Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer
Beckenbauer with West Germany in 1975
Personal information
Full name Franz Anton Beckenbauer
Date of birth (1945-09-11)11 September 1945
Place of birth Munich, Southwest zone, Allied-occupied Germany
Date of death 7 January 2024(2024-01-07) (aged 78)
Place of death Salzburg, Austria
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Defender, sweeper
Youth career
1951–1959 SC 1906 München
1959–1964 Bayern Munich
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1977 Bayern Munich 427 (60)
1977–1980 New York Cosmos 80 (17)
1980–1982 Hamburger SV 28 (0)
1983 New York Cosmos 25 (2)
Total 560 (79)
International career
1964 West Germany Youth 3 (3)
1965 West Germany B 2 (0)
1965–1977 West Germany 103 (14)
Managerial career
1984–1990 West Germany
1990 Marseille
1993–1994 Bayern Munich
1996 Bayern Munich
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  West Germany (as player)
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1974
Runner-up 1966
1970
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1972
Runner-up 1976
Representing  West Germany (as manager)
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1990
Runner-up 1986
UEFA European Championship
1988
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Franz Anton Beckenbauer (German pronunciation: [fʁants ˈbɛkn̩ˌbaʊɐ] ⓘ; 11 September 1945 – 7 January 2024) was a German professional football player, manager, and official. Nicknamed der Kaiser ("the Emperor"),[1][2] he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players of all time.[3] Beckenbauer was a versatile player who started out as a midfielder, but made his name as a centre-half. He is often credited as having invented the role of the modern sweeper (libero).[4]

Twice named European Footballer of the Year, Beckenbauer appeared 103 times for West Germany, playing in three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships. He is one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the European Champions Cup, and the Ballon d'Or.[5] He is one of three men, along with Brazil's Mário Zagallo and France's Didier Deschamps, to have won the World Cup as a player and as a manager; he lifted the World Cup trophy as captain in 1974, and repeated the feat as a manager in 1990.[6] He was the first captain to lift the World Cup and European Championship at the international level and the European Cup at the club level. He was named in the World Team of the 20th Century in 1998, the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002, the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020, the IFFHS All-time Men's Dream Team in 2021, and in 2004, was listed in the FIFA 100 of the world's greatest living players.[7][8] In August 2024, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) voted him as the third best footballer of the past 100 years after Pelé and Diego Maradona.[9][10]

At club level with Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1967 and three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976. The latter feat made him the first player to win three European Cups as captain of his club. He became team manager and later president of Bayern Munich. After two spells with the New York Cosmos he was inducted into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame.[11]

Beckenbauer led Germany's successful bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup and chaired the organizing committee. He worked as a pundit for Sky Germany, and for 34 years as a columnist for the tabloid Bild, both until 2016.[12] Beginning August 2016, he was investigated for fraud and money laundering in connection with the 2006 World Cup.[13] The investigation was closed without a verdict in 2020 as the statute of limitations expired.[14]

  1. ^ "Der Kaiser, the brains behind Germany". FIFA. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  2. ^ Lawton, James (3 June 2006). "Franz Beckenbauer: The Kaiser". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  3. ^ Delaney, Miguel. "Farewell Franz Beckenbauer, the last of football's immortals". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Franz Beckenbauer bio". ifhof.com – International Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
  5. ^ "The nine players who have won Ballon d'Or, Champions League and World Cup". besoccer.com. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  6. ^ West, Jenna (15 July 2018). "Didier Deschamps Becomes Third to Win World Cup as Player and Manager". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference wrldallt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Serena Williams and Muhammad Ali crowned AIPS Best Champions of the Century: As voted by 913 journalists". AIPS. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Plebiscyt AIPS: Serena Williams i Muhammad Ali najlepsi na stulecie organizacji" [AIPS Poll: Serena Williams and Muhammad Ali the best for the organization's centenary] (in Polish). 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Franz Beckenbauer – 1998 Inductee | National Soccer Hall of Fame". Franz Beckenbauer – 1998 Inductee | National Soccer Hall of Fame. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Franz sagt Servus". Bild (in German). 20 December 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Franz Beckenbauer investigated for corruption over 2006 World Cup". BBC News. September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Franz Beckenbauer's trial for corruption charges ends without verdict". Sky Sports. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
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