Uwe Seeler

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Seeler participated in the same four FIFA World Cups as Pelé did: 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970. Although Seeler never won a World Cup (his involvement as a player in the tournament started four years after West Germany won their first World Cup in 1954 and ended four years before they won their second in 1974), he had a prolific career in the tournament. He was the first player ever to appear in 20 World Cup matches, retiring with 21 matches played, tied for third all-time. He was also the first ever to score in four World Cups, beating Pelé by only a few minutes, and the first player to score at least two goals in each of four World Cups, a feat matched in 2014 by his compatriot Miroslav Klose. In the 1970 World Cup quarter-final, a backward second-half header against England tied the score 2–2, a game West Germany went on to win 3–2. A photo by Sven Simon of a dejected Seeler leaving the field after the 1966 World Cup final is famous in Germany, and was voted as Photo of the Century by kicker magazine.

In Their Own Story

In the 1970 World Cup quarter-final against England, the score was 2–0 to England. Seeler, with a backward second-half header, tied the score 2–2, a game West Germany went on to win 3–2. That tournament saw West Germany finish in third place after a 4–3 extra-time loss to Italy in the semi-finals, a match often called the "Game of the Century." Four years earlier, in 1966, Seeler and West Germany reached the final, losing 4–2 in extra time to host nation England. A photo by Sven Simon of a dejected Seeler leaving the field after that final was voted as Photo of the Century by kicker magazine. Across his four World Cups, Seeler scored nine goals in 21 matches, with 1,980 all-time minutes played. He was the first player ever to appear in 20 World Cup matches, the first to score in four World Cups, and the first to score at least two goals in each of four World Cups.

Reader's Guide

Uwe Seeler participated in four FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970. He scored nine goals across those tournaments. He was the first player ever to appear in 20 World Cup matches, retiring with 21 matches played, tied for third all-time. He was the first ever to score in four World Cups, beating Pelé by only a few minutes, and the first player to score at least two goals in each of four World Cups, matched in 2014 by Miroslav Klose. He has 1,980 all-time minutes played in World Cups. In 1966, West Germany reached the final, losing 4–2 to England in extra time. In 1970, West Germany finished third after a 4–3 extra-time loss to Italy in the semi-finals. In the quarter-final of that tournament, Seeler scored a backward second-half header against England to tie the score 2–2, and West Germany won 3–2. A photo of Seeler leaving the field after the 1966 final was voted Photo of the Century by kicker magazine.

Did You Know?

• Seeler was the first player ever to appear in 20 World Cup matches, retiring with 21 matches played, tied for third all-time.
• He was the first ever to score in four World Cups, beating Pelé by only a few minutes.
• He was the first player to score at least two goals in each of four World Cups, a feat matched in 2014 by Miroslav Klose.
• A photo by Sven Simon of a dejected Seeler leaving the field after the 1966 World Cup final was voted as Photo of the Century by kicker magazine.
• Seeler scored a backward second-half header against England in the 1970 World Cup quarter-final to tie the score 2–2; West Germany went on to win 3–2.