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#3 Lothar Matthaus
Lothar Matthaus remains Germany's highest-capped player to date (150), leaving an incredible mark for his country. The legendary midfielder had a tremendous impact on the clubs he played for, notably Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
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Matthaus was a pivotal part of the German team which went on to win the Euro cup in 1980 and the FIFA World Cup in 1990. He made 150 appearances for Germany, cementing his legacy as one of the best midfielders of all time.
Matthaus was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1990 following his sensational performance for Germany, helping his country win the World Cup. He scored four goals in the tournament. He was at Inter Milan at the time when he became the fourth German footballer to lift the prestigious award.
In addition to being a genius midfielder, Matthaus scored over 200 goals for the clubs he played for.
#2 Gerd Muller
Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers ever, Gerd Muller was one of his kind. Der Bomber set a plethora of records during his time - one of them being the first German player to win the Ballon d'Or. He was one of the footballers to have won the FIFA World Cup, European Cup and the Ballon d'Or in his illustrious career.
Gerd Muller was Germany's highest scorer for a long time with 68 goals. This record was broken in 2014 by Miroslav Klose. He was pivotal for Germany in the 1970 World Cup, scoring a whopping ten goals in the tournament. For his extraterrestrial exploits, he was awarded the Ballon d'Or that year.
In addition to being a legend for his nation, Gerd Muller was undisputed for his club, Bayern Munich. The legendary forward racked up over 500 goals for the Bavarians, helping them win four Bundesliga titles and three European cups during his tenure.
#1 Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer was arguably the greatest German footballer in their rich history. The legendary footballer became the first defender to win the Ballon d'Or in 1972, with all of the top three players belonging to Germany. He claimed the prestigious award again four years later, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time greats.
Beckenbauer revolutionized the art of defending and, popularizing the role of a libero like no other. Besides being a great defender, he had a knack of moving into the midfield. He possessed a great passing range to become a perfect sweeper. It goes without saying that he was probably the most crucial player for his club and country in 1970s.
Beckenbauer helped Germany clinch the Euros in 1972 and the FIFA World Cup in 1974. For Bayern Munich, he made over 500 appearances and remains one of their greatest ever players.
