Franz Beckenbauer cause of death, age, wife, children, net worth and more revealed

Franz Beckenbauer was a German professional football player and manager. Nicknamed “Der Kaiser” (“The Emperor”), Beckenbauer is regarded as one of the greatest footballers and managers in history.

Beckenbauer was a versatile player who started out as a midfielder, but made his name as a central defender. He is often credited as having invented the role of the modern sweeper (libero).

With success at club and international level, he is one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the European Champions Cup, and the Ballon d’Or.

Twice named European Footballer of the Year, Beckenbauer appeared 103 times for West Germany, playing in three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships.

He is one of three men, along with Brazil’s Mário Zagallo and France’s Didier Deschamps, to have won the World Cup as a player and as a manager; he lifted the World Cup trophy as captain in 1974, and repeated the feat as a manager in 1990.

He was the first captain to lift the World Cup and European Championship at the international level and the European Cup at the club level.

He was named in the World Team of the 20th Century in 1998, the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002, the Ballon d’Or Dream Team in 2020, and in 2004, was listed in the FIFA 100 of the world’s greatest living players.

At club level with Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1967 and three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976. The latter feat made him the first player to win three European Cups as captain of his club.

He became team manager and later president of Bayern Munich. After two spells with the New York Cosmos he was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Beckenbauer led Germany’s successful bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup and chaired the organizing committee. He worked as a pundit for Sky Germany, and for 34 years as a columnist for the tabloid Bild, both until 2016.

In August 2016, it was announced Beckenbauer was being investigated for fraud and money laundering in connection with the 2006 World Cup. The investigation was closed without a verdict in 2020 as the statute of limitations expired.

Franz Beckenbauer age

Franz Beckenbauer, the German football legend, passed away on January 7, 2024, at the age of 78 . He was born Franz Anton Beckenbauer on 11 September 1945 in Munich.

He is the second son of postal-worker Franz Beckenbauer, Sr. and his wife Antonie (née Hupfauf). He grew up in the working-class district of Giesing and, despite his father’s cynicism about the game, started playing football at the age of nine with the youth team of SC Munich ’06 in 1954.

Franz Beckenbauer wife

Beckenbauer was married three times during his incredible life. He first married Brigitte Beckenbauer in 1966 and was with her until 1990.

Then Beckenbauer wed Sybille in 1990 before splitting 14 years later. And Beckenbauer leaves behind current wife Heidi, who he married in 2006.

Franz Beckenbauer children

The German football icon had five children with his three wives – four boys and a girl.

Stephan Beckenbauer was Franz’s first child. He was born in 1968 and died in 2015 of a brain tumour and was also a footballer.

Stephan played for Bayern Munich as well in their reserves squad. During his 11-year career as a pro he also played for TSV 1860 Munchen, Kickers Offenbach, and FC Grenchen.

Thomas Beckenbauer was born in 1963 and Michael was his third son. In 2000, Beckenbauer’s first daughter Francessca was born.

And lastly in 2003, Joel Beckenbauer was born.

Franz Beckenbauer cause of death

Beckenbauer died on 7 January 2024, at the age of 78, due to natural causes as announced by his family in a note sent to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

“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,” it said. “We ask that we can be able to mourn in silence and not be disturbed by any questions.”

Lothar Matthäus, who was Beckenbauer’s captain at the 1990 World Cup as well as a close friend, told German newspaper Bild: “The shock is deep, even though I knew that Franz wasn’t feeling well. His death is a loss for football and for Germany as a whole. He was one of the greatest as a player and coach, but also off the field. Franz was an outstanding personality – not only in football – and he enjoyed worldwide recognition. Everyone who knew him knows what a great and generous person Franz was. A good friend has left us. I will miss him – we will all miss him.”

Rudi Völler was also part of the 1990 World Cup-winning squad. Paying tribute to Beckenbauer on the German Football Association’s website, the former striker and current DFB director of the senior national team, wrote: “I consider it one of the great privileges of my life to have known and experienced Franz Beckenbauer. Our time together with the national team were crowned with the 1990 World Cup title in Rome, a title that would never have been possible without his outstanding coaching performance.

“With Franz Beckenbauer, German football is losing its greatest personality. I am losing a good friend.”

Gary Lineker, who was part of the England team defeated by Beckenbauer’s Germany in the 1990 semi-final, said: “Very sorry to hear that Franz Beckenbauer has died. One of the absolute greats of our game. Der Kaiser was the most beautiful of footballers who won it all with grace and charm. RIP.”

Paying his own tribute, Sir Kenny Dalglish said: “It fills me with deep sadness to hear about the passing of Franz Beckenbauer, a true icon of the game. It was a privilege to share one of my proudest moments with him when he presented my 100th cap for Scotland. My thoughts are with him and his family at this time. RIP Der Kaiser.”

Franz Beckenbauer net worth

Franz Beckenbauer was a German football coach, manager, and retired player who had a net worth of $10 million.

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