At the international and continental level, one of the most successful national team in the world is Germany. They have produced different sets of talented and smart players who have won several trophies for the country. They are good in all rounds including Olympics. The Germany national team have won four FIFA world cup trophies and they are the only national team that both the male and female side have won FIFA world cup. Among the several players that have played for the country, below are three of the greatest.
1. Franz Beckenbauer
The greatest German player in history remains Franz Beckenbauer. During his professional career, he was nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the field.
He won the European Footballer of the Year on two occasions and appeared 103 times for West Germany and played in three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships. He is one of three men to have won the World Cup as a player and as a manager. In 1974, he lifted the World Cup trophy and repeated the feat as a manager in 1990. He was the first captain to lift the World Cup and European Championship at international level and the European Cup at club level. Some of his major individual accolades include 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, and in 2004 was listed in the FIFA 100 of the world's greatest living players which was compiled by Pele.
2. Manuel Neuer
The German professional goalkeeper Neuer also ranks as one of the greatest player who has hailed from the country. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the sport. He was named the best goalkeeper of the decade from 2011 to 2020 by IFFHS. He won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany as well as the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper in the tournament.
Heis a tall, large, athletic and physically strong player who has earned critical acclaim from former players and pundits for his speed, stamina, composure, concentration, consistency, and mentality, as well as for being able to adapt to any given situation on the pitch. He is particularly known for his exceptional reflexes, shot-stopping abilities, agility, speed, and footwork, as well as his handling, capacity to read the game, and ability to come out to collect crosses, which enables him to command his area effectively. When the situation demands, he will also often essentially fill the role of a sweeper when opposing players have beaten the offside trap or his team's defensive line by quickly rushing out of goal to anticipate opponents and clear the ball. His skill, speed and decision-making in this area enables his teams to maintain a high defensive line.
in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020, he was IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper, he was IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper of the Decade from 2011–2020, he was the Best European Goalkeeper in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper in 2020
3. Gerhard Gerd Muller
Another great German professional footballer who ranks as one of the best on our list is Gets Muller. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the sport.
He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1970. After a successful season at Bayern Munich, he scored ten goals at the 1970 FIFA World Cup for West Germany where he received the Golden Boot as top goalscorer. In 1972, he won the UEFA European Championship. was ranked ninth in the European player of the Century election held by the International Federation of Football History Statistics and he was voted 13th in the IFFHS' World Player of the Century election. In 2004, Pele named Müller in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
Some of his major accolades include, the 1970 Ballon d'Or award, and German footballer of the Year which he won in1967 and 1969.
