Record holder is 72 games short
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He has already achieved legendary status at Borussia Dortmund – even before his professional career ended. Mats Hummels is held in high esteem by both supporters and club management. During the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Atlético Madrid this Wednesday (9 p.m./DAZN), he will play his 500th official match in the black and yellow jersey. BVB fans have long forgiven him for briefly returning to youth club Bayern Munich between 2016 and 2019 and moving €65.5 million in his two transfers.
Hummels is unlikely to surpass Michael Zorc’s club record (572). The current contract of the central defender, who turns 36 in December, ends at the end of the season. It remains to be seen whether he will be convinced again, as he did last summer, and continue his eventful professional career for another year. “Nothing has been decided in any direction. I think for me it will only be decided after the end of the season,” Hummels commented recently. “Bild” previously reported that he was considering ending his career. If there was another Bundesliga season, the top 25 in the all-time record rankings might still be there.
20 Mirko Votava | 297 missions
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From 1974 to 1982
Data as of April 8, 2024
19 Andreas Möller | 301 missions
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From 1988 to 1990 and from 1994 to 2000
18 Christian Worns | 303 missions
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From 1999 to 2008
17 Max Michallek | 326 missions
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From 1941 to 1960
16Aki Schmidt | 331 missions
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From 1956 to 1968
15 Stefan Klos | 339 missions
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From 1990 to 1999
14 Heinz Kwiatkowski | 340 missions
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From 1952 to 1965
13 Gunter Kutowski | 345 missions
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From 1984 to 1996
12 Sébastien Kehl | 362 missions
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From 2002 to 2015
11 Marcel Schmelzer | 367 missions
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From 2008 to 2022
10 Lothar Huber | 372 missions
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From 1974 to 1987
8 Dieter Kurrat | 382 missions
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From 1959 to 1974
8 Lukasz Piszczek | 382 missions
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From 2010 to 2021
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From 1998 to 2011
6Lars Ricken | 407 missions
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From 1993 to 2008
5 Marc Reus | 419 inserts
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Since 2012
4 Stefan Reuter | 421 missions
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From 1992 to 2004
3 Romain Weidenfeller | 453 missions
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From 2002 to 2018
2 Hummels Rugs | 499 missions
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From 2008 to 2009, 2009 to 2016 and since 2019
1 Michael Zorc | 572 missions
© Getty Images
From 1981 to 1998
The 2014 world champion will decide for himself when to end his career. According to some reports, the club management would like to extend the contract. After all, Hummels has proven in recent months, notably at galas in Milan and Munich, that he can still make an impact at the highest level.
Hummels could make his decision dependent on the end of the BVB season. If the current fifth-placed team fails to qualify for the Champions League, their willingness to continue will likely diminish. The ambition is still too great for that.
High-profile matches like the one in Munich, where Hummels prevented his former team from equalizing in Borussia’s 2-0 win with a stunning kung fu jump, make you hungry. But signals from the body are increasingly giving us food for thought. “I feel like it anyway, it just hurts a lot,” he confessed.
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