Born in Munich on 11 September 1945, Franz Beckenbauer began his football education in the city before choosing Bayern Munich as a teenager. Bayern were not yet the European powerhouse they would become. He joined the senior side in 1964, initially performing more advanced duties and quickly developing the composure in possession that defined his career. Bayern won promotion to the Bundesliga in 1965; Beckenbauer grew with a club building its first enduring national dynasty.

His breakthrough was not simply as a defender who could pass. Playing as a libero, he interpreted the sweeper as an initiating force: anticipating threats, covering behind teammates, carrying the ball out from the back and entering midfield to create an overload. He did not invent the sweeper position, but his interpretation changed the public imagination of what a defensive player could do. The elegance associated with the nickname Der Kaiser reflected economy of movement and decision-making under pressure.

At Bayern he won four Bundesliga titles in 1969, 1972, 1973 and 1974, four German Cups in 1966, 1967, 1969 and 1971, the 1967 European Cup Winners’ Cup and the European Cup in each of 1974, 1975 and 1976. He was the organizing figure of an extraordinary side featuring Sepp Maier and Gerd Müller. The three European titles in succession gave the club an international standing far beyond its earlier regional origins. They included the dramatic 1974 Atlético Madrid final and replay, the 1975 victory over Leeds United and the 1976 defeat of Saint-Étienne.

For West Germany, Beckenbauer experienced both major setbacks and victories. He reached the World Cup final in 1966 and was a semi-finalist in 1970. He captained West Germany to the 1972 European Championship and the World Cup on home soil in 1974. The 1974 final against Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands was won 2–1 after the hosts conceded an early penalty; Paul Breitner and Gerd Müller scored for West Germany. Beckenbauer became the first captain to lift the new FIFA World Cup trophy. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1972 and 1976, a rare achievement for a player best associated with defensive responsibilities.

Leaving Bayern in 1977, Beckenbauer joined New York Cosmos, where he played alongside Pelé in the NASL. He then returned to the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV and won the German championship in 1982, before a final spell with Cosmos in 1983. The changes of club and league underline the wider international appeal his name carried in the final stages of his playing years.

In 1984 he became West Germany team manager. His side reached the 1986 World Cup final, losing to Argentina, before winning the 1990 World Cup with a 1–0 final victory over Argentina in Rome. He was one of the first people, after Mário Zagallo, to win the competition as both player and manager. His career subsequently encompassed leadership roles at Bayern Munich and within German football. Beckenbauer died on 7 January 2024. His enduring football legacy is best approached through distinct roles—libero, club captain, international captain and manager—rather than a single simplified legend.