Abstract: An axial needle bearing includes a sheave and a cage. The sheave includes a radially outer sheave section having a rolling body race, a connecting angled thrust rib, and a ring section which is connected to the thrust rib and axially offset with respect to the sheave section. The disc-like cage retains bearing needles in pockets rolling on the rolling body race. The cage is fixed in position axially by a plurality of retaining sections extending radially from the ring section over the thrust rib and engaging over the cage, beneath each of which retaining sections a recess is provided in the sheave. The recesses beneath the retaining sections have a U-contour as they are worked into the sheave and are designed to extend with the web of the U-contour into the sheave section and with the ends of the U-contour into the ring section.