German soccer icon Franz Beckenbauer, widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died. He was 78.
Beckenbauer’s family confirmed the news with a statement: “It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, surrounded by his family. We ask that we can be able to mourn in silence and not be disturbed by any questions.”
Beckenbauer goes down in history as one of best ever to play the game, having achieved incomparable success at both the club and international levels. The Munich-born center back was the face of Germany’s “Golden Generation” and captained the national team to victory at the 1974 World Cup. Sixteen years later, he would lift the trophy again—this time as Germany’s manager—and become one of just three men to win the World Cup as both a player and manager.
