Fifa world footballer election in Paris and we Germans are just spectators again…
Will there always be just this one? The only German who was ever world footballer?
Lothar Matthäus (61 today), our 1990 World Cup captain, won the world footballer’s title in 1991. Officially awarded for the first time by the world football association Fifa.
There weren’t any galas back then…
Matthäus laughs in an interview with BILD: “I received the FIFA trophy at home in the living room. I played at Inter and one or two officials visited me in Milan with photographers to honor me.”
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Lothar: These Germans have what it takes to be world footballers
What a gigantic contrast to the Fifa Gala in the opulent Paris concert hall Salle Pleyel (1913 seats).
World champion Lionel Messi (35, Paris St-Germain, Argentina), vice world champion Kylian Mbappé (24, PSG, France) and Karim Benzema (35, Real Madrid, France) were previously near the triumphal arch as the top 3 of the 2022 election firmly.
National coaches and captains as well as journalists and fans registered with Fifa were allowed to vote.
In 2020 and 2021 the Pole Robert Lewandowski (34, FC Barcelona) still had a Bayern player triumphs. After all, a striker from the Bundesliga.
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But why hasn’t a German player managed that for 32 years?
Thomas Müller (33), for example, would have deserved it as world champion in 2014 and champions league winner in 2013 and 2020.
Lothar Matthäus: “There are many factors that have to be right. Titles are important, many goals are more important these days. In addition, between 2008 and 2019 there were two outstanding attacking players who took turns as world footballers: Messi six times and Ronaldo five times, interrupted only once by Modric.
But Germany was world champion in 2014…
Matthäus: “There were many world-class players in the German national team, such as Müller, Schweinsteiger and Lahm. But not the one absolute standout. In addition, the leagues in Spain or England have greater international appeal than the Bundesliga.”
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But does anyone really have what it takes to become the second German world footballer?
Matthäus names two names: “Jamal Musiala shows outstanding skills that give us hope – also for better results from the national team. He also has the chance to win international titles with Bayern. The second highly talented is Florian Wirtz, who will definitely leave Leverkusen at some point.”
So some hope that Lothar will not remain the first and last Fifa world footballer…
