Gerd Müller

Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (November 3, 1945 – August 15, 2021) was a German footballer. He played for FC Bayern München and the Germany national team. He was on the team that won the FIFA World Cup in 1974.

Club career
He started playing football for TSV 1861 Nördlingen. From 1964 he played for FC Bayern München. In his first season for Bayern München he scored 33 goals in 26 matches. From 1965 to 1979 he scored in 427 Bundesliga matches and scored 365 goals. This record is still existing. From 1979 to 1982 he played in the US-professional league for Ford Lauderdale Strikers and Smiths Brothers Lounge.

International career
He started his international career on 12 October 1966 in Ankara versus Turkey. In his second match versus Albania he scored his first four of his 68 goals in the national team. He was member of the 1970 FIFA World Cup team. With ten goals he was the best scorer in this tournament. In 1972 Germany won the European Championship and Müller was again the best scorer of this tournament. In 1974 he won with Germany the FIFA World Cup where he scored the second goal in the 2–1 victory over the Netherlands. After this tournament he resigned from the team.

Records
Müller scored 68 goals in 62 matches for Germany. He was the best scorer of the team until Miroslav Klose broke his record in 2014.
During two World Cups (1970 and 1974) he scored 14 goals. This record was broken by Ronaldo during the World Cup 2006.

Death
On 6 October 2015, it was announced that Müller was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He died on 15 August 2021 at a nursing home in Wolfratshausen, Germany, aged 75.

Career statistics

Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionGerd Müller – Goals in European Cups  RSSSFClubSeasonLeagueDFB-PokalContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsTSV 1861 Nördlingen1962–63Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord34———341963–64Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord2847———2847Total3151———3151Bayern Munich1964–65Regionalliga Süd2633——6632391965–66Bundesliga331561——39161966–67Bundesliga32284798—45431967–68Bundesliga34194487—46301968–69Bundesliga303057——35371969–70Bundesliga33383420—38421970–71Bundesliga322271087—47391971–72Bundesliga34406585—48501972–73Bundesliga33365761151249661973–74Bundesliga343045108—48431974–75Bundesliga33233275—43301975–76Bundesliga222367651035351976–77Bundesliga2528411454437481977–78Bundesliga33243464—42321978–79Bundesliga19924——2113Total453398627874651622605563Fort Lauderdale Strikers1979NASL2519——2027191980NASL2914——7236161981NASL175———175Total7138——928040Career total555487627874652524716654

International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsWest GermanyFriendlies – 196610Friendlies – 196711UEFA Euro 1968 qual.36Friendlies – 1968101970 FIFA World Cup qual.69Friendlies – 196932Friendlies – 1970521970 FIFA World Cup610Friendlies – 197147UEFA Euro 1972 qual.76Friendlies – 197238UEFA Euro 197224Friendlies – 197387Friendlies – 1974521974 FIFA World Cup74Total6268

Müller scored 68 goals in 62 games for West Germany. His 14 goals in FIFA World Cup tournaments were a record between 1974 and 2006. This score was bettered in 2006 by Brazil's Ronaldo, and eight years later by German Miroslav Klose, who also broke Müller's record for goals for Germany. However, Müller managed to score eight hat-tricks in his international career.

Honours
Bayern Munich
 Regionalliga Süd: 1964–65
 Bundesliga: 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74
 DFB-Pokal: 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1970–71
 European Cup: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76
 European Cup Winners' Cup: 1966–67
 Intercontinental Cup: 1976

West Germany
 FIFA World Cup: 1974
 UEFA European Championship: 1972

Individual
 Ballon d'Or: 1970; runner-up: 1972; third place: 1969, 1973
 Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1967, 1969
 Voted best Player 40 Years Bundesliga 1963–2003
 kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73
 Eric Batty's World XI: 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978
 Bundesliga Top Scorer (Kicker-Torjägerkanone): 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978
 European Golden Shoe: 1969–70, 1971–72
 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1970

 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1970
 FIFA Selects World XI: 1971, 1972, 1973
 Worldwide Topscorer: 1970, 1972
 UEFA European Championship Top Scorer: 1972
 UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1972
 European Cup Top Scorer: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977
 Onze de Onze: 1976

 FIFA Order of Merit: 1998
 FIFA 100: 2004
 Golden Foot: 2007, as football legend
 Bravo Otto: Gold award: 1973, 1974; Silver award: 1975; Bronze award: 1972, 1976
 IFFHS Legends
 Bayern Munich All-time XI
 IFFHS All-time Men's B Dream Team: 2021
 IFFHS All-time Europe Men's Dream Team: 2021

Notes

 References 

 Other websites 
 Gerd Müller - Player profile FIFA.com

 Portrait of Gerd Müller  at FIFA.com
 Statistics on Müller's matches and goals at RSSSF.com

Category:1945 births
Category:2021 deaths
Category:1970 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1974 FIFA World Cup players
Category:Association football forwards
Category:German footballers
Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease
Category:FC Bayern München players
Category:Ballon d'Or winners