Beckenbauer, Franz (1945-2024), was a German soccer player. Beckenbauer is considered one of the greatest players in soccer history. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, he starred for FC Bayern Munich, a leading German soccer club. FC stands for football club. Soccer is called football in much of the world. Beckenbauer also played for the West German national team, serving as team captain from 1971 to 1977. Beckenbauer later managed West Germany before serving as a professional club manager and president. Beckenbauer won the FIFA World Cup tournament as both a team captain (1974) and manager (1990). FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body.
Beckenbauer, a midfielder and defender, was known by the nickname “Der Kaiser” (the emperor). He is often credited with redefining the role of a sweeper, a defensive player principally responsible for stopping attackers who get by other defenders. Beckenbauer expanded the role to include long sprints with the ball, precision passing, and prolific goal scoring. For a discussion of soccer positions and formations, see Soccer (Players and officials).
Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born on Sept. 11, 1945, in Munich, Germany. He joined Bayern Munich’s youth team at age 14 and made his professional debut at 18. Beckenbauer played his first match for the West German national team in 1965. He became team captain of both Bayern Munich and West Germany. Bayern won the championship of the Bundesliga, Germany’s top soccer league, in 1969 and from 1972 to 1974. Bayern also won three straight European Cups from 1974 to 1976. Beckenbauer’s West German national team won the European Championship in 1972 and defeated the Netherlands 2-1 to win the 1974 World Cup. Beckenbauer won the Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious award given to an individual soccer player, in 1972 and 1976. He was named German Footballer of the Year in 1966, 1968, 1974, and 1976.
Beckenbauer played for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1980 and again in 1983. Between his stints with the Cosmos, he returned to the Bundesliga to play for Hamburger SV. SV stands for Sport-Verein (sports club). Beckenbauer retired as a player after the 1983 season. In 1984, he took over as manager of the West German national team. The West Germans reached the World Cup final in 1986, losing to Argentina 3-2. West Germany returned to the World Cup final in 1990, this time defeating Argentina 1-0. Beckenbauer then briefly managed Olympique de Marseille in France before returning to Bayern as manager from 1993 to 1994 and again in 1996. He then served as an executive with Bayern, FIFA, and the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (German Football Association). Beckenbauer died on Jan. 7, 2024.
