Wolfgang Overath

• Honorary Award Recipient of the DFL
• World Champion 1974

Wolfgang Overath, born in 1943, was named as a DFL Ehrenpreisträger (Honorary Award Recipient) at the 2019 General Assembly. After the classic 1966 World Cup final against hosts England and a third-place finish at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, he helped Germany to secure their second World Cup title since 1954 with a 2:1 victory over the Netherlands in the 1974 final in Munich. He was the only German player to appear in all 19 matches in these three World Cups. In total, Wolfgang Overath earned 81 caps (scoring 17 goals).

He made 409 Bundesliga appearances (scoring 83 goals). In the division’s maiden season, he became 1. FC Köln’s first-ever Bundesliga goalscorer in their 2:0 win at 1. FC Saarbrücken on 24 August 1963. Previously, following his transfer from SV 04 in his birthplace of Siegburg to 1. FC Köln, he had been suspended for a year, which a change from amateur to professional status automatically led to at the time. He was part of the 1. FC Köln side that became the first-ever Bundesliga champions. Two DFB-Pokal wins were to follow (1968 and 1977). When the brilliant left-footer ended his outstanding career in 1977, he was also the professional with the most competitive appearances (542) for his club, which he went on to serve as President from 2004 to 2011.

_{Photo: Witters/Tim Groothuis}