17 Greatest German Players in Football History [Ranked]

Germany are one of the most successful nations in football history with stars from every generation oozing out of Die Mannschaft’s ears. While the current crop in 2024 have relatively underwhelmed, it always seems that another triumph on the sport’s biggest stage for the talent-laced nation that is Germany is just around the corner.

Having been crowned World Cup champions on four occasions, Julian Nagelsmann will be looking to add to that tally at FIFA’s 23rd edition in 2026. They won their first World Cup title in 1954 and have followed that success with triumphs in 1974, 1990 and 2014, but that wonderful trophy has evaded them for a decade now.

From imperious goalkeepers to ruthless finishers to tempo-dictating operators in the engine room, the international powerhouse has boasted some of the sports’ most eye-catching talent over the years. Taking the following into account, here is a look at the greatest players Germany have ever produced.

Ranking factors

• Longevity – Reaching the top is one thing, but staying there is even more impressive.
• Silverware – A player’s trophy cabinet offers a physical snapshot of their success.
• Overall influence – The greatest talents have stamped their authority over sides at club and international level.

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In 17th is Bastian Schweinsteiger, who enjoyed the best part of his playing days at Bayern Munich. The one-time World Cup winner was a domineering factor in his nation’s success on the world stage and, during his career, he chalked up a grand total of 670 domestic appearances.

Uwe Seeler was scoring copious amounts of goals before it was cool and trendy, and it’s fair to say that he was the main man of German football in the 1960s, becoming a three-time German footballer of the Year – in 1960, 1964 and 1970.

The passage of time may have clouded Gunter Netzer’s bright talent, but the elegant playmaker was always painfully aware of his lofty calibre. The German counterpoint to Johan Cruyff during the 1970s, Netzer was the creative hub of the dominant Bundesliga team of the era, Borussia Monchengladbach.

Mesut Ozil, Ballon d’Or winner Matthias Sammer and Thomas Muller rank in 14th, 13th and 12th, respectively, as their nation’s greatest-ever players. The latter, a veteran still earning his corn at Bayern Munich, has talent in abundance with his bloated trophy cabinet to showcase his brilliance. Weilhelm-born Muller, 35, embodies intelligence and adaptability over decades in Munich and has become synonymous with the “Raumdeuter” role.

Miroslav Klose just had to make it in. A goal machine and revered around the world for his undying efficiency, Klose is the top goalscorer in World Cup finals history, having hit the back of the net 16 times in 24 games, while remaining his nation’s all-time top goalscorer with 71.

10 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Career Span: 1974 – 1990

Following in the footsteps of Germany’s long line of legendary strikers is no easy feat – just ask Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who had a lot of pressure on his shoulders upon his introduction to the international set-up. The 95-cap German, now on the board at Bayern Munich, did not wilt, however, and instead became one of the country’s most prolific goalscorers.

He had that innate eye for goal, one that saw him score 45 times for his nation. Of course, his return is bettered, but there was something about Rummenigge – a sort of elegance and poise that he harboured from within. Across three World Cup campaigns, he scored nine goals, which included a hat-trick in 1982. Just like Seeler, however, he never managed to taste World Cup glory like many others on this list.

9 Oliver Kahn

Career Span: 1987 – 2008

Standing imperiously firm between the posts for Bayern Munich over a 632-game period, Oliver Kahn struck fear into the most potent of attackers with his imposing frame and unrivalled shot-stopping ability, and he had a remarkable career filled with a plethora of achievements both on the domestic front and internationally.

Commonly known as Der Titan for obvious reasons, Karlsruhe-born Kahn won eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals and the solitary Champions League for the German behemoths, all while being an instrumental asset to his nation in their Euro 96-winning ranks and on their route to the World Cup final six years later, where they became runners-up.

8 Toni Kroos

Career Span: 2007 – 2024

The World Cup-winning Real Madrid Galactico had the unbridled talent to match his status as one of the highest-rated players in the Champions League since 2003, yet Toni Kroos carried none of the swagger. By his own estimation, the German technician was the only Madrid player to clean his own boots every day – in fairness, Kroos’ pair needed extra care after defying his sponsors to keep the same white set throughout the final 11 seasons of his playing career.

Johan Cruyff was an infamously tough character to impress, but even the greatest Dutch player in football history hailed Kroos as “nearly perfect”. Nearly. The former Bayern Munich midfielder always played the game at his own pace and fittingly announced his retirement when it suited him, leaving the wider footballing world shocked. He might not have gone out how he wanted following Germany’s elimination from the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, but his legacy is secure nonetheless.

7 ​​​​Manuel Neuer

Career Span: 2005 – Present

An incredible shot-stopper but also highly competent with the ball at his feet, Manuel Neuer is still going strong in his late 30s – and is, scarily, showing no signs of slowing down. Of course, goalkeepers typically tend to stick around for a tad longer, but it takes a special breed of talent to still be this good at such a tender age.

At the peak of his powers, there was just no-one that came close to his exploits – especially with his involvement in the sweeper-keeper role. Neuer – football’s highest-earning goalkeeper – was not the inventor, of course, but instead someone who mastered the craft and subsequently became a trailblazer. His international career came to an end after Germany’s Euro 2024 exit, but he is undoubtedly an all-time great for Die Mannschaft.

6 Fritz Walter

Career Span: 1937 – 1959

Fritz Walter had the armband wrapped around his bicep as he spearheaded (West) Germany to their first World Cup triumph way back in 1954 – that’s enough to be considered one of the country’s greatest, isn’t it? Often picking up pockets behind the target man, the attacking midfielder proved his potency with 33 strikes in 61 international outings.

Born in Kaiserslautern, his boyhood and hometown club was the only team that Walter earned his corn for, with him scoring a highly impressive 357 goals in 364 outings for them. The adored German now has an award in his name, which is handed out to the finest youth footballers in the whole of Deutschland.

5 Sepp Maier

Career Span: 1962 – 1980

While Manuel Neuer and Oliver Kahn are both typical household names in the football echo chamber, it was Sepp Maier who was first off the conveyor belt of goalkeeping talent from Germany – and he duly set the benchmark very high for the aforementioned duo of shot-stoppers, hence the bog-standard nickname of ‘The Cat’.

A one-club man with Bayern Munich, Maier enjoyed an 18-year career between the posts for the German behemoths and won the German Footballer of the Year award three times as a testament to his brilliance. He kept four clean sheets as West Germany lifted the World Cup in 1974 and was considered to be one of the best goalkeepers of all time.

4 Philipp Lahm

Career Span: 2002 – 2017

Admired as one of the most versatile players in football history, Philipp Lahm was the perfect professional. Albeit diminutive in size, the fact that Lahm had the heart of a lion boosted his career tenfold. A dependable full-back throughout the entirety of his lengthy career, the versatile monster made the successful transition to midfield at Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola.

But that was not the end of Lahm’s bag of tricks. Potentially able to play in every single position on the pitch if asked, Lahm was the perfect utility man for any manager he played under. Turning out 113 times for Germany, all while plundering 652 domestic outings across stints for Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart.

3 Lothar Matthaus

Career Span: 1978 – 2001

Lothar Matthaus, despite retiring in 2000, remains Germany’s most-capped player ever with 150 appearances – a true testament to the Erlangen-born star’s midfield excellence. Matthaus typically embodied the workmanship nature of the box-to-box midfielder and managed to notch over 200 goals in his career.

Having won the Ballon d’Or in 1990, the World Cup the same year and countless trophies with Bayern Munich, he is considered to be one of the greatest central midfielders in modern history. And he frankly deserves all the recognition he gets given he cemented himself as a starter in the Bavaria engine room for many years, while subsequently providing ample silverware – kudos to you, Lothar.

2 Gerd Muller

Career Span: 1963 – 1982

Known as the World Cup’s greatest goalscorer, Gerd Muller was the personification of lethal edge. The German simply did what he was paid to do much better than everyone else: score absurd amounts of goals. Racking up 68 international goals in 62 games is, of course, impressive, but that return is dwarfed by his domestic free-scoring habits. That’s right – he was a pure statistics machine.

Between 1964 and 1979, Muller helped himself to an eye-watering 563 goals and duly became Bayern Munich’s all-time goalscorer, with the majority of people under the impression that it is a record that may never be usurped. Nicknamed ‘Der Bomber’ for his ability to terrorise defences with his strength, power and speed, Muller can be considered the greatest goalscorer in German football folklore.

1 Franz Beckenbauer

Career Span: 1964 – 1983

The undisputed top choice. Franz Beckenbauer, more affectionally known as ‘Der Kaiser’, was a defensive talent like no other. Credited with being the pioneer of the ‘libero’ position, the centre-half was often tasked with ushering between the defence and goalkeeper – and, you guessed it, he mastered it.

Winning the World Cup both as a player and manager is relatively unheard of, but Beckenbauer did just that, while also adding a Ballon d’Or gong to his trophy cabinet on two different occasions, in 1972 and 1976. Collectively for Bayern Munich, he was classed as a mainstay during some of their most prominent times with three Champions League trophies to his name. A true footballing great.