Franz Beckenbauer, two-time world champion - as a player in 1974 and as a coach in 1990 - once described Walter as "surely the greatest German footballer of the century."
Fritz Walter was a symbol of 1. FC Kaiserslautern, the FRG national team and the 1954 FIFA World Cup ™ final in Switzerland. The attacking midfielder was loyal to his club throughout his brilliant career. In addition, he was elected UEFA Gold Player for his country ahead of figures such as Beckenbauer himself, Gerd Mueller and Lothar Matthaeus.
In the 1954 FIFA World Cup ™ final, Walter led the German team to the achievement of the "miracle of Bern", one of the greatest feats in the history of the tournament: a 3-2 win against a Hungarian team that seemed invincible and to which the Germans had fallen 8-3 in the group stage.
When the final whistle sounded, around 60 million Germans were glued to the radio. Everyone heard Zimmermann's words, who shouted exultantly into the microphone: "Final! Final! Final! Final of the match! Germany is world champion after defeating Hungary 3-2 in the final in Bern." It was quite a feat.