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Germany have produced some of the most decorated, innovative and remarkable footballers of all time. Although entertainment is not a word one associates with anything German, it has increasingly become a part of German football in recent times.
The German national team has tasted incredible success since the turn of the millennium. Since 2002, Die Mannschaft have reached at least the semi-finals of every edition of the UEFA Euro (except 2020) and the FIFA World Cup (except 2018). They won the FIFA World Cup in 2014 in incredible fashion, seeing off hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals.
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Over the years, players like Gerd Muller, Lothar Matthaus, Phillip Lahm, Miroslav Klose and Bastian Schweinsteiger have been the key players of dominant German teams. However, the old guard is slowly being replaced with young, exciting talent.
These players embody the German spirit of winning at all costs as well as their own elements of enjoyment and flair. On that note, here's a look at five such players who have been the most entertaining German footballers of all time.
#5 Lukas Podolski
Lukas Josef Podolski was born in Gliwice, Poland, in 1985. He came through the youth ranks at FC Koln before moving to Bayern Munich. He was back at Koln after an unsuccessful stint in Bavaria. Podolski's second stint at Koln and his subsequent spell at Arsenal marked the peak of his career.
Due to his Polish heritage, Podolski was eligible to play for Poland, but was rejected by former Poland coach Pawel Janas in 2003. Poldi then chose Germany, and went on to become their third-highest capped player (130 caps) and the third-highest scorer (49 goals) for them.
Podolski was known for his wand of a left foot. He was exceptional with volleys, and hit the ball with a sweet connection more often than not. Podolski scored a few stunners during his time at Arsenal. That included a brilliant volleyed goal against Montpellier in the UEFA Champions League.
His first goal at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal was a cracker, too, with Poldi sending his strike into the Southampton goal's top corner.
He scored some wonderful goals during his illustrious career, and capped it off with another sublime effort. Lukas Podolski found the back of the net in his final game for Germany, against England. He sent his shot rifling into the top corner of the net from 25 yards out.
Lukas Podolski currently plays for Gornik Zabrze, one of the most successful Polish clubs.
#4 Manuel Neuer
Manuel Peter Neuer was born in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany, in 1986. Over the course of his career, Neuer has been regarded as one of the greatest and most revolutionary goalkeepers of all time.
He is renowned for his incredible positional sense and willingness to charge out of his box to pressurise opponents. Neuer has changed a thing or two about modern goalkeeping. He is often credited with the 'invention' of the sweeper-keeper position. One can often see him slot between two centre-backs when his team is in possession.
Manuel Neuer is one of the most successful goalkeepers in history. With Bayern Munich, he has won the Bundesliga nine times, the DFB Pokal five times and the UEFA Champions League twice. With Germany, Neuer became world champion in 2014.
Neuer's Bayern Munich currently find themselves in top spot in the German Bundesliga heading into Christmas. He will hope to lead his side to yet another league title.
#3 Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born in Munich, Germany, in 1945. Over the course of his career, Beckenbauer earned the monicker 'Der Kaiser' or 'The King' for his playing style and leadership qualities.
Beckenbauer began his career at Bayern Munich's youth academy, and later joined the senior team after signing his first professional contract in 1964. With the Bavarian giants, the German centre-back won four Bundesliga titles and three European Cups.
Before Sergio Ramos (2018), Beckenbauer stood alone as the only player to win three European Cups (now called the UEFA Champions League) as captain.
During the 1970s, there was arguably nobody as good as 'Der Kaiser' playing in Europe. He capped off a stunning decade with two Ballon d'Or awards, won in 1972 and 1976.
Franz Beckenbauer's career was the blueprint for many young defenders after him to follow. Mathias Sammer, a fellow German, came closest to replicating 'Der Kaiser', winning the Ballon d'Or in 1996. However, in terms of impact, nobody might ever come close to Kaiser.
#2 Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil was born in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany, in 1988. Predominantly an attacking midfielder, the German has wowed fans worldwide with his exceptional ball control and first touch.
Ozil came through the ranks at Schalke before joining Werder Bremen. There. he was noticed by Real Madrid, who signed the midfielder in 2010 for €15 million. He won La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Madrid during his time in Spain. He scored 27 goals and provided an incredible 80 assists in 160 games. He was part of a strong young core at Real Madrid.
In 2014, Ozil moved to Arsenal for £42.5 million, and quickly became one of the most key players for the club. He scored 44 goals and provided 79 assists during his time in England. Ozil won three FA Cups with Arsenal.
He provided some incredible assists while playing for the Gunners, with a flick against Aston Villa to send Olivier Giroud through on goal being one of them.
A few years later, the maestro scored a sublime late goal to secure victory for Arsenal in a Champions League game against Ludogorets. He received the ball near the halfway line before running towards goal. Ozil then rounded the goalkeeper, bamboozling two defenders down with a feint before calmly slotting into an empty net.
Later in his Arsenal career, Ozil was frozen out of the team due to internal issues with the club's management. He joined Fenerbahce in 2021, and currently plays for the Turkish club.
#1 Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller was born in West Germany in 1989, and plays mainly as an attacking midfielder or a forward.
Muller came through the ranks at Bayern Munich, and played for their second team before being promoted to the first team in 2008. Since then, Muller has been a key component of Bayern Munich's all-conquering teams.
The German has an incredible record for Bayern, scoring 222 goals and assisting 254 in 696 games across competitions. He has won ten Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies with the Bavarians.
Muller incredibly ranks second in the list of all-time assists, behind only Lionel Messi.
For the German national side, Muller has 42 goals in 110 appearances. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he came into his own with five goals and three assists. The German won the Golden Boot award in the tournament, and was also named the Best Young Player there.
He scored five goals in the 2014 edition as well, helping Germany clinch the title. That included an eventful game against Portugal that Germany won 4-0. Thomas Muller scored a hat-trick, and was involved in an incident that saw Portuguese defender Pepe sent off.
Muller's Bayern Munich are currently sitting comfortably in first place in the Bundesliga going into the Christmas period. They will hope to secure yet another league title before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next year.
Surprisingly, Thomas Muller has not scored a single goal in 15 UEFA Euro games. All eyes will be on Muller (10 goals) as he looks to break Miroslav Klose's World Cup record of 16 next year.
