Who are the top 15 Borussia Dortmund legends of all time?

Who are the top 15 Borussia Dortmund legends of all time?

Ciku Njuguna, Cyprine Apindi
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:57 PM

Did you know Borussia Dortmund is also known as Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund or BVB? It is a German football team that signs elite players who play in the Bundesliga. The team was founded over a century ago and has signed numerous players over the years. Among them are those considered the top Borussia Dortmund legends of all time.

Dortmund legends of all time
Photo: canva.com (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Borussia Dortmund was founded on 19th December 1909, making the team 113 years old as of 2023. The football club is based in North Rhine-Westphalia. Discover the names of the Dortmund legends of all time and more details about their lives and careers.

Top 15 Borussia Dortmund legends of all time

Below is an exploration of the top Dortmund legends of all time. Some are retired, while others have moved to different teams. Even so, their legacy in the team shines to date.

15. Erling Haaland

Who used to play for Dortmund?
Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Bundesliga match between his team and FC Schalke 04. Photo: @Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Erling Braut Haaland
  • Date of birth: 21st July 2000
  • Age: 22 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Leeds, United Kingdom
  • Position: Striker
  • Current team: Manchester City
  • Dortmund career: 2020 - 2022

Erling Haaland is a footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City and the Norway national team. Before joining Man City, he played for Dortmund and was listed among the best Dortmund players of the 21st century. He scored 86 for the team between 2020 and 2022.

14. Mats Hummels

dortmund's best players
Mats Hummels of FC Bayern Muenchen attends a press conference at the Bayerische Staatsministerium fuer Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz in Munich, Germany. Photo: @Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Mats Julian Hummels
  • Date of birth: 16th December 1988
  • Age: 34 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
  • Position: Centre-back
  • Current team: Borussia Dortmund
  • Dortmund career: 2019 to present

Mats Hummels is one of Dortmund's best players at the moment. He joined the team in 2019. Besides playing for the team, he is a member of the Germany national team. He has scored 33 goals for the club.

13. Stéphane Chapuisat

  • Full name: Stéphane Chapuisat
  • Date of birth: 28th June 1969
  • Age: 53 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Position: Striker
  • Dortmund career: 1991- 1999

Stéphane Chapuisat is one of the players you didn't know played for Dortmund. He is a retired professional footballer who played for the team between 1991 and 1999. He scored 123 goals during the period.

12. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Dortmund legends
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spoke at the press conference before the Galatasaray match in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: @Murat Akbas/ dia images via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang
  • Date of birth: 18th June 1989
  • Age: 33 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Laval, France
  • Position: Striker
  • Current team: Chelsea
  • Dortmund career: 2013- 2018

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of Dortmund's best players sold to Chelsea. He is renowned for his pace, finishing, and off-ball movement. He scored 141 goals for Dortmund.

11. Mario Götze

Who is the best player in Dortmund?
Mario Goetze of FC Bayern Muenchen poses with his car during the car handover of Audi in Neuburg an der Donau, Germany. Photo: @Lennart Preiss/Bongarts/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Mario Götze
  • Date of birth: 3rd June 1992
  • Age: 30 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Memmingen, Germany
  • Position: Playmaker/ false nine/ emergency striker
  • Current team: Eintracht Frankfurt
  • Dortmund career: 2009- 2013, 2016-2020

Mario Götze is on the list of Borussia Dortmund's past and present players who left an indelible mark on the team's history. He was signed with the team between 2009 and 2013 and again between 2016 and 2020. He scored 45 goals and made 61 assists.

10. Lars Ricken

  • Full name: Lars Ricken
  • Date of birth: 10th July 1976
  • Age: 46 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Dortmund, Germany
  • Position: Midfielder
  • Dortmund career: 1990- 2009

Lars Ricken is a retired footballer who played as a midfielder and is considered one of Dortmund's all time players. Since retirement, he has been a youth coordinator at Borussia Dortmund. He scored 69 goals for his team.

9. Robert Lewandowski

players you didn't know played for dortmund
Robert Lewandowski poses for pictures holding the Golden Boot trophy during the Golden Boot 2022 award ceremony, in Barcelona. Photo: @Pau BARRENA/ AFP
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Robert Lewandowski
  • Date of birth: 21st August 1988
  • Age: 34 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Warsaw, Poland
  • Position: Striker
  • Current team: FC Barcelona
  • Dortmund career: 2010–2014

Robert Lewandowski is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and captains the Poland national team. He was signed with the team from 2010 to 2014 and was one of Dortmund's top players. He scored 103 goals for the team.

8. Stefan Reuter

dortmund's best players
Stefan Reuter attends the BILD100 SPORT Get Together at Bild Sport Arena in Berlin, Germany. Photo: @Christian Marquardt/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Stefan Reuter
  • Date of birth: 16th October 1966
  • Age: 56 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Dinkelsbühl, Germany
  • Position: Defender/ midfielder
  • Dortmund career: 1992- 2004

Stefan Reuter is the general manager of the Bundesliga club FC Augsburg. He played for Dortmund from 1992 to 2004. During this period, he made 429 game appearances and scored 15 goals.

7. Roman Weidenfeller

Dortmund legends
Roman Weidenfeller attends the 'Help After The Flood: Football's Charity match' at Moselstadion in Trier, Germany. Photo: @Simon Hofmann/Getty Images for DFB
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Roman Weidenfeller
  • Date of birth: 6th August 1980
  • Age: 42 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Diez, Germany
  • Position: Goalkeeper
  • Dortmund career: 2002- 2018

Roman Weidenfeller was a goalkeeper for Bundesliga clubs 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Borussia Dortmund. He spent 16 seasons with the club and managed to win both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal twice.

6. Michael Zorc

Who is the best player in Dortmund?
Michael Zorc before the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund in the Schwarzwald Stadium. Photo: @Patrick Seeger/picture alliance
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Michael Zorc
  • Date of birth: 25th August 1962
  • Age: 60 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Dortmund, Germany
  • Position: Midfielder
  • Dortmund career: 1978- 1998

Michael Zorc played as a central midfielder and was nicknamed Susi in his early days because of his long hair. Zorc spent his entire career with the club, appearing in 572 competitive matches and scoring 159 goals.

5. Karl-Heinz Riedle

Who is Dortmund's all time goal scorer?
Karl-Heinz Riedle warm up before the Global Legends Series opening match at SCG stadium in Nonthaburi, Thailand. Photo: @Wasawat Lukharang/NurPhoto
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Karl-Heinz Riedle
  • Date of birth: 16th September 1965
  • Age: 57 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Weiler im Allgäu, Weiler-Simmerberg, Germany
  • Position: Striker
  • Dortmund career: 1993- 1997

Karl-Heinz Riedle was nicknamed "Air" throughout his career for his heading accuracy, jumping and timing skills in the air. He made 113 game appearances and scored 36 goals for the team.

4. Alfred Preissler

Who used to play for Dortmund?
Coach Alfred Preissler oversees a game in 1969. Photo: @Werner OTTO/ullstein bild via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Alfred Preissler
  • Date of birth: 9th April 1921
  • Date of death: 15th July 2003
  • Age at death: 82 years
  • Place of birth: Duisburg, Germany
  • Position: Forward
  • Dortmund career: 1946-1950, 1951–1959

Alfred Preissler mostly played for Borussia Dortmund as a forward. He began his football career in his hometown at the Duisburg SC 1900. He scored 174 goals for the team.

3. Jürgen Kohler

dortmund's best players
Jürgen Kohler of Borussia Dortmund is pictured on the field. Photo: @Schirner Sportfoto-Archiv/picture alliance
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Jürgen Kohler
  • Date of birth: 6th October 1965
  • Age: 57 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Lambsheim, Germany
  • Position: Centre-back
  • Dortmund career: 1995- 2002

Jürgen Kohler is a World Cup-winning footballer and manager. He played as a centre-back before retirement. Since 2018, he has been in charge of the youth team of Viktoria Köln. He appeared in 250 games while playing for the team and scored 18 goals.

2. Manfred Burgsmüller

  • Full name: Manfred "Manni" Burgsmüller
  • Date of birth: 22nd December 1949
  • Date of death: 18th May 2019
  • Age at death: 69 years
  • Place of birth: Essen, Germany
  • Position: Striker/ midfielder
  • Dortmund career: 1976- 1983

Manfred Burgsmüller was one of Borussia Dortmund's all time top scorers. He was signed with the team from 1976 to 1983. During this period, he made 252 game appearances and scored 158 goals.

1. Matthias Sammer

Dortmund legends
Matthias Sammer looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Bayern München and FC Internazionale at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. Photo: @Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Matthias Sammer
  • Date of birth: 5th September 1967
  • Age: 55 years (as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Dresden, Germany
  • Position: Defensive midfielder
  • Dortmund career: 1993- 1998

Matthias Sammer is a football official and former player, and coach. He played for Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, VfB Stuttgart, and Dynamo Dresden in his senior career. Sammer played for the club during his Golden Years and won three Bundesliga titles and the UEFA Champions League.

Recap of the top 15 Borussia Dortmund legends of all time

Rank

Name

1

Matthias Sammer

2

Manfred Burgsmüller

3

Jürgen Kohler

4

Alfred Preissler

5

Karl-Heinz Riedle

6

Michael Zorc

7

Roman Weidenfeller

8

Stefan Reuter

9

Robert Lewandowski

10

Lars Ricken

11

Mario Götze

12

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

13

Stéphane Chapuisat

14

Mats Hummels

15

Erling Haaland

Who is the best player in Dortmund?

Matthias Sammer is arguably the best player the team has ever had. Others are Manfred Burgsmüller, Manfred Burgsmüller, Jürgen Kohler, Alfred Preissler, Karl-Heinz Riedle, and Michael Zorc.

Who is Dortmund's all time goal scorer?

Alfred Preissler is the team's all time goal scorer. He scored 174 goals during his time at the club.

Who used to play for Dortmund?

Some of the team's former players are Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic, Erling Haaland, Kevin Großkreutz, Marcel Schmelzer, Florian Kringe, and Michael Zorc.

Dortmund legends have made an indelible mark on the team's performance and public image. These are past and current players with impressive career records.

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Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.
Cyprine Apindi photo
Cyprine Apindi
Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and reporter with over 4 years of experience based in Kenya. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication from Kenyatta University.