The football world mourns the passing of legendary striker Gerd Muller who died yesterday at the age of 75. The Bayern Munich superstar was arguably the greatest German footballer of all time and one of the greatest strikers in football history.
He is the all-time goal scorer for Bayern Munich with 515 goals scored, and is eighth all-time with 634 professional goals.
For Bayern Munich, he was the leader of a dynasty that included four Bundesliga titles, including three consecutive titles from 1972-1974. Additionally, he won three consecutive European Cups (the equivalent of the current UEFA Champions League) from 1974-1976.
Internationally, Muller was just as prolific. He was previously the all-time goalscorer in World Cup history with 14, a record that stood for almost two decades. Since then fellow German striker Miroslav Klose and Brazilian superstar Ronaldo have passed him.
He won the UEFA European Championship in 1972 and led the tournament in scoring with four goals. He scored two of those goals in the final, which West Germany won 3-0 against the Soviet Union.
His biggest achievement in the international stage was when he and West Germany upset the Netherlands in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. The Dutch team were renowned for their revolutionary “Total Football” style of play and to this day are considered to be the greatest football team of all time.
Muller broke their hearts in the final by scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory for West Germany.
Individually, he won a Ballon d’Or in 1970, football’s highest individual achievement. He also won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot in 1970 and is a two-time German Footballer of the Year.
Muller was a surprisingly underrated footballer whose name does not alway seem to be mentioned with the all-time greats despite his achievements as a striker. Nevertheless, his legacy will live on in football history.
The Craftsports 
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