FOOTBALL | The Emperor: How Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024) defined the beautiful game

Published : Jan 12, 2024 15:12 IST - 12 MINS READ The history of football abounds in heroes, legends, fools, and villains, each in his own time leaving behind his footprint on the pitch, and stories of triumphs, despair, and follies. Franz Beckenbauer, “Der Kaiser”, as he was universally hailed, was one such being whose skills uplifted the game, and whose vision took football to its next stage of evolution. On his first appearance for West Germany in the 1966 World Cup, Galeano observed that the 20-year-old Beckenbauer “was already playing in hat, gloves, and cane”. People can say that they watched football in the days of Franz Beckenbauer.” The World Cups By the time he was 20, Beckenbauer was selected to the national team of West Germany, and he made his international debut as a midfielder in a crucial World Cup qualifier match against Sweden. Strong as the West German team was, with players like Beckenbauer, Paul Breitner, Gerd Müller, Uli Hoeness, Jürgen Grabowski, and others, the Netherlands, with its mesmerising “Total Football” was the favourite to win the cup.