The Top 20 German Players in History.

Germany has long been the birthplace of footballing legends, with players from Nationalmannschaft leaving an unforgettable mark on the beautiful game. With four World Cup titles, the German national team has solidified its place as one of the greatest in history. In this video, we'll take a look at the top 20 players who have made the biggest impact in German football history. In 20th place is Bastian Schweinsteiger. His combination of technical quality and winning mentality cemented his status as an elite midfield talent. He played for clubs like Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Chicago Fire. He spent the majority of his career with Bayern Munich, where he achieved all the domestic titles in addition to winning the UEFA Champions League. In his international career, he won the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and was a runner up in the UEFA European Championship. He was also featured as German Player of the Year in 2010. In 19th place is Michael Ballack. Ballack was renowned for his powerful physique, excellent technical ability and leadership qualities. He began his professional career in Germany, starring for clubs like Kaiserslautern, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, where he achieved significant domestic success. However, his main success came when he joined Chelsea, where he won several trophies, including the Premier League. For the national team, Ballack unfortunately didn't win any major trophies, but he did manage to be a runner up in the 2002 World Cup and the 2008 UEFA European Championship. Individually, he was featured as German Footballer of the Year three times in a row. Over his career, he scored 149 goals for the clubs he played for and 42 goals for the national team. In 18th place is Berti Voigtz. As a player, Voigtz was known for his strong defensive abilities as a no-nonsense centre back. He spent the majority of his playing days with Borussia Mönchengladbach, helping the club win five Bundesliga titles and the UEFA Cup. Voigtz also represented the West German national team, earning over 50 caps. He was a key member of the squad that won the 1974 World Cup. Additionally, he also won the UEFA European Championship in 1972. Individually, he was featured as German Footballer of the Year in 1971 and 1979. In 17th place is Thomas Müller. What makes Müller special is his incredible versatility and work rate. He can play as a forward, attacking midfielder or even in a deeper role, always contributing to the team's success. Müller has spent his entire professional career with Bayern, joining their youth academy as a teenager. He quickly broke into the first team and has since become a key member of the squad, winning over 10 Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies. On the international stage, he has represented his country in four World Cups, winning the tournament in 2014. Throughout his career, he has scored 260 goals for his clubs and 45 goals for the national team, making him the seventh-highest scorer in the history of the German national team. In 16th place is Sepp Maier. One of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of German football, he had an incredibly successful career that spanned over 20 years. Maier played his entire professional career with Bayern Munich, where he quickly established himself as the team's first-choice goalkeeper. He went on to win numerous titles with the club, including four Bundesliga championships and three European Cups. His international career was also highly successful, as he won the FIFA World Cup in 1974 and the UEFA European Championship in 1972. In 15th place is Paul Breitner. What made Breitner special was his versatility. He could excel in defence or midfield, often dictating the tempo of the game with his passing and vision. Breitner played for clubs like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Eintracht Braunschweig. With Bayern, he won multiple domestic titles, along with the European Cup in 1973. During his time at Real Madrid, he won two consecutive league titles. For the national team, Breitner won the World Cup in 1974 and the UEFA European Championship in 1972. He was also a runner-up in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. In 14th place is Jürgen Klinsmann. As a player, Klinsmann was known for his incredible goal-scoring ability and tireless work rate as a striker. He played for top clubs like Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan, winning numerous trophies. Klinsmann was also a key player for the German national team, representing his country in three World Cups and two European Championships. He played a crucial role in Germany's victory at the 1990 World Cup, scoring important goals. He also won the European Championship in 1996 and earned a bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Individually, he was named German Footballer of the Year twice. Over his club career, he scored 284 goals and for the national team, he netted 47 goals, making him one of the top five all-time scorers for the German national team. In 13th place is Toni Kroos, a recently retired world-class German midfielder who enjoyed an incredibly successful career at the highest level of the game. Kroos played for two of the biggest clubs in Europe, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. At Bayern Munich, Kroos was part of the 2013 treble-winning team and secured numerous league titles. However, his peak came at Real Madrid, where he achieved immense success, including winning five UEFA Champions League trophies. On the international stage, Kroos was a key member of the squad that won the 2014 World Cup. In 12th place is Matthias Sammer. Sammer was a versatile defender who could also play in midfield. He played for German clubs such as Dynamo Dresden, VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund, as well as Inter Milan in Italy. Sammer won three Bundesliga titles, one with Stuttgart and two with Dortmund, and lifted the Champions League in 1996. For the national team, Sammer's greatest achievement as a player was captaining Germany to victory at the 1996 European Championship. Individually, he won the Ballon d'Or in 1996 as a defender and was a two-time German footballer of the year. In 11th place is Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. What made Rummenigge so special was his exceptional technical ability, clinical finishing and intelligent movement in the penalty area. He played for clubs like Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Servette, but his major success came with Bayern. He helped Bayern win numerous Bundesliga titles and European trophies, including two European Cups. On the international stage, he was a member of the team that won the 1980 European Championship and finished as runners-up at the 1982 World Cup. In terms of individual achievements, Rummenigge is a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, earning the honour in 1980 and 1981. He scored 293 goals and for the national team, he netted 45 goals, making him the sixth highest scorer in the history of the German national team. In 10th place is Oliver Kahn, nicknamed Der Titan for his imperious and intimidating displays between the sticks. Kahn remains one of the greatest goalkeepers in modern history. He played for just two clubs, Karlsruhe SC and Bayern Munich, spending the majority of his illustrious career with Bayern. In more than 600 appearances for Bayern Munich, Kahn won eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB Pokals and a Champions League. On the international stage, Kahn was part of the squads that won Euro 96 and reached the World Cup final six years later. He remains the benchmark by which all goalkeepers are judged in Germany, with his spectacular displays in 2002 becoming part of German football folklore. Kahn is the only goalkeeper to have won the Golden Ball at a earning the honour after inspiring Germany all the way to the final in Japan in 2002. In ninth place is Fritz Walter, the captain of West Germany's first World Cup victory in 1954. Walter was an elegant and devastating attacking midfielder, equally capable of scoring and providing goals. He scored 33 goals in 61 appearances for Germany, but it was for his boyhood club, Kaiserslautern, where he is most revered. The club's stadium, built in 1985, was named in his honour as he spent his entire career there, scoring 357 goals in 364 league games. In eighth place is Miroslav Klose. Known for being an exceptional striker, he was strong, fast and consistently found the back of the net. While there may be technically superior footballers on this list, few can match Klose's international efficiency. Klose remains Germany's all-time top scorer with 71 goals and he holds the record for the most goals scored in World Cup history with 16. Klose's domestic record was solid, if unspectacular, with 258 goals in 667 matches for several European clubs. He won two Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich as well as a Coppa Italia with Lazio. Without his international career, Klose would be considered a decent player, but with it, he's a bonafide legend. In seventh place is Manuel Neuer, the man often credited with revolutionising an entire position. While Neuer didn't invent the sweeper-keeper role, many had done it before him. There's no denying that the Germany and Bayern Munich captain perfected the art. He played for two German clubs, Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich. However, he got his major success during his tenure at Bayern. The 36-year-old has been the bedrock of two trebles at Bayern and has won an abundance of Bundesliga titles while guarding the nets at the Allianz Arena. At the international stage, his pivotal role in Germany's 2014 World Cup victory adds even greater prestige to his already illustrious career. In sixth place is Günter Netzer, nicknamed Karajan after the esteemed Austrian classical conductor. Netzer was a player of rare intelligence, balance and technical genius, considered by many to be the greatest passer in German football history. The maverick midfielder orchestrated Borussia Mönchengladbach's back-to-back Bundesliga triumphs in the early 1970s before moving to Real Madrid, where he continued to inspire success, winning two La Ligas in a row. With the national team, Netzer was part of the squads that won Euro 1972 and the 1974 World Cup. In fifth place is Uwe Seeler, the undisputed star of German football in the 1960s. The three-time German footballer of the year was known for his strength, leadership, aerial ability and, surprisingly for such a big man, his acrobatic overhead kicks. A towering stone carving of his bare right foot stands proudly outside Hamburg's Volksparkstadion, a fitting tribute to a player who scored 490 goals in 580 appearances for HSV. Seeler's relentless goal-scoring instincts propelled HSV to the German title in 1960 and a DFB-Pokal three years later. His 43 goals in 72 international appearances also brought West Germany within touching distance of the 1966 World Cup. A distraught Seeler being helped off the Wembley turf remains one of the most iconic photos in football history. In fourth place is Philipp Lahm, short, not particularly strong, fast or aggressive. You might mistake Philipp Lahm for an accountant rather than one of the greatest players ever. The Bayern Munich Star Awards may have lacked physicality but he made up for it with an astonishing football IQ. Lahm played his entire professional career with Bayern Munich where he achieved eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals and a Champions League with the Bavarian Giants but his greatest moments came on the international stage. After being a runner-up at the UEFA U19 Championship in 2002 and again at the UEFA European Championship in 2008, Lahm's crowning achievement was captaining the German national team to victory at the 2014 World Cup. Their 2014 team's arguably the greatest in German history and Lahm might have been the pick of the bunch. In third place is Lothar Matthäus. Known for his strong skills, leadership and ability to score goals, Matthäus was a versatile player who could operate both as a midfielder and a sweeper making him invaluable to his teams. He played for German clubs like FC Herzogenaurach, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayern Munich as well as Inter Milan and the Metrostars. Matthäus was the brains and brawn for every team he represented. Whether it was the all-conquering Bayern Munich of the 80s and late 90s winning seven Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokals and a UEFA Cup or a sublime Inter Milan side that lifted the league and UEFA Cup titles in between. As for his international career it seems almost mathematically impossible that Matthäus played in both Euro 1980 and Euro 2000. He won his first major tournament, the UEFA European Championship in 1980 and captained West Germany to victory at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Individually he won the Ballon d'Or in 1990 and was twice named German Footballer of the Year. At the club level he scored 204 goals and provided 66 assists while for the national team he scored 23 goals and made 17 assists. In second place is Gerd Müller, nicknamed a Bomber by German football fans for his ability to destroy defences. Müller was known for his strength, powerful shot and acceleration. He played for German clubs like Nordlingen, Bayern Munich and Fort Lauderdale Strikers. His main success came with Bayern Munich where he won four Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokals and three consecutive European Cups. However he is best known for his international career. Müller won the UEFA European Championship with West Germany in Two years later he won the 1974 FIFA World Cup on home soil, scoring the winning goal in the final. Individually Müller won the Ballon d'Or in 1970 and was twice named German Footballer of the Year. At the club level he scored 365 goals for Bayern in 427 appearances, a rate of 0.85 goals per game. He remains both Bayern's and the Bundesliga's all-time top scorer. For the national team Müller scored 68 goals making him Germany's second highest scorer, just three behind Miroslav Klose despite playing 75 fewer games. He also holds the record for the most hat-tricks for Germany. Müller held the record for the most World Cup goals from 1974 until 2006 when it was broken by Brazil's Ronaldo. He was a statistical machine, a cheat code of a striker during a time when pitches were rough and yellow cards were rarely given. He remains the greatest goal scorer in In first place is Franz Beckenbauer, known as Der Kaiser, which means the Emperor. Sweepers were already common in the 1960s but none played the role quite like Beckenbauer. Not only did he dictate play from deep with his exceptional passing range but he also constantly surged forward with the ball, gliding past opponents to join attacks. He played for clubs like Hamburger SV, Bayern Munich and New York Cosmos. Bayern Munich was his primary club where he won four titles, four German Cups and three consecutive European Cups. He later added another league title with Hamburg showcasing his ability to turn any team into winners. With the national team Beckenbauer was the driving force behind West Germany's triumphs at Euro 1972 and the 1974 World Cup where he capped in the side. Individually Beckenbauer's accolades are staggering, most notably he won the Ballon d'Or twice becoming the first defender to win the coveted award and the only defender to win it more than once. He was also named German Footballer of the Year four times more than any other player. No player has ever been as elegant, calm in possession, inspirational and feared as Beckenbauer. He is celebrated and revered more highly than any other German player and will surely forever remain the greatest player in German history. And that was our list of the top 20 players in Germany's football history. Who do you think is the greatest? Beckenbauer or Müller? Let us know your thoughts and share your own list of the top 20 German players in the comments below.