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Football has developed to a level where the most important thing is winning trophies. It’s always nice if that comes with style, but the managers in this era have to produce consistent results to keep their jobs.
And by producing results, I mean winning silverware. That said, there is no doubt that the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup are the two biggest trophies in world football currently.
Every footballer, whether from Africa, Asia, Europe or Australia, craves the two aforementioned titles. While some players have been fortunate enough to win either of them, others have been luckier to win both.
But there’s a third category: These are players who did not just win both the Champions League and the World Cup, but they managed to impressively do it in the same year.
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Below, we take a look at all the players to have won both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League in the same year:
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#11 Gerd Muller
Gerd Muller’s status in football history is just as well documented as his legacy. The German was a predator in front of goal and scored many times for Bayern Munich and his national team.
Muller was part of the Bayern Munich side that won the European Cup, now the Champions League, three times on the bounce in the mid-1970s. Even more special, in 1974, he won both the Champions League and the World Cup in the same year.
After helping Bayern defeat Atletico Madrid in the European Cup final, Muller played another influential role as West Germany beat the Netherlands to lift the World Cup later in the year.
#10 Uli Hoeness
Just like Muller, Uli Hoeness was also a part of that all-conquering Bayern Munich side in the 1970s. The former president of the Bavarian club was such a talented footballer in his playing days.
He was an important player for Bayern when they won the European Cup in 1974 and was equally instrumental in West Germany’s triumph at the World Cup later in the year.
#9 Paul Breitner
Another player who won the FIFA World Cup and the European Cup in the same year is Paul Breitner. Then playing for West Germany and Bayern Munich, the midfielder was a mainstay in both teams.
The Bayern and West Germany teams of the 1970s contained several talents, but Breitner most often found himself in the starting line-up. He was right there when West Germany and Bayern won the World Cup and the European Cup, respectively, in 1974.
#8 Franz Beckenbauer
Don’t yet get tired of the players from Bayern Munich and West Germany who won an enviable number of laurels in the 1970s. Another person in that league is the legendary Franz Beckenbauer.
The defender emerged European and world champion in 1974 with Bayern Munich and West Germany, respectively. Like all his aforementioned compatriots, Beckenbauer was a special talent and was consistently a warrior at the back for both club and country.
#7 Sepp Maier
Sepp Maier also joins the distinguished list of footballers who won the European Cup and the FIFA World Cup in the same year. The former goalkeeper was part of a golden generation at both club and country.
Both the Bayern Munich and West Germany teams he played in were dominant and ruthless. And he was there all the step of the way as Bayern and Germany won the European Cup and World Cup, respectively, in 1974.
#6 Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck
Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck is a Germany and Bayern Munich legend. The 71-year-old played so many games for both club and country, and stands as one of the few players to have won the World Cup and European Cup in the same year.
When West Germany beat the Netherlands to win the 1974 FIFA World Cup, he was in the team. Schwarzenbeck was again present when Bayern Munich trounced Atletico Madrid 4-0 to emerge as European champions that same year.
#5 Jupp Kapellmann
The list so far has been dominated by Bayern Munich and Germany legends, but there’s one more, and his name is Jupp Kapellmann. The midfielder was also a member of the Bayern and West Germany teams of the 1970s.
He won lots of laurels with club and country but none stands out as the year when he was both an European and a world champion. He achieved this feat in 1974, playing alongside all the aforementioned Bayern and Germany legends listed above.
#4 Christian Karembeu
Former France international Christian Karembeu was not a luxury player, but he never let his team down when playing in his favoured defensive midfield role. In the late 1990s, though, he was one of the best in his position.
Karembeu was a member of the Real Madrid side that won the UEFA Champions League in 1998, beating Juventus in the final. The Frenchman also made a series of substitute appearances in the FIFA World Cup later in the same year, as Les Bleus defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final.
#3 Roberto Carlos
Think left-back and there is no way one can leave out Roberto Carlos’ name in any all-time list of best players in that position. Not only was the Brazilian an explosive presence, his shooting ability was out of the world.
In 2002, Carlos would enjoy his most successful spell as a player. First, he helped Real Madrid lift the Champions League, beating Bayer Leverkusen in the final. He then teamed up with his Brazil teammates later in the same year as they recorded a 2-0 win over Germany to win the World Cup.
#2 Sami Khedira
While there have been many German players who have won the Champions League and World Cup in the same year in the past, Sami Khedira also joined this exclusive list in 2014.
The midfielder started that year battling injury but ended it as an European and world champion. After helping Real Madrid to the Champions League in May, Khedira was back at it again in July, helping Germany to a narrow 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final.
#1 Raphael Varane
The most recent player to have won the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup in the same year is Raphael Varane. At just 26, the Frenchman has seen a lot and won a lot in football.
In 2018, Varane played a key role as Real Madrid beat Liverpool to lift a record 13th Champions League title. Then two months later, he was at the heart of defence as France routed Croatia 4-2 to win the FIFA World Cup.
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