Franz Beckenbauer passed away at the age of 78, his family announced Monday. The sad news immediately shocked world soccer, and it didn’t take long for Lionel Messi to pay tribute to the German legend on social media.
The Inter Miami superstar was one of the first active players to react to Der Kaiser’s passing, posting a picture of the legendary defender in action for the Germany national team.
Beckenbauer left his mark on the beautiful game both for his performances at the club and international stage. While he helped Bayern become a European heavyweight, ‘Der Kaiser’ also led Germany to World Cup success both as a player (1974) and a coach (1990).
Known for being an elegant but strong defender, Beckenbauer redefined the position and went on to win two Ballon d’Ors. Apart from the aforementioned honors, he won an Euro, three European Cups and four Bundesligas as a player. Beckenbauer celebrated another German league title as a manager, as well as a Ligue 1 trophy.
When Beckenbauer praised Messi
“Messi is a genius. He has everything. When I watch him, I see a player who is very, very, skillful, very clever and his left foot is like Diego Maradona’s,” Beckenbauer said about Messi in 2012.
The German legend witnessed some of the best players of all time, including Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff. But most importantly, he shared the field with Pele back in the 1970s, when they spent their sunset years at the New York Cosmos in the United States.
Curiously, Messi eventually joined the list of soccer legends that played in the US by signing for MLS franchise Inter Miami in July 2023.
