The 30 best players in World Cup history
By James Dudko
13. Philipp Lahm, Germany
Germany’s renaissance in the 2000s can be traced back to the first time Philipp Lahm pulled on the shirt to represent his country. First capped in 2004, Lahm’s love affair with this tournament began two years later.
He was integral to the hosts’ progress to the last four in 2006, adding a new level of threat with raiding runs from his full-back berth. Lahm and Germany were beaten by Italy, but returned to the semifinal in 2010.
Once again, Die Mannschaft leaned heavily on their full-backs for energy and versatility. Able to play on either side of defense, as well as in midfield, Lahm’s relentlessness and technique proved vital on the break.
German counters destroyed England 4-1 in the last 16, before Argentina were demolished by the same margin in the quarterfinal. Lahm lost out to Spain, but finally reached the final in 2014.
Playing in a variety of positions, Lahm’s experience was invaluable for coach Joachim Low. He was the skipper for a team built to be fluid off the ball and intuitive on it.
Those qualities helped Die Mannschaft romp to the trophy in style. It also meant one of Germany’s most important players capped his international career in fitting fashion.