The Bundesliga is the top-division tournament in German football.

The competition was founded in 1962, while the first season began in 1963. The Bundesliga replaced the German national championship, which was the first tournament in German football history.

The German national championship, which was founded in 1903 and ran for a period of 60 years, was a knockout competition contested between winners of each of the country's top regional leagues.

The founding member teams of the Bundesliga are 1860 Munich, Cologne, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Braunschweig, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hertha Berlin, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Preußen Munster, MSV Duisburg, Nuremberg, Saarbrücken, Schalke, VfB Stuttgart and Werder Bremen.

Besides the Bundesliga which operated in West Germany, the DDR-Oberliga was the top-level football league in Soviet-controlled East Germany. Following the reunification of Germany, the Bundesliga became the national league of the country.

The Bundesliga started out as a 16-team tournament but would soon expand to 18 teams from 1965. In a one-off event, the league played the 1991-92 season with 20 teams following the reunification but would return to its 18-side format in the following campaign.

There has been 12 different winners of the Bundesliga since its inception in 1963.

Who won the first Bundesliga?

FC Koln, or FC Cologne in English, won the first-ever Bundesliga season in 1963-64. The Billy Goats maintained a six-point advantage over second-placed Meidericher SV (39) and scored in each of the 30 league games played in the inaugural edition.

Karl-Heinz Thielen (16 goals) and Christian Müller (15 goals) finished as the top-scorers for the team in the championship-winning season.

Who has won the most Bundesliga titles?

Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga winners list with 32 titles. The Bavarians won their maiden Meisterschale in the 1968-69 season, with an eight-point cushion and legendary forward Gerd Muller contributing 30 goals.

The Bavarians recently claimed the Bundesliga 2022-23 title, with two matches to spare. In doing so, Bayern have now won the German championship a record 11 times in a row. The run began in 2012-13 under the management of Jupp Heynckes.

Bundesliga winners list 

2023–24: Bayer Leverkusen

2022–23: Bayern Munich

2021–22: Bayern Munich

2020–21: Bayern Munich

2019–20: Bayern Munich

2018–19: Bayern Munich

2017–18: Bayern Munich

2016–17: Bayern Munich

2015–16: Bayern Munich

2014–15: Bayern Munich

2013–14: Bayern Munich

2012–13: Bayern Munich

2011–12: Borussia Dortmund

2010–11: Borussia Dortmund

2009–10: Bayern Munich

2008–09: VfL Wolfsburg

2007–08: Bayern Munich

2006–07: VfB Stuttgart

2005–06: Bayern Munich

2004–05: Bayern Munich

2003–04: Werder Bremen

2002–03: Bayern Munich

2001–02: Borussia Dortmund

2000–01: Bayern Munich

1998–99: Bayern Munich

1997–98: 1. FC Kaiserslautern

1999–2000: Bayern Munich

1996–97: Bayern Munich

1995–96: Borussia Dortmund

1994–95: Borussia Dortmund

1993–94: Bayern Munich

1992–93: Werder Bremen

1991–92: VfB Stuttgart

1990–91: 1. FC Kaiserslautern

1989–90: Bayern Munich

1988–89: Bayern Munich

1987–88: Werder Bremen

1986–87: Bayern Munich

1985–86: Bayern Munich

1984–85: Bayern Munich

1983–84: VfB Stuttgart

1982–83: Hamburger SV

1981–82: Hamburger SV

1980–81: Bayern Munich

1979–80: Bayern Munich

1978–79: Hamburger SV

1977–78: 1. FC Köln

1976–77: Borussia Mönchengladbach

1975–76: Borussia Mönchengladbach

1974–75: Borussia Mönchengladbach

1973–74: Bayern Munich

1972–73: Bayern Munich

1971–72: Bayern Munich

1970–71: Borussia Mönchengladbach

1969–70: Borussia Mönchengladbach

1968–69: Bayern Munich

1967–68: 1. FC Nürnberg

1966–67: Eintracht Braunschweig

1965–66: 1860 Munich

1964–65: Werder Bremen

1963–64: 1. FC Köln

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / CHRISTOF STACHE