Uwe Seeler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Uwe Seeler

Seeler in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth	(1936-11-05)5 November 1936
Place of birth	Hamburg, Germany
Date of death	21 July 2022(2022-07-21) (aged 85)
Place of death	Norderstedt, Germany
Height	1.70 m
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1946–1953	Hamburger SV
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1953–1972	Hamburger SV	476	(404)
1978	Cork Celtic	1	(2)
Total		477	(406)
National team
1953–1954	West Germany U-18	10	(15)
1954–1970	West Germany	72	(43)
Honours Men's football Representing  West Germany FIFA World Cup Runner-up 1966 England Third 1970 Mexico
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Uwe Seeler (born November 5, 1936 – died July 21, 2022) was a famous German football player. He was a fantastic striker, meaning he was great at scoring goals. Uwe Seeler played for Hamburger SV for almost his entire career. He also played 72 times for the West Germany national team.

Many people think Uwe Seeler was one of the best German football players ever. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé even named him one of FIFA's 125 greatest living players. He was also the first football player to receive a very important award in Germany, the Great Order of Merit. His grandson, Levin Öztunalı, is also a professional footballer.

Playing Career

Club Success

Uwe Seeler followed in his father's footsteps and joined Hamburger SV. He played his first game for the senior team in 1954, just before he turned 18. In that game, he scored four goals!

Even though big clubs from Italy and Spain wanted him, Uwe Seeler stayed loyal to Hamburg. He also worked as a merchant while playing football. He was a very strong and skilled striker. He was known for his leadership, always playing well, and amazing overhead kicks. He was also great at heading the ball.

Uwe Seeler scored 137 goals in 239 Bundesliga games. He scored 43 goals in 72 games for the German national team. He also scored 21 goals in 29 European club games. He was the captain for both his club and the national team for many years.

With Hamburger SV, he won the German championship in 1960. They also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 1963. He was the top scorer in the first ever Bundesliga season in 1963–64. He was named German Footballer of the Year three times: in 1960, 1964, and 1970.

In the 1960–61 season, Uwe and his brother Dieter helped Hamburger SV reach the semi-finals of the 1960–61 European Cup. They almost made it to the final but lost to Barcelona. In the 1967–68 season, Seeler also helped Hamburg reach the final of the 1967–68 European Cup Winners' Cup. He was the top scorer in that competition, but they lost to AC Milan in the final.

Seeler playing for Hamburger SV in 1968

Uwe Seeler officially stopped playing football in 1972. However, in 1978, he played one special game for Cork Celtic F.C. in Ireland. It turned out to be an official league match, and Uwe scored two goals! This means he scored a total of 406 goals in league games throughout his career. This makes him one of the top German goal scorers ever, just behind Gerd Müller.

International Career

Uwe Seeler played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, just like Pelé. He played in 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970.

In the 1966 FIFA World Cup, his West German team reached the final. They played against the host nation, England, and lost 4–2 after extra time. In 1958, Germany finished fourth. In 1970, they finished third after a tough semi-final loss to Italy. That game, which ended 4–3 after extra time, is often called the "Game of the Century".

Even though Uwe Seeler never won a World Cup, he had an amazing career in the tournament. He was the first player to play in 20 World Cup matches. He was also the first player to score in four different World Cups. He scored at least two goals in each of his four World Cups. Only his countryman Miroslav Klose has matched this record since.

Uwe Seeler scored nine goals in his four World Cups. He scored 43 goals in 72 games for West Germany between 1954 and 1970. A famous photo of a sad Seeler leaving the field after losing the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was voted "Photo of the Century" by kicker magazine.

Life After Football

Uwe Seeler was the president of Hamburger SV for two and a half years, starting in 1995. He resigned in 1998 because of some financial problems at the club. He took responsibility for the situation, even though he was not involved in any wrongdoing himself.

Recognition and Legacy

A monument of Seeler's right foot outside Volksparkstadion

Uwe Seeler was very popular because he was fair and modest. People in Hamburg and the area still lovingly call him Uns Uwe, which means Our Uwe in West Low German.

In 1972, the DFB (German FA) made him the second honorary captain of the German national team. The first was Fritz Walter. In 2003, he became an honorary citizen of his hometown, Hamburg. This was the first time a sportsman received this honor. That same year, he wrote his life story called Danke, Fußball (Thank you, football). In 2005, a giant monument of his right foot was put up outside the Hamburger SV stadium.

Film Appearances

Uwe Seeler had a small role in the 1972 comedy film Willi wird das Kind schon schaukeln. He played himself in the movie.

Death

Uwe Seeler passed away on July 21, 2022, at the age of 85, at his home in Norderstedt.

Honours

Hamburger SV

• German football championship: 1959–60
• DFB-Pokal: 1962–63

West Germany

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1966
• FIFA World Cup third place: 1970

Individual Awards

• Ballon d'Or third place: 1960
• Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1960, 1964, 1970
• FIFA XI (Reserve Team): 1963
• Bundesliga Top Scorer: 1964
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1966
• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1969–70
• FIFA 100 (named one of the greatest living players)
• Member of Germany's Sports Hall of Fame
• Silver Laurel Leaf (a German sports award)

See also

In Spanish: Uwe Seeler para niños