Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Anton Beckenbauer (11 September 1945 – 7 January 2024) was a German footballer and manager whose elegance and authority on the pitch earned him the nickname "Der Kaiser." Starting his career in midfield, he redefined the libero role as a central defender, becoming one of the sport's most iconic figures.

A two-time European Footballer of the Year, Beckenbauer earned 103 caps for West Germany, competing in three World Cups and two European Championships. He belongs to an elite trio—alongside Brazil's Mário Zagallo and France's Didier Deschamps—who won the World Cup both as a player and manager. He captained West Germany to the 1974 World Cup title and later managed the team to victory in 1990. He was also the first captain to lift the World Cup, European Championship, and European Cup. His legacy was honored with selections to the World Team of the 20th Century (1998), the FIFA World Cup Dream Team (2002), the Ballon d'Or Dream Team (2020), and the FIFA 100 (2004).

At Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1967 and three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976, becoming the first captain to achieve that treble. He later served as the club's manager and president. After stints with the New York Cosmos, he was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Beckenbauer also led Germany's successful bid for the 2006 World Cup and chaired its organizing committee. Until 2016, he worked as a pundit for Sky Germany and wrote a column for *Bild*.