Bastian Schweinsteiger turns 40: footballer, national hero, family man

The term legend is used almost inflationary in football – but if it applies to anyone in this country, it is Bastian Schweinsteiger (40). The midfielder has won almost everything there is to win during his career.

His tears after the “final at home” of the 2012 Champions League, when his decisive penalty hit the post, are unforgettable. The images of him with a bleeding face in the 2014 World Cup final and his joy after the greatest triumph of his career are unforgettable. Bastian Schweinsteiger, dubbed the “football god”, turns 40 on August 1st.

Football or skiing?

It all began in the Upper Bavarian village of Oberaudorf, where Bastian Schweinsteiger grew up with his parents and his older brother Tobias (42). The two brothers, whose father ran a sports shop, were passionate about sports from the start. Bastian Schweinsteiger loved football and skiing in particular, and he showed talent in both sports at an early age. As a child, he met Felix Neureuther (40), who was the same age as him and later became the most successful German ski racer – and even beat him a few times, like him. The two are still close friends today.

At the age of 13, however, Schweinsteiger finally decided to pursue football. In 1998, he joined the youth department of FC Bayern Munich – the beginning of an era. He made his professional debut – after passing his secondary school diploma and completing an apprenticeship as an office clerk – in November 2002 at the age of 18. This was followed by 17 years at Bayern with exactly 500 competitive games, eight German championships, seven cup wins and one Champions League victory. “The relationship between Bayern and me was very special. It was a bit like a partnership, everyone developed in their own way, always making sure that the other was doing well,” the footballer explained in 2022 to FC Bayern members’ magazine “51”.

From scandal-mongering pig to football god

At the beginning of his career, nobody would have expected what Bastian Schweinsteiger would become. At the beginning, the young professional filled the tabloids with boorish behavior off the pitch. In 2002, Schweini, as the press called him, much to his regret, was caught at night in the pool of the FC Bayern professional wing with a woman. He was also not so careful behind the wheel of his company car and had to hand in his driving license several times.

His wild hairstyles were not met with enthusiasm everywhere either. Platinum blonde spikes, mohawk or mullet – the footballer changed his hairstyle almost weekly. In 2006, the English press even called him “Mister Toilet Brush” because of his magnificent hair.

His performances also often left a lot to be desired for critics. The most notable is probably the “boss affair”: in 2011, his leadership qualities at Bayern were questioned and he was referred to as “boss”. Schweinsteiger reacted promptly at a press conference and insulted the reporter severely. With the Champions League victory two years later, he finally proved all doubters wrong. “Of course there were moments in the first few years that I smile about today. But that’s part of the life of a young player. It would be rather strange if you didn’t live through that,” the midfield star reflected on his wild past in an interview with “Zeit” in 2015.

Popular player in the national team

In addition to FC Bayern, Bastian Schweinsteiger also made his mark in the national team. He made his debut for the DFB team at the same time as Lukas Podolski (39) on June 6, 2004. From then on, he was an integral part of the team – four European Championships and three World Cups followed. At the 2006 World Cup on home soil, “Poldi and Schweini” developed into an unbeatable duo, the faces of the summer fairytale and the symbolic figures of the German team.

The crowning achievement of Schweinsteiger’s DFB career was the 2014 World Cup title. In the final against Argentina, he took a beating like no other – but he kept getting back up and fighting for victory until the last minute. “In the final, everything hurt physically, but my head and my will were completely there,” the athlete recalled this triumph to NDR. For him, the match was “the best game I’ve ever played because I was just incredibly present.”

Second life as an ARD expert

Two years after his greatest success, Bastian Schweinsteiger retired from the national team after 121 international matches. In 2015, he had already left FC Bayern, first for Manchester United and then for Chicago Fire. He finally hung up his football boots at the MLS club in 2019. “My departure as an active player makes me a little sad, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me soon. I will remain true to football,” he explained.

And how he has remained loyal: Bastian Schweinsteiger – now grey-haired – has been working as an expert for ARD since 2020. At the home European Championships in 2024, he stood on the sidelines of every broadcast on ARD alongside Esther Sedlaczek (38) or Alexander Bommes (48) and provided some funny moments.

Love happiness with Ana Ivanović

In his private life, Bastian Schweinsteiger found great happiness in 2015. His lawyer reported at the time that her client was “in a stable relationship” with Serbian tennis star Ana Ivanović (36). A year later, the sports couple celebrated their dream wedding in Venice. The births of their three sons in 2018, 2019 and 2023 made their love happiness perfect.

Schweinsteiger likes to share photos with his wife on Instagram, but he keeps private details to himself. “I want to be a good person and not make up stories, not create an artificial image. I don’t want to pretend, I want to be authentic,” he explained to “Zeit”. The 40-year-old now knows that “life is more important than sport. That’s why I protect it so much.”