Lothar Matthäus

Born 21 March 1961, Lothar Herbert Matthäus became the most capped German player in history, retiring with 150 appearances and 23 goals across 20 years. He won UEFA Euro 1980, then appeared at five World Cups between 1982 and 1998 — the first outfield player to do so. After lifting the trophy in 1990 and claiming the Ballon d'Or, he was named the inaugural FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991, an award no other German has won. A box-to-box midfielder known for perceptive passing, positional sense, and powerful shooting, he shifted to sweeper late in his career. In 1999, at 38, he was voted Ge…