Will he miss the World Cup because Bayern have too many fit players? Last summer, Tom Bischof (20) moved from Hoffenheim to Munich as a promising talent on a free transfer. After a strong season at TSG Hoffenheim, he even joined the national team as a newly minted international, making his debut for the German national team in the Nations League against France in June 2025. His dream, of course, is to really take off at Bayern Munich and then be part of the squad for the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico (June 11 to July 19).
Bischof is currently quite far from that: While he regularly received plenty of playing time in the first half of the season, his appearances in the second half have become increasingly brief. The midfielder has not been in the starting eleven for the last five league matches. He was substituted on three times for 10 to 15 minutes, and twice he was left out entirely without playing – the same as in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinal against Leipzig (2-0).
So what are the reasons for Bischof’s first slump? Simply put: too many players and too few games! Last year, several players, especially in defense, were repeatedly unavailable, which is why Bischof was allowed to play at left-back.
Bischof must have known that making the World Cup squad would be difficult after his move to Bayern Munich – because Joshua Kimmich (31), Aleksandar Pavlovic (21), and Leon Goretzka (31) are three of Germany’s defensive midfielders who are direct competitors at his club. That’s why he was called up to the German U21 team (as captain!) in the autumn. Bischof’s versatility had briefly given him hope of being nominated by national coach Julian Nagelsmann (38). However, it’s now clear: as a benchwarmer, his World Cup dream is definitely over.