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List of foreign Bundesliga players

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of foreign players in the Bundesliga, which commenced play in 1963. The following players must meet both of the following two criteria:

  1. Have played at least one Bundesliga game. Players who were signed by Bundesliga clubs, but only played in lower league, cup and/or European games, or did not play in any competitive games at all, are not included. Players of 2. Bundesliga clubs are also not included.
  2. Are considered foreign, i.e., outside Germany determined by the following:
A player is considered foreign if he is not eligible to play for the national team of Germany.

More specifically,

  • If a player has been capped on an international level, the national team is used; if he has been capped by more than one country, the highest level (or the most recent) team is used. These include German players with dual citizenship.
  • If a player has not been capped on an international level, his country of birth is used, except those who were born abroad from German parents or moved to Germany at a young age, and those who clearly indicated to have switched his nationality to another nation.

Clubs listed are those for which the player has played at least one Bundesliga game—and seasons are those in which the player has played at least one Bundesliga game. Note that seasons, not calendar years, are used. For example, "1992–95" indicates that the player has played in every season from 1992–93 to 1994–95, but not necessarily every calendar year from 1992 to 1995. Therefore, a player should always have a listing under at least two years — for instance, a player making his debut in 2014, during the 2013–14 season, will have '2013–14' after his name. This follows general practice in expressing sporting seasons.

Also please consider, that season specifications shall only be divided into more than one element, if a player has at least one season played no game in the Bundesliga. For example, a player plays in 2012–13 at club "A" and in 2013–14 at club "B", the correct season specification is "2012–14". This approach is used to keep the list more clear and readable.

In bold: players who have played at least one Bundesliga game in the current season (2023–24), and are still at the clubs for which they have played. This does not include current players of a Bundesliga club who have not played a Bundesliga game in the current season.

As of 18 August 2023

Naturalized players

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[a]

Albania

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Armenia

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Austria

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Belarus

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Kevin De Bruyne was awarded Footballer of the Year in Germany in 2015

Belgium

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[d]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Until 1992 part of SFR Yugoslavia

Sergej Barbarez, top goalscorer in 00–01
Edin Džeko, top goalscorer in 09–10

Bulgaria

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Krasimir Balakov was part of the "magic triangle" at VfB Stuttgart from 1995 to 1997 (together with Giovane Élber and Fredi Bobic)

Croatia

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Until 1991 part of SFR Yugoslavia

Striker Ivan Klasnić played a key role in Werder Bremen's 2000s success, culminating in winning the double of German championship and DFB-Pokal in 2003–04

Cyprus

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Central midfielder David Jarolím, 2008–2010 Hamburger SV captain, earned 318 caps in the Bundesliga
in January 2001, playmaker Tomáš Rosický joined Borussia Dortmund for a then Bundesliga record transfer fee of DM 25 million (€12.5 million)

Czech Republic

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Until 1992 Czechoslovakia

Ebbe Sand, top goalscorer in 00–01
Allan Simonsen was awarded European Footballer of the Year in 1977

Denmark

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Kevin Keegan was awarded European Footballer of the Year in 1978 and 1979

England

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Estonia

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Faroe Islands

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Finland

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Left back Bixente Lizarazu, 1998 FIFA World Cup winner
Playmaker Johan Micoud was a pivotal figure in Werder Bremen's 2000s success, culminating in winning the double of German championship and DFB-Pokal in 2003–04
Franck Ribéry was awarded Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 2008 and European Footballer of the Year in 2013
2018 FIFA World Cup winner Lucas Hernandez moved to Bayern Munich in the most expensive incoming transfer in Bundesliga history

France

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Levan Kobiashvili is the second most capped foreign player in Bundesliga history (351 games)
Theofanis Gekas, top goalscorer in 06–07

Georgia

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Greece

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Hungary

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Iceland

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Israel

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Italy

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Luca Toni, top goalscorer in 07–08

Kazakhstan

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Kosovo

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Until 1992 part of SFR Yugoslavia, from 1992 to 2003 part of FR Yugoslavia, from 2003 to 2006 part of Serbia and Montenegro, from 2006 to 2008/2016 part of Serbia

Latvia

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Liechtenstein

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Lithuania

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Luxembourg

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Malta

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Moldova

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Montenegro

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Until 1992 part of SFR Yugoslavia, from 1992 to 2003 part of FR Yugoslavia, from 2003 to 2006 part of Serbia and Montenegro

From 2008 to 2011, Mark van Bommel was the first and thus far only foreign captain of Bayern Munich
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, top goalscorer in 11–12
From 2003 to 2007, Roy Makaay was the leading goalscorer of Bayern Munich
Arjen Robben was awarded Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 2010

Netherlands

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[f]

North Macedonia

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Until 1991 part of SFR Yugoslavia, from 1991 to 2019 named Republic of Macedonia

Jørn Andersen was the first ever foreign Bundesliga top goalscorer (18 goals in 89–90)
Erling Haaland scored 62 goals in 67 Bundesliga games while playing for Borussia Dortmund

Norway

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Poland

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Błaszczykowski's Bundesliga career spanned eleven seasons with Dortmund and Wolfsburg
Robert Lewandowski, top goalscorer in 13–14, 15–16, 17–18,
18–19, 19–20, 20–21 and 21–22
Artur Wichniarek is the Bundesliga all-time top goalscorer of Arminia Bielefeld (45 goals)

Portugal

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Republic of Ireland

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Romania

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Roman Neustädter, born in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union), International for Germany and Russia

Russia

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Until 1991 Soviet Union, from 1991 to 1992 CIS

Scotland

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Serbia

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Until 1992 SFR Yugoslavia, from 1992 to 2003 FR Yugoslavia, from 2003 to 2006 Serbia and Montenegro

Neven Subotić formed with Mats Hummels the centre-back pairing of Borussia Dortmund during the Jürgen Klopp era (2008–2015)
Marek Mintál, top goalscorer in 04–05

Slovakia

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Until 1992 part of Czechoslovakia

Slovenia

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Until 1991 part of SFR Yugoslavia

Javi Martínez's move to Bayern Munich previously held the record for the most expensive incoming transfer in Bundesliga history

Spain

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Ronnie Hellström is the most capped foreign goalkeeper in Bundesliga history (266 matches)

Sweden

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Stéphane Chapuisat is the 5th best foreign goalscorer in Bundesliga history (106 goals)

Switzerland

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Central midfielder Ciriaco Sforza signed for Kaiserslautern thrice and Bayern München twice (265 Bundesliga matches)

Turkey

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Gelsenkirchen native Halil Altıntop is the third most capped foreign player in Bundesliga history
Yunus Mallı is (alike Mohamed Zidan) the Bundesliga all-time top goalscorer of Mainz 05 (27 goals)
Nuri Şahin is the youngest player capped in Bundesliga history (16 years, eleven months and one day)

Ukraine

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Until 1991 part of Soviet Union, from 1991 to 1992 part of CIS

Wales

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Argentina

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Bolivia

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Brazil

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In 2004, Aílton was the first ever foreign player to be awarded Footballer of the Year (Germany)
Giovane Élber, top goalscorer in 02–03
Grafite, top goalscorer in 08–09 and Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 2009
Zé Roberto is the fourth most capped foreign player in Bundesliga history

Chile

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Colombia

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Ecuador

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Paraguay

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Peru

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Claudio Pizarro scored 190 Bundesliga goals, a record for a foreign player

Uruguay

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Venezuela

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Algeria

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Angola

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Benin

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Burkina Faso

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Cameroon

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Comoros

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Congo

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Democratic Republic of Congo

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Until 1997 named Zaire

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was awarded African Footballer of the Year in 2015

Egypt

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Equatorial Guinea

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Gabon

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Gambia

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Ghana

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Guinea

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Guinea-Bissau

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Ivory Coast

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Mali

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Morocco

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Mozambique

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Namibia

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Nigeria

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Senegal

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Papiss Cissé is the Bundesliga all-time top goalscorer of SC Freiburg (37 goals)

Sierra Leone

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South Africa

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Togo

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Tunisia

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Uganda

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Zambia

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Zimbabwe

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Australia

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Cambodia

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China PR

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Iran

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Japan

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Attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa played a key role in Borussia Dortmund's championships 10–11 and 11–12

Korea DPR

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Korea Republic

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Son Heung-min playing for Hamburger SV in 2011

Lebanon

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Philippines

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Tajikistan

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Thailand

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Canada

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Costa Rica

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Jamaica

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Mexico

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Panama

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Suriname

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Trinidad and Tobago

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Jermaine Jones, International for Germany and the United States

United States

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New Zealand

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See also

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Notes

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Notes:

  1. ^ Players that have been born abroad, moved to Germany later than the age of twelve, acquired German citizenship and waived the opportunity to play for the national teams of their native countries in order to be eligible to play for Germany
  2. ^ Held Austrian citizenship only between 1981 and 1984, so he was a foreign Bundesliga player only in the season 1983-84.
  3. ^ Held Austrian citizenship only from 1996 onwards, so he was a foreign Bundesliga player for Croatia in 1993-94.
  4. ^ Alphabetical ordering follows Belgian customs
  5. ^ Held Cypriot citizenship only from 2002 onwards, so he was not a foreign Bundesliga player in 1995-97
  6. ^ Alphabetical ordering follows Dutch customs
  1. ^
    Born in Angola
  2. ^
    Born in Argentina
  3. ^
    Born in Australia
  4. ^
    Born in Austria
  5. ^
    Born in Azerbaijan (then part of the Soviet Union)
  6. ^
    Born in Belarus (then part of the Soviet Union)
  7. ^
    Born in Belgium
  8. ^
  9. ^
    Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
  10. ^
  11. ^
    Born in Brazil
  12. ^
    Born in Cameroon
  13. ^
    Born in Canada
  14. ^
    Born in Croatia (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
  15. ^
    Born in Cape Verde
  16. ^
  17. ^
  18. ^
  19. ^
    Born in Denmark
  20. ^
    Born in England
  21. ^
    Born in France
  22. ^
  23. ^
    Born in Germany
  24. ^
    Born in Germany (then part of Allied-occupied Germany)
  25. ^
    Born in Germany (then part of the German Empire)
  26. ^
    Born in Germany (then part of West Germany)
  27. ^
    Born in Ghana
  28. ^
  29. ^
  30. ^
  31. ^
    Born in Hungary
  32. ^
    Born in Indonesia
  33. ^
    Born in Iraq
  34. ^
    Born in Italy
  35. ^
    Born in Ivory Coast
  36. ^
    Born in Jamaica
  37. ^
    Born in Japan
  38. ^
    Born in Kosovo (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
  39. ^
    Born in Kyrgyzstan (then part of the Soviet Union)
  40. ^
    Born in Latvia (then part of the Soviet Union)
  41. ^
    Born in Lebanon
  42. ^
    Born in Liberia
  43. ^
  44. ^
    Born in Morocco
  45. ^
    Born in Mozambique (then part of Portuguese Mozambique)
  46. ^
    Born in Nazi Germany
  47. ^
    Born in the Netherlands
  48. ^
    Born in Nigeria
  49. ^
    Born in North Macedonia (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
  50. ^
    Born in Norway
  51. ^
    Born in Pakistan
  52. ^
    Born in Portugal
  53. ^
  54. ^
    Born in Romania
  55. ^
    Born in Russia (then part of the Soviet Union)
  56. ^
    Born in Scotland
  57. ^
    Born in Senegal
  58. ^
    Born in Serbia (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
  59. ^
    Born in Serbia (then part of FR Yugoslavia)
  60. ^
    Born in Sierra Leone
  61. ^
    Born in Slovakia
  62. ^
    Born in Slovakia (then part of Czechoslovakia)
  63. ^
    Born in Slovenia (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
  64. ^
    Born in South Africa
  65. ^
    Born in Spain
  66. ^
    Born in Sudan
  67. ^
    Born in Suriname
  68. ^
    Born in Sweden
  69. ^
    Born in Switzerland
  70. ^
    Born in Tajikistan (then part of the Soviet Union)
  71. ^
    Transylvanian Saxon. Born in Romania (then part of Hungary)
  72. ^
    Born in the United States
  73. ^
    Born in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union)
  74. ^
    Born in Venezuela
  75. ^
    Born in Zambia
  76. ^
  77. ^
  78. ^
  79. ^
  80. ^
  81. ^
  82. ^
  83. ^
  84. ^
  85. ^
  86. ^
  87. ^
  88. ^
  89. ^
  90. ^
  91. ^
  92. ^
  93. ^
  94. ^
  95. ^
  96. ^
  97. ^
  98. ^
  99. ^
  100. ^
  101. ^
  102. ^
  103. ^
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  165. ^
  166. ^

References:

References

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