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, he let in six goals in the match for third place against France. Eike Immel made his Bundesliga debut in 1978 at the age of 17. He played his first international match as a 19-year-old in 1980 against the Netherlands, making him the youngest national goalkeeper of all time. Jens Lehmann won the Bundesliga title in the 2001-2002 season, making him a winner in Dortmund.  However, his career here was contentious.  Known for his controversial moments, he presently boasts the record for the highest number of red cards among Borussia Dortmund players, as well as the most red cards for a goalkeeper in the Bundesliga.  Gregor Kobel was nonimated for Ballon D'or award after helping Borussia Dortmund to the Champions' League Final in 2024.

Defenders

-- When Jurgen Kohler arrived in 1995, he was already considered one of the best defenders in the world. During his time in Dortmund, Kohler helped lead the club to four major trophies.   Mats Hummels might have gone to Bayern Munich, but his legacy has not been tarnented over here.  He normally ranked among Borussia Dortmubd's greatest players.  Wolfgang Paul captained Borussia Dortmund in winning the 1966 Cup Winners' Cup.  The Bild ranked him as the club's third greatest footballer. Then, I took Christian Wörns who spent 9 seasons with Borussia Dortmund, despite arriving here at the age of 27.  He was selected on the Bundesliga Team of the Year in 2002 as Borussia Dortmund won the league.

Mats Hummels

-- Günter Kutowski and Rudi Assauer were seriously considered.

-- Between 1992 and 2004, Stefan Reuter spent most of his playing career in Dortmund.  He was a top rightback of his time. Max Michallek is the most famous defender not selected for the all-time team.  He is an important player for this team as he could also play rightback. He edged out Lothar Huber. He was a renowned sweeper in the 1950s who occasionally served as a playmaker during attacks, did not receive a call-up to the national team. Although Coach Sepp Herberger had extended an invitation to him for a training session, the Dortmund player missed it due to his wife falling ill.  Willi Burgsmüller who is not related to his namesake Manfred Burgsmüller played as the right defender in the old WM formation.  He also had played as a right winger, which him a suitable rightback in the modern game.  He made honorable mention.  Dieter Kurrat whom I selected as a defensive midfielder could also play as a rightback.

-- Marcel Schmelzer was one-club man with Borussia Dortmund.  Then, I took Willi Neuberger.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- Matthias Sammer also played as a defensive midfielder.  He was, of course, the 1996 European Footballer of the Year. Michael Zorc at one point is the second all-time leading scorer for the club.  He held the all-time appearance record as well. He is also longest-serving captain in Borussia Dortmund's history. Dieter Kurrat was the first BVB player to play a farewell match in the Westfalenstadion.  He worked as a player-coach briefly in 1974.  His status with the club is strong.  

-- Choosing between Sebastian Kehl and İlkay Gündoğan for the final central midfielder position presents a challenging decision. Kehl's remarkable 14-season tenure in Dortmund earned him high ranks among the club's greatest players. On the other hand, Gündoğan played a crucial role as Borussia Dortmund reached the Champions League Final in 2013. Given Gündoğan's more offensive-minded style compared to Kehl, he might be the preferred choice for the position. He could play as deep-lying playmaker, a box-to-box midfielder, or a traditional attacking number 10.  But Kehl was ranked much higher than him.

-- Andreas Moller was constantly ranked as one of Borussia Dortmund's greatest players.  He was a key player as Dortmund won the 1996 Champions' League. Marco Reus, hailed as the club icon of the modern era, dedicated most of his career to this team, a testament to his loyalty. Despite being ranked 17th by Bild for his contributions, 90min.com recognizes him as the second greatest player in the club's history. Aki Schmidt won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1966.  I also had Siegfried Held.

Andreas Mueller

-- Right winger Reinhard Libuda scored the winning goal against Liverpool in the 1966 Cup Winners' Cup Final.  His nickname was "Stan" because of Stanley Matthews. Marco Reus who also played on the left side is responsible for the wide left position.  Ideally, this team needed more wide players. I did seriously look into Jörg Heinrich and Mario Götze.  

-- I found Mario Götze too similar of a player as Reus, but Reus was more iconic for this club.  Götze began his career on a high note, but his stint in Bayern Munich affected his reputation even through his career over there should not affect his selection here.  However, I do rank Reus as a better overall player than him.  Instead, I took Lars Ricken also started his career strongly. He, a one-club man and hometown hero, was widely regarded as one of this club's great player. He scored one of the goals that beat Juventus in the 1997 Champions League Final.

Forwards

-- What sets Manfred Burgsmüller apart from the other strikers in this list is that he is Dortmund's top scorer in the Bundesliga. In total, Burgsmüller scored 135 goals for Dortmund in 224 appearances across all competitions. Lothar Emmerich was ranked their 4th greatest players by Bild.  His career was well-decorated with a Cup Winners' Cup, a German League and a Cup title.  Alfred Preissler is the all-time leading scorer for Borussia Dortmund.  Along with Alfred Kelbassa and Alfred Niepieklo, they were known three "Alfredos".  They won the first ever national title for Borussia Dortmund.

Manni Burgsmüller

-- Karl-Heinz Riedle won the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund, but he never scored in double digits in any of his seasons with Borussia Dortmund. However, he was ranked higher than most German forwards here.

-- Friedhelm Konietzka was the last forward dropped.

Formation

Borussia Dortmund All-Time Foreign Players All-Time

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Rosicky, Koller and Dede 

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Borussia Dortmund All-Time Team
Borussia Dortmund All-Time Team for German Players

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Borussia Dortmund foreign players.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Borussia Dortmund was founded in 1909 by eighteen football players from Dortmund. Borussia Dortmund have won eight German championships, three DFB-Pokals, five DFL-Supercups, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and one Intercontinental Cup. Their Cup Winners' Cup win in 1966 made them the first German club to win a European title. In 1996, Borussia Dortmund won the Champions League by beating the defending champion Juventus.

Haaland and Bellingham

Team

GK: Gregor Kobel (Switzerland)

Kobel made his professional debut for TSG Hoffenheim in 2018.  He played for VfB Stuttgart before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2022. In the 2023–24 Champions League, he played a crucial role in reaching the final with his club, becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to achieve this feat. He was eventually named in the Team of the Season in that competition.  Since 2021, he played for Switzerland.

GK: Roman Bürki (Switzerland)

Bürki began his career in 2007 with the reserve squad of the BSC Young Boys. From 2014 to 2015, he played a season with SC Freiburg, but his team went down to 2.Bundesliga.  After that season, he joined Borussia Dortmund. He made 9 appearance for Switzerland at the time of writing. He represented them at 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil.

GK: Guillaume Warmuz (France)
Guillaume Warmuz started with Marseilles in France, but gt his opportunities with Louhans-Cuiseaux FC in 1990.  From 1992 to 2002, he had a relatively successful career with FC Lens.  In 2003, he spent 6 months with Arsenal without playing a single game.  He joined Borussia Dortmund when Jen Lehmann went the other way. He later played for Monaco. 

RB: Łukasz Piszczek (Poland)
At time of writing, Łukasz Piszczek plays for the German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund as a right back, where he joined 2010.  He had previously played for Hertha BSC and Zagłębie Lubin. He ended his career with LKS Goczałkowice-Zdrój. Łukasz Piszczek has been capped over 65 times by Poland at international level from his debut in 2007.  He was included in the nation's squads for three European Championships and the 2018 World Cup Finals. 

Łukasz Piszczek 

RB: Evanilson (Brazil) 
Evanílson started his senior career with América Futebol Clube (MG), joining Cruzeiro Esporte Clube for the 1999 season. In a complex move, he ended up with Borussia Dortmund, where he starred alongside Dede. However, injuries derailed the rest of his career.  He played for several clubs before he retired in 2013. At the international level, he played 13 times, mainly as a backup to Cafu.

CB: Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Greece)
Sokratis Papastathopoulos started his career with AEK Athens at home.  In 2008, he joined Genoa in Italy. He later played briefly for AC Milan and Werder Bremen.  From 2013 to 2018, he played for Borussia Dortmund. Then, he joined Arsenal. At the international level, he picked up over 80 caps.  He appeared in two World Cup Finals and a single European Championship.

CB: Felipe Santana (Brazil)

Felipe Santana was born in Sao Paulo.  He played for Figueirense between 2006 and 2008 before joining Borussia Dortmund where he played between 2013 and 2018.  He had a successful career in Dortmund although he was mainly a backup. He reached the Final of the 2013 Champions' League Final. He later played for Schalke 04, Kuban Krasnodar, Olympiacos, Atlético Mineiro and Chapecoense. 

CB: Julio Cesar (Brazil)
Júlio César began his career in 1979 with Brazilian club Guarani. He moved to Europe in 1986, where he payed for many clubs.  His best spells were with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. In 1997, he helped Borussia Dortmund to win the Champions' League, beating Juventus in the Final.  He played for Brazil at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and won the Best Central Defender Award, being elected to the team of the tournament, but he also missed his penalty during the shootout loss to France.

Julio Cesar 

CB: Neven Subotić (Borussia Dortmund) 
Born in the former Yugoslavia, he moved to the US in 1999.  He joined 1.FSV Mainz 05 youth team making his first-team debut in the 2006–07 season. In 2008, he signed with Borussia Dortmund. From 2008 to 2016, he played for the club and was at one point considered the best defender in the Bundesliga. In 2017, he went to Koln.  Subotić played the youth team of the USA, but represented Serbia in the senior level. He earned 36 caps and went to the WC Finals in 2010.

LB: Dede (Brazil)
Dede started with Clube Atlético Mineiro winning the b1997 Copa CONMEBOL before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 1998.  He spent 13 seasons there.  He helped the club to win the 2002 league and reached that year's UEFA Cup final.  From 2011 to 2014, Dedé  played for Turkish club Eskişehirspor.  He was only capped once for Brazil in 2004 in a friendly against Hungary.

DM/CM: Paul Lambert (Scotland)
With St Mirren, the 17-year old Lambert won his first senior winner's medal in the 1987 Scottish Cup Final. He is best remembered for helping Borussia Dortmund to win the 1997 Champions' League. He also played for Motherwell between 1993 and 1996 and Celtic between  1997 and 2005 in Scotland. From 1995 to 2003, he was capped 40 times for Scotland. He played in the 1998 World Cup Finals.

CM: Murdo MacLeod (Scotland)
MacLeod made his name with Dumbarton in the mid-1970s. From 1978 to 1987, he played for Celtic. His goal in 1979 against was awarded as the greatest ever Old Firm goal, in a vote by Celtic supporters in 2000. From 1987 to 1990, he played for Borussia Dortmund.  Later, he played for Hibernian. and Dumbarton. At the international level, he earned 20 caps and he did not receive his first cap until 1985 He played in the 1990 World Cup Finals.

Murdo MacLeod 

CM: Nuri Sahin (Turkey)
Born in Germany of Turkish ancestry. On 6 August 2005, at the age of 16 years and 334 days, Şahin set a record by becoming the youngest player to have played in the Bundesliga, and on 25 November of the same year became the youngest player to score a goal in the Bundesliga, scoring for Borussia Dortmund against 1. FC Nuremberg.  In 2011, he made a big time to Real Madrid.  He returned to Borussia Dortmund in 2013 after a loan deal with Liverpool.  He earned his first cap in 2005 and scored his first goal ironically against Germany.

CM/AM: Jude Bellingham (England)

Jude Bellingham started with Birmingham City before he moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2020 making him the most expensive 17 years old in history.  In 2023, he won the Bundesliga Player of the Year.  That summer, he moved to Real Madrid where he had a starring role. At 17 years, 136 days, he became England's third-youngest full international when he played against Republic of Ireland in 2020.  He played in the 2022 World Cup Finals.

RW/RM: Jakub Blaszczykowski (Poland)
Blaszczykowski started his career at Wisła Kraków establishing himself. In 2007, he joined Borussia Dortmund, where he spent the majority of his career, winning two Bundesliga titles. In 2016, he moved to VfL Wolfsburg. Since 2006, he was capped over a 100 times. He went to 2012 and 2016 European Championship and the 2018 World Cup Finals. He won Polish Player of the Year twice.

RW/FW: Jadon Sancho (England)

Sancho signed his first senior contract with Borussia Dortmund in 2017 after a youth career with Manchester City.  He spent 4 seasons in Germany where he was one of the best young player in the world. Sancho returned to England to sign for Manchester United in 2021. He later returned to Dortmund on loan, reaching the 2024 Champions League final. Sancho made his debut for the senior England team in 2018, later appearing at UEFA Euro 2020.

AM/WF: Shinji Kagawa (Japan)
Shinji Kagawa began his professional career in his homeland with Cerezo Osaka before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2010. After two years with Dortmund, Kagawa signed for Manchester United on a four-year contract, but could not settle down in Old Trafford. Two years later, he returned to Dortmund, where again he was a star player. Since 2008, he has over 90 caps. He was a member of the 2014 World Cup team while controversially left off the 2010 team. He was Asian Player of the Year in 2012.

Shinji Kagawa 

AM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Armenia)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan began his senior career at local club Pyunik at age 17. After playing in Ukraine, he joined Borussia Dortmund in 2013, where he made his name.  Later, he played for Manchester United and Arsenal before moving to Italy where he played for AS Roma and Inter Milan. At the international level, he made 95 appearance for Armenia between 2007 and 2021.  

AM: Tomas Rosicky (Czech Republic)
Tomas Rosicky was the star playmaker for the Czech Republic throughout the 2000's.  He has taken part in four UEFA European Championships as well as the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was Czech Footballer of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2006.  In total, he earned 105 caps for his country. He started his career with Sparta Prague, and he had notable stints with Borussia Dortmund between 2001 and 2006 and Arsenal between 2006 and 2016.

AM: Marcel Răducanu (Romania)

Between 1976 and 1981, Marcel Răducanu played 21 games for Romanian national team.  After playing for Steaua Bucureşti in the 1970s,  Răducanu defected following a match in Dortmund, West Germany in 1981. He was sentenced to nearly six years in prison in his absence for his action.  From 1982 to 1988, he played for Borussia Dortmund. He also played for FC Zurich.

FW: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
He began his career at Milan, who loaned him to four French clubs before he joined Saint-Étienne permanently in 2011. After winning the 2013 Coupe de la Ligue Final, he joined Dortmund, where he has twice won the DFL-Supercup in 2013 and 2014. Despite playing once for France Under-21, Aubameyang made his international debut for Gabon in 2009, and has represented them at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2012 Olympics. He is the African Player of the Year of 2015.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

ST:  Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
At the time of writing, Robert Lewandowski is Poland's all-time leading scorer.  He is known for his career with Borussia Dortmund, where he scored over 70 goals and reached the Champions' League Final in 2013.  After the 2013-2014 season, he moved to rival Bayern Munich under a controversial situation.  He was capped over 90 times.  He played in Euro 2012 and 2016, and the World Cup Finals in 2018. 

ST: Erling Haaland (Norway)

Haaland started his career at his hometown club Bryne in 2016, and moved to Molde the following year. He then joined Red Bull Salzburg in 2019. At Salzburg, he won two Austrian Bundesliga titles and one Austrian Cup.  In 2019, he joined Borussia Dortmund, where he is considered one of the best players in the world.  He joined Manchester City in 2022.  Since 2019, he has played for the senior national team.  His father also played for Norway.

ST: Jan Koller (Czech Republic)
Jan Koller is best remembered for being the huge striker playing for the Czech Republic and Borussia Dortmund in the 2000s.  He began his career at Sparta Prague, then moved to Belgium with Lokeren and Anderlecht.  Between 2001 and 2006, he played for Borussia Dortmund. He also played for Monaco.  At the international level, he is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Czech Republic, with 55 goals in 91 appearances. He played in 2006 World Cup Finals and two other European Championship.

ST: Stephane Chapuisat (Switzerland)
Stephane Chapuisat was selected by the Swiss FA as Switzerland's UEFA's Jubilee Golden Player.   He was also voted Swiss Footballer of the Year four times (1992, 1993, 1994 and 2001).  He played 103 times for Switzerland between 1989 and 2004.  He went to the 1994 WC Finals, Euro 1996 and Euro 2004. For his club career, he played notably for Borussia Dortmund between 1991 and 1999.  He won the Champions' league in 1997 and back-to-back Bundesliga in 1995 and 1996.

Stephane Chapuisat

Honorable Mention

Marvin Hitz (Switzerland), Mitchell Lagerak (Australia), Wolfgang Feiersinger (Austria), Ned Zelic (Australia), Robert Kovac (Croatia), Sunday Oliseh (Nigeria), Erdal Keser (Turkey), Paulo Sousa (Portugal), Andy Egli (Switzerland), Miroslav Stević (Serbia), Nelson Valdez (Paraguay), Branko Rašović (Yugoslavia),  Flemming Povlsen (Denmark), Jadan Sancho (England), Ousmane Dembele (France), Ewerthon (Brazil), Christian Pulistic (USA), Márcio Amoroso (Brazil).

Squad Explanation

-- I updated this team in September, 2024.

-- Łukasz Piszczek, Dede, Stephane Chapuisat and Robert Lewandowski are on my Borussia Dortmund All-Time team.  So I needed to add 21 foreign players to this team.

-- In 2020, the Bundesliga official website released their selection of Borussia Dortmund's All-Time Best XI.  The players were Roman Weidenfeller, Łukasz Piszczek, Mat Hummels, Jurgen Kohler, Dede, Andy Moller, Michael Zorc, Matthias Sammer, Marco Reus, Robert Lewandowski and Stephane Chapuisat. Four of them were foreigners.

-- The Bild magazine came out with their 50 greatest players from Borussia Dortmund as well as an All-Time Best XI in 2022.  The foreigners on the team were as followed: 2) Robert Lewandowski, 11) Erling Haaland,  13) Stephane Chapuisat, 21) Dede, 24) Julio Cesar, 29) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 30) Tomas Rosicky, 32) Jan Koller, 36) Ewerthon, 40) Lukasz Piszczek, 41) Jakub Błaszczykowski, 44) Lucas Barrios, 48) Neven Subotic, 49) Felipe Santana and 50) Marcel Răducanu. Meanwhile, their All-Time Best XI were as followed: Roman Weidenfeller, Dede, Jürgen Kohler, Michael Zorc, Sebastian Kehl, Matthias Sammer, Marco Reus, Lars Ricken, Lothar Emmerich, and Manni Burgsmüller. Dede was the only foreigner on the lineup.

-- The 90 Min.com also came up with their 25 greatest Borussia Dortmund players.  The foreigners on the list were as followed: 13) Robert Lewandowski, 17) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 18) Lukasz Piszczek, 20) Stephane Chapuisat.

-- The sports program "The Ran" on several German television channels assembled an All-Time Best XI for Borussia Dortmund. The lineup comprised Stefan Klos, Stefan Reuter, Mats Hummels, Jürgen Kohler, Dede, Michael Zorc, Matthias Sammer, Tomáš Rosický, Stéphane Chapuisat, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Manfred Burgsmüller.

-- I do not really know much about their foreign players before the early 1990's. Branko Rašović (Yugoslavia) was the only name I came across during my research.  He played parts of his Dortmund career in the lower division.  

Goalkeepers

-- Gregor Kobel was nominated for Ballon D'or after helping Borussia Dortmund to reach the 2024 Champions' League Final.  His performance earned him a spot in the Champions League Team of the Season for the 2023–24 campaign.  At the time of writing, he has also been named to the Bundesliga Team of the Season for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons, as well as the VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season for the same periods. 

Gregor Kobel

-- Roman Bürki (Switzerland) is the only other foreign goalkeeper who started regularly.  Then I looked into Marvin Hitz, Guillaume Warmuz and Mitchell Lagerak.  They were backup keepers who spent some time at the club. While Lagerak had the lengthiest career in Dortmund, Warmuz and Hitz had more extensive narratives or aspects to discuss regarding their time here. Warmuz competed with Roman Weidenfeller for the position of the top goalkeeper before eventually being surpassed.  Hitz started as Borussia's goalkeeper in the 2019 DFL Supercup Final and emerged victorious.  

-- I also looked into Zlatan Alomerovic and Dennis Gentenaar. Gentenaar lasted a single season while Alomerovic played zero game for Borussia Dortmund.  

Defenders

-- Julio Cesar helped Borussia Dortmund to win the 1996 Champions' League, but he did not play in the final against Juventus. Interestingly, he also played for Juventus alongside other ex-Juventus player Jurgen Kohler, Paulo Sousa, Stefan Reuter and Andreas Moller who played against their former club in the Final. Neven Subotić was a long time starting central defender for Borussia Dortmund.  His partnership with Mats Hummels in central defense was one of the best in the Bundesliga at that time.  The Bild magaizne chose Felipe Santana as their 49th greatest player for Borussia Dortmund.  During much of his career, he played behind Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels, but he scored memorable goals for the club. He is best remembered for scoring the winning goal in the "Miracle of Málaga," when Borussia Dortmund staged a comeback 3-2 win against Malaga. Sokratis Papastathopoulos was the 4th centerback chosen.  While playing for Borussia Dortmund, he was honored with several awards, such as being named in the Bundesliga Team of the Year for the 2013–14 season and the Bundesliga Team of the Half-Season in 2016–17. He also received the title of Bundesliga Defender of the Half-Season in 2016–17 and was recognized as the Best Greek Player playing Abroad for the 2016–17 and 2018–19 seasons.

Neven Subotic 

-- Robert Kovac spent a season and half over here.  It was during toward the end of his career.

-- Łukasz Piszczek helped the club to reach the Final of 2013 Champions' League Final.  He was selected the starting rightback by Bundesliga on their Dortmund's All-Time Best XI.  Evanílson had a steady career in Dortmund playing at the same time as Dede. 

-- Dede is the 5th appearance record holder for the club and the number one for foreign players.  He was relatively unknown outside of Bundesliga because he only earned one cap for Brazil.  He was playing at the same time as Roberto Carlos. He was often listed among the Best XI for this club.  He is on my all-time team. 

Midfielders/Wingers

-- Nuri Sahin was born in Germany and groomed by Brussia Dortmund. He was very "German". However, he was capped by Turkey, which made him a foreign player and eligible for this all-time team. İlkay Gündoğan also shared similar background, but he was capped by Germany.  I took Sahin because he played in a deep role.  In 2005, he became the youngest player to have played in the Bundesliga at the age of 16 years and 334 days.

-- Paul Lambert (Scotland) was a key player as they won the Champions' League in the 1996-1997 season.  However, he only played a single season with the club.  Ultimately, I chose to keep Lambert due to the significant impact his single season had. Although less renowned in Dortmund, his countryman Murdo MacLeod enjoyed a longer career here.  I took him because the team needed more deep midfielders. Paulo Sousa played with Paul Lambert in the 1997 Final. He also won the Champions' League the season before with Juventus.  However, his career in Borussia was plagued by injuries. He did not make this team.  

-- Jude Bellingham was not yet 20 years old when he left Borussia Dortmund, but he an impactful career being named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for two out of his three seasons here, notably in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons.  

-- Marcel Răducanu was recognized as Borussia Dortmund's 50th greatest player by Bild magazine. Despite playing a challenging era at BVB, he shone as the standout player on that team.  Shinji Kagawa failed to succeed with Manchester United, but over here, he was among the best player in the Bundesliga.  Tomas Rosicky and Jan Koller formed a partnership that is unforgotten for the fans of the club.  Rosicky was named as one of the players on Borussia Dortmund's Best XI team by the sports program "The Ran." Henrikh Mkhitaryan was named the kicker Bundesliga Players' Player of the Season for the 2015–16 season.  I could not find space for Patrik Berger.  He only played a single season.  

Marcel Răducanu 

-- Jakub Błaszczykowski was one of Jürgen Klopp's top players during his tenure here.  The Bild ranked him as Borussia Dortmund's 41st greatest player.  This team needed more wide attackers. During their time at Borussia Dortmund, both Ousmane Dembele and Jadon Sancho soared to fame, solidifying their statuses as world-class players. Dembele secured a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for 2016–17, whereas Sancho was featured in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for 2018–19 and 2019–20, along with the kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season for those respective years. Dembele's controversial departure overshadowed his contributions to the team.  His inclusion to this team might not be well-received by the fans.  I took Sancho because he spent 4 and a half season with the club.  On his return loan season, he contributed to Borussia Dortmund reaching the Final of the Champions' League.

-- I ranked Christian Pulistic and Ewerthon (Brazil) below Dembele and Sancho.  In the end, I decided to use Shinji Kagawa as one of the wide players.

Forwards

-- The Bild magazine ranked Robert Lewandowski as Borussia Dortmund's second greatest ever player.  I did not consider Lewandowski's deflection to Bayern Munich as an issue. I took him over Pierre Aubameyang and Jan Koller.

-- Erling Haaland spent three seasons with the club.   It was only one less than Robert Lewandowski who was only a star player in 3 of his 4 seasons.  Having scored an impressive 86 goals in just 89 appearances, he boasts a scoring rate of nearly one goal per game, yielding a goal-scoring Ratio of approximately 0.9663.  Lewandowski's ratio was about 0.55.  So, Haaland had the stats to backup his claims on this team. Furthermore, he was playing as if he was the best player in the world during his time here.  He already was named Bundesliga Player of the Season once for the 2020-2021 season. The only flaw in his record lies in his lack of major trophies.  His sole German Cup win may not be substantial enough to solidify his position.  

Robert Lewandowski 

-- Pierre Aubameyang was the Bundesliga Player of the Year: 2015–16.  Many people listed him as one of Borussia Dortmund's greatest players.

-- Márcio Amoroso was the Bundesliga's top scorer for 2001-2002 season, but injuries limited his career here.  Flemming Povlsen also suffered injuries that also limited his career.  I put them on honorable mention.   I took Jadon Sancho as the last player for the team ahead of Amoroso.

Formnation