#18 Gerd Muller – Der Bomber der Nation (The Nation’s Bomber)
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Muller was the quintessential no. 9. His propensity to score goals by the number earned him the nickname, translated as The Nation’s Bomber.
Until 2006, Muller held the record for the most number of goals scored in World Cup finals history. It was broken by Ronaldo is 2006 before Muller’s countryman Miroslav Klose broke the record again in 2014.
Muller won the Golden Boot in the 1970 World Cup – scoring 10 goals in the competition. He was also a part of the West Germany side that won the 1974 World Cup on home soil, the first world title for the country.
In many ways, his namesake – Thomas Muller is the closest modern player to Gerd Muller. He wasn’t particularly gifted in any one aspect of the game, but he knew where to be and when to be there to get the goals. Ultimately, in its simplest form, football is about scoring goals.
