| GERMANY | |
| 1963-1981 | |
| TSV 1861 Nördlingen (1963-1964) Bayern Munich (1964-1979) Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1979-1981) | |
The phrase “Goal Machine” gets thrown around a lot. Müller, however, more than lived up to his reputation as a goal scorer, finding the net an astonishing 365 times in 427 Bundesliga matches, and 68 times in 62 international appearances. Müller wasn’t very tall (5’9’’), wasn’t very fast, and had short stubby legs that made him look like the last person capable of scoring on the pitch. However, his short, powerful legs allowed him to accelerate past defenders with ease, stay on his feet even after being tackled by defenders, and gave him a surprising amount of leverage in winning headers.
Known as “Bomber der Nation” (the nation’s bomber), Müller, along with Sepp Maier and Franz Beckenbauer, was part of the great Bayern Munich teams of the 70’s. He won four Bundelisga titles, four German Cups, one Cup Winners’ Cup, and three consecutive European Cups from 1974-1976. He led the Bundesliga in scoring seven times and won the Golden Boot twice. He still holds the Bundesliga’s single-season scoring record with 40 goals in 1971-1972, and his 66 goals in 72 European Cup matches is still a record. He is, by far, the all-time leading scorer in Bundesliga history, having scored nearly 100 more goals than the person in second place.
His success continued to the international stage, as he was part of the Golden Generation of West German football. He was part of the 1972 European Championship squad and provided the goal scoring that led West Germany to the 1974 World Cup. Playing in his final international match, Müller scored the game-winning goal in the Final against the Netherlands. He finished his World Cup career with 14 goals, a record that stood until Ronaldo passed it in 2006.
He has continued his involvement with Bayern Munich, coaching the reserve team. Unlike his fellow German icons, Maier and Beckenbauer, he has kept a low profile following his retirement, choosing not to voice his opinion on controversial matters relating to German football. Despite his low-key approach, Müller remains one of the most beloved and respected players of all time.
