Brawl and BVB defeat in Vietnam: the wildest friendlies ever

In November 2022, Borussia Dortmund faced off against the Vietnam national team during an Asia tour. Unexpectedly, BVB suffered a 2-1 loss to a team ranked 99th in the FIFA world rankings. Despite the inclusion of prominent players like Mats Hummels, Emre Can, and Donyell Malen, they were unable to secure a victory. In May 2005, Bayern Munich encountered the Germany national team ahead of the winter World Cup in Qatar.

Tensions ran high as former DFB president Uli Hoeneß and then-coach Jürgen Klinsmann did not have the best relationship. Bayern, featuring top international players such as Kahn, Schweinsteiger, and Ballack, dominated with a 4-2 win. In 2024, the A-League All Stars clashed against Premier League side Newcastle United during Global Football Week Melbourne.

The match, which featured only Australia and New Zealand's top-flight players, saw the All Stars triumph with an astonishing 8-0 scoreline. However, Newcastle played with a more youthful lineup. In 2007, China's U23 team faced off against Queens Park Rangers in a supposedly secret friendly. What started as a casual training match escalated into a chaotic brawl involving over 30 participants after a foul.

Kicking, hitting, and fighting ensued until a player was hospitalized. The match was abandoned by the referee. Finally, in May 2012, Arjen Robben played for the Netherlands against his Bayern Munich teammates in a friendly to compensate for an injury. Robben, now playing for Oranje, found himself facing legends like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm, resulting in a 4-2 loss for the Dutch.