Soccer Players from Germany

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Germans Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Germans Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Germans Soccer Players.

1. #1

   

   Franz Beckenbauer

   1945 - 2024

   HPI 83.5497 langs

   Franz Beckenbauer is most famous for being a German footballer who played as a sweeper. He is also the only person to win the World Cup as...Read moreShow less

   Franz Beckenbauer is most famous for being a German footballer who played as a sweeper. He is also the only person to win the World Cup as captain and coach.

2. #2

   

   Gerd Müller

   1945 - 2021

   HPI 83.2585 langs

   Gerd Müller is most famous for being the all-time leading goalscorer for the German national team. He scored 68 goals in 62 games for his...Read moreShow less

   Gerd Müller is most famous for being the all-time leading goalscorer for the German national team. He scored 68 goals in 62 games for his country.

3. #3

   

   Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

   b. 1955

   HPI 74.2855 langs

   Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is most famous for being a German football player and the current chairman of the European Club Association.

4. #4

   

   Lothar Matthäus

   b. 1961

   HPI 73.7676 langs

   Lothar Matthäus is most famous for being a German football player and manager. He played in the German Bundesliga for Bayern Munich,...Read moreShow less

   Lothar Matthäus is most famous for being a German football player and manager. He played in the German Bundesliga for Bayern Munich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and 1. FC Köln, and was captain of the West German national team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the European Championship in 1980.

5. #5

   

   Oliver Kahn

   b. 1969

   HPI 72.3475 langs

   Oliver Kahn is a German football player who is most famous for being the goalkeeper for Germany's national team during the 2002 FIFA World...Read moreShow less

   Oliver Kahn is a German football player who is most famous for being the goalkeeper for Germany's national team during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

6. #6

   

   Uwe Seeler

   1936 - 2022

   HPI 72.1451 langs

   Uwe Seeler is a retired German footballer and coach who played for Hamburger SV and the West German national team. He is the only player to...Read moreShow less

   Uwe Seeler is a retired German footballer and coach who played for Hamburger SV and the West German national team. He is the only player to have won the European Cup (now called the Champions League) four times, and he is one of three players to have won eight German championships.

7. #7

   

   Fritz Walter

   1920 - 2002

   HPI 71.7653 langs

   Fritz Walter is most famous for being the captain of the West German team that won the 1954 World Cup.

8. #8

   

   Paul Breitner

   b. 1951

   HPI 71.4357 langs

   Paul Breitner is most famous for being a German football player. He was a member of the West German team that won the 1974 World Cup.

9. #9

   

   Rudi Völler

   b. 1960

   HPI 70.5155 langs

   Rudi Völler is most famous for being a German football player who played for West Germany in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.

10. #10

    

    Jürgen Klinsmann

    b. 1964

    HPI 69.9369 langs

    Jürgen Klinsmann is most famous for being the head coach of the German national football team from 2004 to 2006 and the United States...Read moreShow less

    Jürgen Klinsmann is most famous for being the head coach of the German national football team from 2004 to 2006 and the United States national football team from 2011 to 2016.