Gerd Müller facts for kids
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Müller with Bayern Munich in 1973
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gerhard Müller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 November 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nördlingen, Bavaria, Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 15 August 2021 (aged 75) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Wolfratshausen, Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1958–1963 | 1861 Nördlingen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1964 | 1861 Nördlingen | 31 | (51) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964–1979 | Bayern Munich | 453 | (398) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1981 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 71 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 555 | (487) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1966 | West Germany U23 | 1 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1974 | West Germany | 62 | (68) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–2014 | Bayern Munich II (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gerhard Müller (born 3 November 1945 – died 15 August 2021) was a famous German professional footballer. People often called him Der Bomber (The Bomber) because he was an amazing striker. He scored an incredible number of goals, especially close to the opponent's net. Many consider him one of the best goalscorers and players ever in football history. He achieved great success with his clubs and his national team. He is one of only ten players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or award.
Gerd Müller scored an amazing 68 goals in just 62 games for West Germany. For his club, Bayern Munich, he scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches over 15 years. This made him the league's top scorer, a record he still holds today. He also scored 65 goals in 74 European club games. Müller had one of the best goal-to-game ratios in international football history.
His nickname, "Bomber der Nation" (the nation's Bomber), truly fit his style. Müller was named European Footballer of the Year in 1970. He won the Golden Boot at the 1970 FIFA World Cup by scoring ten goals. In 1972, he helped West Germany win the UEFA European Championship, scoring two goals in the final. Two years later, he scored the winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final.
For 32 years, Müller held the record for the most goals scored in the FIFA World Cup with 14 goals. In 2004, the legendary Pelé included Müller in his FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Gerhard Müller was born on 3 November 1945 in Nördlingen, a town in Bavaria, Germany.
Starting at TSV 1861 Nördlingen
Müller began his football journey in 1958 with his hometown club, TSV 1861 Nördlingen. He played in their youth teams. By 1963, he joined the first team. In his first season, he scored an incredible 51 goals in just 31 games!
Club Career Highlights
Joining Bayern Munich
In 1964, at 18 years old, Müller joined Bayern Munich. There, he played alongside future football legends like Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier. At that time, Bayern Munich was not yet the famous club it is today. They were in a league below the top German league, the Bundesliga.
After just one season, Bayern Munich moved up to the Bundesliga. This marked the start of a long period of success for the club. With Müller leading the attack, Bayern Munich won many titles in the 1960s and 1970s. They won the German Championship four times and the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) four times. They also won the European Cup three years in a row. This was a first for a West German team! Müller scored in two of those finals. He also helped them win the Intercontinental Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Müller was a truly gifted goal-scorer. He became the top scorer in Germany seven times and the top scorer in Europe twice. He scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich. This is 53 goals more than the second-highest scorer, Robert Lewandowski, as of 2022.
Amazing Goal Records
At his best, Müller held the record for most goals in a single Bundesliga season. He scored 40 goals in the 1971–72 season. This record stood for almost 50 years until Lewandowski scored 41 goals in the 2020–21 season. Müller also held the record for most club goals in all European competitions in one season. He scored 67 goals during the 1972–73 FC Bayern Munich season. In total, he scored 85 goals in 1972 (72 for Munich, 13 for West Germany). This record was later broken by Lionel Messi in 2012.
Playing in the United States
After his time in the Bundesliga, Müller moved to the United States. In 1979, he joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. This team was part of the North American Soccer League (NASL). He played three seasons there, scoring 38 goals. In 1980, his team reached the league final but did not win.
International Career for West Germany
Müller scored an incredible 68 goals in just 62 games for West Germany. He was Germany's all-time leading scorer for nearly 40 years. Miroslav Klose eventually broke his record in 2014, but Klose needed more than twice as many games to do so. Müller is one of only six players to score 50 international goals in fewer than 50 games. He reached this milestone in just 41 matches.
His international career began in 1966. It ended on 7 July 1974, with a victory at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. This final was played in his home stadium in Munich. He scored the winning goal in the 2–1 victory against Johan Cruyff's Netherlands team. His four goals in that tournament, combined with his ten goals at the 1970 FIFA World Cup, made him the all-time highest World Cup goalscorer with 14 goals. This record stood until the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when Brazilian striker Ronaldo broke it. Müller also played in the 1972 European Championship. He was the top scorer with four goals, including two in the final, and helped West Germany win the championship.
Müller decided to stop playing for West Germany after their 1974 World Cup triumph.
Life After Football
After Müller stopped playing football in 1981, he went through a difficult time. Luckily, his old friends from Bayern Munich helped him get support. After this, he started a new chapter, working as a coach for Bayern Munich II. He held this coaching role from 1992 until he retired in 2014 due to health reasons.
In July 2008, the sports park in Nördlingen where Müller began his career was renamed the Gerd-Müller-Stadion in his honor. On 6 October 2015, it was announced that Müller was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He passed away on 15 August 2021, at the age of 75.
Player Profile: Gerd Müller's Style
How He Played
Gerd Müller was not the tallest or fastest player, and he didn't always look like a typical great footballer. However, he had incredible speed over short distances. He was amazing at heading the ball and had a natural talent for scoring goals. His shorter legs gave him a low center of gravity. This meant he could turn very quickly and keep his balance in tight spaces, which other players found difficult. He was also known for scoring goals in unexpected ways.
His teammate Franz Beckenbauer once said, "His pace was incredible. In training I have played against him and I never had a chance." Müller used quick bursts of speed, agility, and clever changes of pace to get to the ball first and get past defenders. He was a fantastic goalscorer, known for his movement, coordination, intelligence, and precise shots inside the penalty area. He could score goals from tricky positions using almost any part of his body, not just his head or feet.
His Lasting Legacy
Many people believe Müller is one of the greatest strikers and goalscorers in football history. He is often called the greatest "goal poacher" ever. A goal poacher is a player who is always in the right place at the right time to score. Gary Lineker, another famous striker, called him "the ultimate goal poacher."
Müller is one of only two players, along with Lionel Messi, to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the Ballon d'Or, and the European Golden Shoe. After his death in 2021, FC Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer said Müller was "the greatest striker there's ever been." Franz Beckenbauer also stated that Müller was "the most important player in the history of Bayern Munich."
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | DFB-Pokal | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| TSV 1861 Nördlingen | 1962–63 | 2. Amateurliga Schwaben | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | |||
| 1963–64 | Bezirksliga Schwaben | 28 | 47 | — | — | — | 28 | 47 | ||||
| Total | 31 | 51 | — | — | — | 31 | 51 | |||||
| Bayern Munich | 1964–65 | Regionalliga Süd | 26 | 33 | — | — | 8 | 8 | 34 | 41 | ||
| 1965–66 | Bundesliga | 33 | 15 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 16 | |||
| 1966–67 | Bundesliga | 32 | 28 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 8 | — | 45 | 43 | ||
| 1967–68 | Bundesliga | 34 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | — | 46 | 30 | ||
| 1968–69 | Bundesliga | 30 | 30 | 5 | 7 | — | — | 35 | 37 | |||
| 1969–70 | Bundesliga | 33 | 38 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 38 | 42 | ||
| 1970–71 | Bundesliga | 32 | 22 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | — | 47 | 39 | ||
| 1971–72 | Bundesliga | 34 | 40 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 | — | 48 | 50 | ||
| 1972–73 | Bundesliga | 33 | 36 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 49 | 66 | |
| 1973–74 | Bundesliga | 34 | 30 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 8 | — | 48 | 43 | ||
| 1974–75 | Bundesliga | 33 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | — | 43 | 30 | ||
| 1975–76 | Bundesliga | 22 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 35 | |
| 1976–77 | Bundesliga | 25 | 28 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 48 | |
| 1977–78 | Bundesliga | 33 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 | — | 42 | 32 | ||
| 1978–79 | Bundesliga | 19 | 9 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 21 | 13 | |||
| Total | 453 | 398 | 62 | 78 | 74 | 65 | 18 | 24 | 607 | 565 | ||
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1979 | NASL | 25 | 19 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 27 | 19 | ||
| 1980 | NASL | 29 | 14 | — | — | 7 | 2 | 36 | 16 | |||
| 1981 | NASL | 17 | 5 | — | — | — | 17 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 71 | 38 | — | — | 9 | 2 | 80 | 40 | ||||
| Career total | 555 | 487 | 62 | 78 | 74 | 65 | 27 | 26 | 718 | 656 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Germany | Friendlies – 1966 | 1 | 0 |
| Friendlies – 1967 | 1 | 1 | |
| UEFA Euro 1968 qual. | 3 | 6 | |
| Friendlies – 1968 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1970 FIFA World Cup qual. | 6 | 9 | |
| Friendlies – 1969 | 3 | 2 | |
| Friendlies – 1970 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1970 FIFA World Cup | 6 | 10 | |
| Friendlies – 1971 | 4 | 7 | |
| UEFA Euro 1972 qual. | 7 | 6 | |
| Friendlies – 1972 | 3 | 8 | |
| UEFA Euro 1972 | 2 | 4 | |
| Friendlies – 1973 | 8 | 7 | |
| Friendlies – 1974 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1974 FIFA World Cup | 7 | 4 | |
| Total | 62 | 68 | |
Müller scored 68 goals in 62 games for West Germany. His 14 goals in FIFA World Cup tournaments were a record for 32 years. This record was later broken by Brazil's Ronaldo in 2006. Eight years later, Germany's Miroslav Klose achieved a total of 16 World Cup goals. Klose also broke Müller's record for goals for Germany with 71 goals, but he needed 137 matches to do so. Müller also scored eight hat-tricks (three goals in one game) in his international career.
Major Honours and Awards
Gerd Müller won many important titles and awards throughout his career.
Team Honours
Bayern Munich
- Regionalliga Süd: 1964–65
- Bundesliga: 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 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 Awards
- Ballon d'Or: 1970
- Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1967, 1969
- Bundesliga Top Scorer: 7 times (1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978)
- European Golden Shoe: 1969–70, 1971–72
- FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1970
- UEFA European Championship Top Scorer: 1972
- FIFA 100: 2004 (named one of the world's greatest living players)
- Golden Foot: 2007 (as a football legend)
See also
- List of men's footballers with 500 or more goals
In Spanish: Gerd Müller para niños
