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5 Greatest German Football Players Of All Time

The German Football Team is one of the most successful national teams in the world. They have won the FIFA World Cup four times, the UEFA European Championship (Euros) three times, and the FIFA Confederations Cup once. It goes without saying that such a successful team produced some of the greatest footballers ever. This list discusses some of the greatest German players ever to play the beautiful game.

Who Are The Greatest German Football Players Of All Time?

5. Philipp Lahm

516 appearances, zero red cards. ❤️️
8 Bundesliga titles. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
6 DFB Pokals. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
1 Champions League. 🏆

-Philipp Lahm pic.twitter.com/VV7UugC8Af

— FootballFunnys (@FootballFunnnys) May 19, 2017

Philipp Lahm is regarded as one of the greatest defenders ever. Pep Guardiola has managed some of the greatest players ever, but it was Lahm whom he labelled as ‘the most intelligent player I have ever coached’. Lahm spent almost the entirety of his career playing for Bayern Munich. He only played for another team during a two-year loan at VfB Stuttgart. The defender made a total of 652 club appearances and 113 appearances for his national team, playing 765 matches in his career.

One of the most unbelievable facts about his stellar career is that Lahm never received a red card despite being a defender. Something even more surreal than this is that he once went 13 months without committing a foul. These stats go to show how good the defender was and how he prioritized playing the beautiful game in a fair manner. He never resorted to using cheap tricks to stop the attackers, or rather, he never needed to.

Philipp Lahm captained Bayern Munich from 2011 to 2017 and Germany from 2010 to 2014. He led Germany to a World Cup trophy in the 214 FIFA World Cup. He won the Bundesliga title eight times with Bayern Munich and the UEFA Champions League title in the 2012 – 13 season. Lahm was never exceptionally fast, but he read the game so well that he could cover and stop even the quickest of players. He ended his career as one of the most decorated players in the world.

4. Lothar Matthaus

 

Credit: These Football Times

Lothar Matthaus played from 1978 to 2000. He retired in 2000, but he did come back to play 50 minutes of a match for 1. FC Herzogenaurach in 2018. The midfielder played 932 games for club and country. He made 150 appearances for Germany, and the rest came from the numerous clubs he played for across his career. Most of his career was spent in German club Bayern Munich. Matthaus made over 300 appearances for Bayern in the Bundesliga.

Matthaus captained Germany from 1988 to 1994. He guided Germany to a World Cup trophy in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. This performance helped him win his first and only Ballon d’Or. He beat out Salvatore Schillaci and Andreas Brehme to win the 1990 Ballon d’Or. Lothar Matthaus was an extremely skilled player who could play anywhere in the midfield. He had several traits, like stamina, leadership, and technique, that helped him transform into such a great player.

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3. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Happy Birthday to legend Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (Ballon d'or 1980 & 1981) pic.twitter.com/IKme0pULgW

— Old School Panini (@OldSchoolPanini) September 25, 2014

Like every other player on this list, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge spent the majority of his career playing for Bayern Munich. Rummenigge played for Bayern from 1974 to 1984, making 422 appearances for them. He played 310 games in the Bundesliga and scored 162 goals. During his 10 seasons with the club, he was the top scorer three times and won two league titles, two domestic cups, and two European Cups.

Rummenigge made 95 appearances for Germany. He won the 1980 Euros with them but was unable to win the FIFA World Cup. He helped his nation reach the World Cup final in consecutive tournaments (1982 and 1986) but failed to clinch the trophy both times. This is perhaps the only stain on his otherwise stellar career. Rummenigge was made Germany’s captain in 1981 and stayed so till 1986.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s best finishes in the Ballon d’Or between 1979 and 1981. He finished second in the 1979 Ballon d’Or behind Kevin Keegan. However, he helped Germany win the 1980 Euros and became the favourite to win the 1980 Ballon d’Or. He beat Bernd Schuster and Michel Platini to win his first-ever Ballon d’Or in 1980. His total doubled the very next year. After impressing once again, Rummenigge won the 1981 Ballon d’Or award as well, this time beating Paul Breitner and Bernd Schuster to win the award. With two Ballon d’Or awards and a Euros title, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stands third on this list.

2. Gerd Muller

Credit: The Telegraph

Gerd Muller is quite possibly the most prolific striker the world has ever seen. The German international started his career in 1861 Nordlingen. After just two seasons with them, he decided to transfer to Bayern Munich. He played for Bayern from 1964 to 1979. He played 605 games for them and scored 563 goals, which is an incredible goal-scoring record. He scored 365 goals in the Bundesliga in 427 games, setting a record for the most goals scored in the competition. This record has yet to be broken by anyone.

Gerd Muller played 62 games for Germany and scored 68 goals. He won the 1972 UEFA European Championship and the 1974 FIFA World Cup with his national team. Muller won his maiden Ballon d’Or award in 1970. He finished ahead of Bobby Moore and Gigi Riva to do so. The German striker was so good that he now has an award named after him. In 2021, France Football introduced a ‘Striker of the Year award’. After Gerd Muller died in 2021, the award was renamed as the ‘Gerd Muller Trophy’.

1. Franz Beckenbauer

🎂 Happy birthday to the 1972 and 1976 Ballon d'Or winner, Franz Beckenbauer!#ballondor pic.twitter.com/qe9gZRzd0L

— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 11, 2023

Many consider Franz Beckenbauer to be the best defender ever. The only other player who gives him competition for this title is Italian icon Paolo Maldini. He started his professional career at Bayern Munich, where he played from 1964 to 1977, making 584 appearances. After leaving the club, he played for New York Cosmos and Hamburger SV, but the majority of his career was spent at Bayern.

Beckenbauer made 103 appearances for Germany. He was appointed captain in 1972 and remained as the captain till 1977. Beckenbauer won both the Euros and the World Cup as Germany’s captain. He led them to the 1972 European Championship title and to the 1974 FIFA World Cup trophy.

The German star is the only defender in history to win multiple Ballon d’Or awards. He won his first Ballon d’Or award in 1972, beating his compatriots Gerd Müller and Gunter Netzer to the award. Beckenbauer finished as the runner-up in the 1974 and 1975 Ballon d’Or standings. However, he was finally able to claim his second Ballon d’Or award in 1976. The German was at the top of his game for the longest period of time and is the greatest German footballer ever.

For more news and updates on the German Football Team, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.

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