Paul Breitner

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Breitner was capped 48 times for West Germany and was an integral part of the team that won the 1974 FIFA World Cup, scoring in the final. He also scored in the final of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, making him one of only five players to have scored in two different World Cup final matches, the others being Pelé, Vavá, Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbappé. He was known for his partnerships with Franz Beckenbauer, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck and Berti Vogts in defence for the national team, and his midfield combination with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for Bayern Munich. Since retiring, Breitner has been working as a commentator, pundit and columnist in Germany.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Breitner is one of defiance and redemption. In the 1974 World Cup final in Munich, he formed a formidable defensive unit with Franz Beckenbauer, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, and Berti Vogts, preventing Dutch scoring chances while also converting the opening penalty for West Germany. His move to Spain caused an uproar among traditional fans who viewed his long hair and leftist leanings as rebellious; he was nicknamed "Der Afro" by the media. However, his return to Bayern in 1978 marked a resurgence. He adapted from a free-roaming left-back to a powerful midfielder renowned for tackling, stamina, and lethal long-range shots with his right foot. His leadership culminated in the 1982 World Cup final against Italy, where he scored again, cementing his status as a two-time World Cup finalist scorer alongside legends like Pelé and Zinedine Zidane.

Reader's Guide

Breitner's football career lasted from 1970 until 1983, mainly playing for Bayern Munich (1970–74 and 1978–83) and Real Madrid (1974–77), with one season playing for Eintracht Braunschweig. His early success was as a free roaming left back, as likely to score from the right midfield as to stop an attacker in his own penalty area. Later in his career he moved to midfield and became one of the top midfielders through the early 1980s. The early peak of Breitner's long and successful career was at age 21 in 1972 as part of the winning German European Championship team. Two years later he won the 1974 FIFA World Cup. The final was played in Munich against the Netherlands, and Breitner scored the first German goal on a penalty kick. In the final, he, Franz Beckenbauer, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck and Berti Vogts formed a formidable unit at the back. He moved to Real Madrid for a fee of over 1 million Deutsche Marks following the World Cup and withdrew from the West German squad, missing the 1978 World Cup, and remaining off the side until enticed to return by Jupp Derwall in 1981. During his club career, Breitner won seven National Championships with Bayern Munich (1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981) and Real Madrid (1975, 1976), the Champions' Cup (1974) as well as the German (1971, 1982) and Spanish cups (1975). During his spell with Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and he formed such a formidable one-two-punch that they were often called Breitnigge.

Did You Know?

• Breitner is one of only five footballers to have scored in two different World Cup final matches, sharing that honour with Pelé, Vavá, Zinedine Zidane, and Kylian Mbappé.
• He was nicknamed 'Der Afro' in the media due to his long hair.
• In 1998, Breitner was announced as the new national team manager by DFB president Egidius Braun, but the decision was reversed 17 hours later, making him the infamous '17 Stunden Bundestrainer'.
• Breitner once accepted 150,000 Deutsche Mark from a cosmetics company to shave off his beard and advertise their aftershave.