FC Bayern Munich (German: FC Bayern München) is a German football club based in Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria. With 2 Intercontinental Cups, 4 European Champions League titles, 1 UEFA Cup title, 1 Cup Winners Cup title, 20 national championships, and 13 German Cups, Bayern Munich is Germanys foremost football club. Bayern is a membership based club and with more than 112,000 members, the second largest in the world after FC Barcelona. Bayern also maintains departments for chess, handball, basketball, gymnastics, bowling and table tennis.

FC Bayern Munich is one of three professional football clubs in Munich. Bayerns main local rival is TSV 1860 Munich, who were the more successful club in the 1960s, winning a cup and a championship. 1860 have since moved between the first and second divisions. 1860 are often referred to by sections of the Bayern support as "gymnasts", insinuating a lack of footballing pedigree. The rivalry has, at least from a Bayern point of view, lost importance over the last decade, reflecting the lopsided state of the achievements of the two clubs and the absence of players for whom local grudges would still matter. 1860 is considered more working-class, and therefore suffers from a diminishing fan base in a city where the manufacturing sector is declining whilst tertiary industries are booming.

FC Bayern Munich is considered the establishment club, which is reflected by their board being stacked with business leaders and the Bavarian prime minister from the Christian Social Union party, which has dominated Bavarian politics since World War II. Their following is mainly recruited from the aspiring middle class and regional Bavaria. A large proportion of their supporters have to travel up to 120 miles regularly, to the clubs home matches, so matches on weekday evenings attract lower attendance.