Oliver Kahn

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kahn was initially called for the Germany national team as a late back-up for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, as third keeper behind veteran starter Bodo Illgner and Andreas Köpke. Along with Oliver Reck, Kahn was a reserve keeper of the squad which won the 1996 UEFA European Championship in England, as the back-up to the now starting keeper Köpke. Kahn spent the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France on the bench, and it was not until Köpke announced his retirement at the end of the tournament that Kahn became the starting goalkeeper. Two years after UEFA Euro 2000, in which defending champions Germany made an embarrassing exit in the group stage, Kahn received the squad's captaincy, succeeding the striker Oliver Bierhoff. Despite Germany's comparatively low expectations when for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the team advanced to the final; Kahn conceded only three goals in the course of the competition, two of which were in the final. Playing the final match with torn ligaments in his right ring finger, Kahn conceded the first goal by fumbling a rebounded shot from Rivaldo to the feet of striker Ronaldo in the 67th minute. Once the game was over with Brazil as the new champion, he stood alone and disappointed in his goal; nevertheless he refused to blame his injury for his mistake. The FIFA Technical Study Group awarded him with the Lev Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament, while also edging out tournament top scorer Ronaldo to receive the Golden Ball for the best individual performance. Kahn is the only goalkeeper in World Cup history to win the Golden Ball, and also became the first German goalkeeper to keep five clean sheets in a World Cup tournament. Kahn maintained his number one spot for UEFA Euro 2004, but Germany were once again eliminated in the group stage. Oliver Kahn gave up his captaincy to Michael Ballack after the tournament. Germany's new manager Jürgen Klinsmann, who replaced Rudi Völler, adopted the strategy of rotating the number one spot between Kahn and his longtime competitor, Jens Lehmann of Arsenal, to stimulate competition between the two. On 7 April 2006, after two years of dispute for the position Klinsmann announced Lehmann was his first-choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup. Kahn decided to stay on as a backup.

In Their Own Story

The roar echoes through the stadium before the penalty kick. Kahn stands on his line, eyes locked on the striker, the weight of the nation resting on his shoulders. He dives, palms the ball away, and rises to celebrate with fists clenched in triumph. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, although Germany were not among the tournament favourites, Kahn's prowess, despite being injured, in goal was key to reaching the final, where Germany lost 0–2 to Brazil. Kahn made a mistake on Brazil's first goal; nonetheless, he received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. Kahn experienced one of his worst performances in his international career against England in Munich in 2001. Germany were favoured to win as they had beaten England 1–0 in 2000 at the Wembley Stadium. However, they were routed 5–1, including a hat-trick by Michael Owen. Despite the defeat, Germany qualified for the World Cup after winning a playoff against Ukraine, and Kahn remained as Germany's number one for the upcoming Cup.

Reader's Guide

Oliver Kahn represented Germany at three FIFA World Cups: 1994 (as an unused member), 1998, and 2002. His most significant tournament was the 2002 edition held in South Korea and Japan. There, he delivered a historic performance that propelled Germany to the final against Brazil. In an unprecedented achievement for his position, Kahn was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2002 World Cup. He remains the only goalkeeper in history to receive this honor from FIFA. The FIFA Technical Study Group also awarded him the Lev Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Kahn became the first German goalkeeper to keep five clean sheets in a World Cup tournament. After the 2006 tournament on home soil, Kahn retired from international football. He was an unused member of the squad that won the 1996 UEFA European Championship.

Did You Know?

• Kahn is the only goalkeeper in World Cup history to win the Golden Ball.
• He became the first German goalkeeper to keep five clean sheets in a single World Cup tournament (2002).
• Kahn played the 2002 World Cup final with torn ligaments in his right ring finger.
• He was an unused member of the Germany squad that won the 1996 UEFA European Championship.
• Kahn gave up his national team captaincy to Michael Ballack after UEFA Euro 2004.