Well said and absolutely correct: Pelé, Beckenbauer and Cruvff - three giants of football.

Rest in Peace Kaiser. I got to see you play and score in 1977 Cosmos vs the Tampa Bay Rowdies. One of the all time greats.

In a time of Johan Cruyff and Gerd Müller, Franz Beckenbauer won the Ballon d'Or as a defender! Twice! And was runner-up, again twice! And got 3rd, all in a span of 10 years. That's crazy to think about. No defender did that before or after him until today. What else do you have to say to show what kind of legend, how dominant and important he was to the game of football. He will be remembered forever. Ruhe in Frieden 'Der Kaiser' ❤

A superb defender. A legend. Nowadays defenders are all muscle and power. But he was so skillful and elegant. A person who ranks with Pele, Maradona etc.May his soul rest in eternal peace

Best central defender ever, took a team from the second division and made it one of the top teams ever - Bayern Munich

All that while being a defender...best defender of all time🔥

Nice to see and hear that People outside of Germany recognize Beckenbauer how great he was! Love from Germany!

Keep in mind that he is considered to be one of the best players of all time as a defender! Usually it's always offensive players like Pele, Cruyff, Maradona who were seen as the greatest. So you have to imagine how good he was to get that credit. And the reason why was that he was all over the pitch. He dominated defense so much that he roamed into other positions and constantly left his position and revolutionized the libero position. A pure winner who turned everything he touched to gold.

Der Kaiser: The most elegant defender you'll ever see 😢.

absolute legend, it's just unimaginable how much success he has had in his career 1966 World Cup Runners-Up 1966 German Cup Winner 1966 German Footballer of the Year 1967 European "Cup of Cup Winners" Winner 1967 German Cup Winner 1968 German Footballer of the Year 1969 German Champion 1969 German Cup Winner 1971 German Cup Winner 1972 European Championship Winner 1972 Ballon d'Or Winner 1972 German Champion 1973 German Champion 1974 World Cup Winner 1974 Champions League Winner (previous format) 1974 German Champion 1974 German Footballer of the Year 1975 Champions League Winner (previous format) 1976 European Champion Runners-Up 1976 Champions League Winner (previous format) 1976 Intercontinental Cup Winner 1976 Ballon d'Or Winner 1976 German Footballer of the Year 1977 NA Soccer Champion 1978 NA Soccer Champion 1980 NA Soccer Champion 1982 German Champion 1986 World Cup Runners-Up as manager 1990 World Cup Winner as manager 1991 French Champion as manager 1994 German Champion as manager 1996 UEFA Cup Winner as manager also secured the 2006 World Cup for Germany which in some way led to reforms in the youth academies ultimately this created the modern golden generation of German football which won another World Cup in 2014

Derek Rae is the best person to give his view on Franz. A bloke that moved out of his comfort zone to discover something new and achieve great things - And I'm talking about Derek here. Thank you Franz for providing such amazing footballing memories, and thank you to Derek for being in place to remember him.

Rest In Peace Franz Beckenbauer. One of the greatest football players of all time. He was the best defender of all time. Football has lost a legend and a great icon. Thank you for the great memories.

As a german i‘m touched that even you english people give this man the respect that he earned. Germany is really sad since yesterday 😔 Ruhe in Frieden Kaiser ❤😔

The Innovator, The Gold Standard, The Greatest…Rest in Peace Der Kaiser.

The "KAISER" is gone. I'm so sad. I really hope that Franz can now play in a team “up there” with Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradonna, Pele, his buddy Gerd Müller and Uwe Seeler. With love and eternal gratitude for 2 World Cup titles, greetings from Germany.

"Who does he think he is? Franz Beckenbauer?" 😂❤ Great compairson and in general a great talk about Kaiser Franz. Thank you, guys!

Beckenbauer was the most calm and elegant player with the ball I´ve ever seen...only one other player had a similiar elegance with the ball and that was Zidane but he wasn´t that calm like Beckenbauer. He played "officially" the Libero position but in fact he was "the dominant free spirit" in the midfield to be found everywhere where he was needed and who made the build up of the game and he also stopped the opponent´s attacks even before the attack became dangerous because of his ability to read a game =Stevie mentioned that by saying "You never saw him with an edge of mud on him" simply because he never had to tackle or to sweep because he was on the ball before the attacker due to his clever movement+positioning on the pitch

I was a defender my whole life, at some point al played at a decent level and then played with my still friends for many, many years. Rememberig Beckenbauer brings me to tears. The best defender that I ever knew

Legends are now passing on. We must cherish them all

2 times Ballon D'or for a defender. That is absolutely amazing. Give Mario Zagallo some love too. He died recently too.

For those on the other side of the pond, he was to germany and football what Bobby Orr ( another #4) was to hockey: he revolutionized the position and controlled the game from a defenders position. No one before or after can compare.

The best defender in the history of football

I just came from school and I turned on TV and saw this news. I still can't believe that no legendary player from the Pele-Maradona-Gerd Muller era is now in the world💔 God's ultimate team is really great💔 Rest in peace Pele, Maradona, Gerd Muller, Eusebio, Puskas, Paolo Rossi, Lev Yashin, Nordahl, Sir Bobby Charlton, Socrates and lastly, Beckenbauer💔 Forgive me if I missed someone...

Simply put, there isn't a single player currently playing in world football who comes close to Beckenbauer. Not to call anyone out but there are players at top clubs who cost £100m+ in that position who look like they only learned to play football last month, compared to Franz. I don't know why the talent in the game has dipped so dramatically over the last 20-30 years but Franz will always be one of the greatest ever and sorely missed. If you don't know, get to know.

God is making his dream team. May he rest in peace

Legend. I had the Adidas Beckenbauer shoes in the 70s. Saw him and Pele play for the NY Cosmos against Team Hawaii at the Aloha Stadium. My friend won a light blue Honda Express moped at the half time drawing.

Thank you from Germany for this great tribute! 👑

Rest in peace FB. I never saw him make a mistake in the backfield. Young fans of the game today really should go back and watch him play either in West Germany or New York. He truly was a revolutionary athlete in his sport the way Bobby Orr re-imagined defender in hockey.

Beckenbauer is one of my favourite players. Very sad he departed.

The man who never dies

Great player his style was the original Libero.Saw him play with Pele ,Denis Tueart,Chinaglia ,Carlos Alberto. The days of the cosmos.

He was not a defender. He was a sweeper/Libero. He was literally the extra man in defence, midfield and attack. It’s a shame the position doesn’t exist anymore.

Rest in peace Der Kaiser!

Ruhe in Frieden Kaiser! Rest in Peace Legend! The elegance of the Sweeper! The best centre back ever!

Der Kaiser. He was a real gentleman.

Thank you Mr Franz Beckenbauer for german soccer

Pele, Maradona, Beckenbauer & Cruyff are the 20th century GOATS

January the 5th, Zagallo passed on as well! Most of the 50s, 60s,70s greats are leaving us; so many were the gods of my youth, so very few remain! My #5 is Redondo, but Beckenbauer is the #5 of All the Ages!

keiner hat den Fußball so gestreichelt wie Beckenbauer . Der Fußball war sein Leben .

Big Thanks for this tribute lads

As a kid growing up in 1970s, I remember that he, Pele and Cruyff were the ones everyone talked about.

He is a legendary player in every sense of the word 😢

1974 World Cup Final, Holland v West Germany, Cruyff V Beckenbauer, Brilliant Final, 🙏🙏

thoughts and prayers go out

One of the best in the game. Saw him play with Cosmos. A legend

Very wholesome show

My Grandpa favorite player ❤ Franz

I was a youngster living in Germany in the 70's, he was God. That whole 74 squad were absolute superstars

Rest in Peace, Kaiser Franz.

Why do these people always fail to mention Gerd Müller??? He dominated Johan Cruyff in that era but somehow Cruff has the status Gerd Müller Deserves 😂

It’s sad to see how kinda underrated Beckenbauer in some parts of the world is. He is definitely the best defender of all time and there is no shame in saying he’s at least in the top 10 players of all time.

Rest in peace Der Kaiser legend 🙏

I didn't know how Argentineans felt when Maradona passed away or what it meant to Brazilians when Pele died. It is just a stranger or what? Sure, they were heros of their countries, stars of football and inspirations for millions of people around the world. But the world moves on, common... Today I know, I understand, I feel empty and I cry. For a stranger. But he wasn't a stranger. Rest in Peace, Kaiser Franz! GOAT of German Football.

Thank you Franz 💯

You feel a time and tension shift in Germany Right now, from the prospering and free times after WWII to more pessimistic times with an unknown future. I don’t know if you can understand it but he was really like an Monarch in a modern western sense for Germany and probably the most known man in Germany. Now *The Kaiser* has died, born 4 month after the War and an era has ended.

Oh, wow. This video broke the news to me. 😳

Rest in peace Franz Beckenbauer

The defender GOAT

Der Kaiser 🤌🏻❤️ Greetings from Germany

Legend

NASL? Talk about a power team. Even over the hill, Beckenbauer and Pele on the same team? Amazing.

Football Icon !!

May God have mercy on his soul Legend of football 🙏

4 time european cup winner 3x former ucl and one cup of the cup winners. Besides he reached the final of every International tournament he played in except 1968 I think when he lost in semis against italy. Reached wc final in 66, 70 and won in 1974. 1974 he won. Reached EURO FINAL in 1972 which he won and lost the euro final in 1976....as a coach he lost wc final in 1986 and won itvin 1990...

REST IN PEACE KAISER 😞😣😥😓💔🖤💔🖤💔🖤💔

8:00 so funny to see Stevie mouthing "Franz Beckenbauer."

Great Man. I hope german team will play tribute by winning all games this years other wise you can thank god he will not see group stage elimination of germany in euro on home ground.

Anybody still saying that Heaven is boring? The ultimate soccer team is there!

Craig Burley looked like a long lost brother of Beckenbauer

Everywhere on this planet I went as a German, there wasn't one who didn't mention Beckenbauer after telling them about my background.

The once and only real german Kaiser

Respect for Beckenbauer 👇💔😭

merci Kaiser franz

Only saw highlights but i wondered if he was the best player of all time because he plays defense and offense.

Got my Adidas Beckenbauer 5 der kaiser trainers true legend. ⚽️🏆

I’m old enough to have had watched Maldini, but I was schooled that Pele & the Kaiser were the real deal… Then Diego came along…

Of the 3 people that won the world cup as a player and manager, two just died this very month. Didier Deschamps is the only one remaining who lives, that achieved that.

The last true Kaiser of Germany

So Backenbauer is the opposite of Sergio ramos 😂

A creative genius, guys like Trent are trying to emulate him… Not even close…

Bobby charlton and franz beckenbauer gone in such a short time ... football rly lost some of their greatest

without him, there'd be no bayern

Warhol painted him ... enough said 😀

Hot take: the name is greater than the player himself. That's why I say history will always be kind to great players.

Steve Nicol is right, he’s become a meme… Who do you think you are? Beckenbauer?

one of the best Plavers of all time Better than penaldo in my book

Franz backenbauer gerd muller Lothar Matthaus philipp lahm Jurgen Klinsmann toni kroos Oliver bierhoff ulf kirsten

Brilliant player. Lost to England in 1966 by one controversial goal and one non controversial goal. I know, it's England, not Italy.

I will take The Kaiser ahead of Terry Bradshaw on an all time all great list..

Germany is crying

I'm not disrespecting Beckenbauer when I type this, but Germany was given the world cup in 1990, as if it were a Christmas gift. Andreas Brehme dived to the ground looking for that penalty call. Gabriel Calderón gets tripped and the ref doesn't consider that a foul? If Caniggia did not get that yellow card versus Italy we would've been back to back champs. Then again, FIFA could not afford the Sky blue & white to win because Italians would have rioted no doubt. It is all good though we got that long awaited 3rd cup on December 18, 2022.

Maldini clear of that ever hyped merchant Maldini>>>>> Franz fraudenbauer

He was overrated, Maldini was levels above him and so was Sergio Ramos

I concur.