Gerd Muller
— Appearances: 1970, 74 Matches: 13; Goals: 14
Gerd Muller was the World Championship’s alltime top goalscorer till Brazil’s Ronaldo overhauled his tally in 2006. In his two World Championships (1970 and 1974), he scored 14 goals at an astounding average of more than one goal per match. He did full justice to his nickname of “Bomber of the Nation” by hitting the target 68 times in his 62 games for his national team. Germany’s top scorer was of course also crowned with success for his club team. In his 427 Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich, Muller totted up a total of 365 goals in his inimitable fashion. He was equally incomparable in Cup games and in the European Cup, where his plethora of goals contributed largely to Munich’s huge success.
“Muller and/or Seeler?” was the big question splashed across the headlines before the World Cup in Mexico in 1970. National coach Helmut Schon solved the problem imaginatively by placing Seeler in midfield and Muller as spearhead of the attack. The two of them in tandem were quite formidable. Muller scored seven goals in the first round and his brilliant volley bringing the score to 3-2 in extra-time in the quarterfinal against England was revenge for Germany’s defeat in the final four years previously. This was followed by the unforgettable and exciting semifinal between West Germany and Italy, which also went into extra-time after a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes. In the ensuing 30 minutes, Muller scored twice, but Italy won 4-3. Italy was in the final: Muller had to make do with the role of top marksman. Germany did pull it off four years later, however. Catching the ball on the curve and skimming it hard past the legs of Dutch goalkeeper Jongbloed into the far corner of the net, Muller brought the score up to 2-1 in the final of the World Cup in Munich. A typical Muller goal made West Germany the world champion for the second time since 1954.
Gerd Muller knew that he was judged on the strength of his goals. His youth coach had thought he was slow and inept. But, ironically, it was precisely his very often unspectacular shots that helped bring him worldwide fame. He required astonishingly little space and time for his split-second finishes – a quick flick sufficed. His seemingly inherent intuition and instinctive positioning were incomparable. What is more, although he was inevitably marked very closely by the opposing defenders, he remained a fair player throughout his entire career.