The German record champions' rising star has explained how he had to remain headstrong to secure his switch to the club's youth ranks as a teenager. He arrived at the FC Bayern Campus in the summer of 2022 after previously developing in the academies of Viktoria Aschaffenburg and Eintracht Frankfurt. That bold decision at such a tender age ultimately laid the foundations for his rapid ascent in Munich.
Boarding school gamble pays off
Leaving home to move into the academy boarding school was initially met with strong hesitation from his family, even though the young forward had several alternative proposals on the table at the time.
Recalling how he stood firm on his decision and settled into life away from home, Karl said in an interview with DAZN : "My parents weren't so convinced, especially my mother. But from the very beginning, I said I wanted to go there. When I first saw the campus, I just told myself, I want to go there.
"I'm going to do it, I'm going to see this through. My parents weren't exactly on my side. I had a few other offers, but I said I'm going to do it. I went into boarding school. I was a bit homesick for the first two weeks. I was wondering how it was all going to work out. But then I got to know the boys at the boarding school, and then things went pretty quickly. It was a really, really cool time there."
Even after progressing through the ranks, the youngster initially doubted whether he would earn regular opportunities under head coach Vincent Kompany. However, his fortunes transformed rapidly after making his senior professional bow on June 15, 2025 against Auckland City at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Reflecting on his initial breakthrough into the first-team fold, Karl said: "At first, I thought it would be difficult to get playing time, then I was used occasionally, got a few minutes and could show my strengths. Then I was in the starting eleven for the first time against Hoffenheim, I think it was, or maybe [Wehen] Wiesbaden [in the DFB-Pokal]. I played a good game there, I'd say. Then came Hoffenheim, and I got my first assist."
His meteoric rise reached new heights on Europe's grandest stage, announcing himself in the Champions League by finding the net within the opening five minutes against Club Brugge. "And then came Brugge, and then the goal," Karl recalled with a smile. "I think it came in the fourth or fifth minute. I thought to myself, wow, everything was happening really fast. The Champions League had always been a dream of mine, and then everything just kind of moved uphill quickly."
His impressive progression has already been rewarded by the club hierarchy with a professional contract extension tying him to the Allianz Arena until 2029 . Armed with growing experience across both domestic fixtures and the Champions League, the teenager will now look to cement a regular role in Kompany's attacking rotation this term. The determination he showed four years ago should serve him well as Bayern chase major silverware.
