Franz Beckenbauer

In 1977, Beckenbauer signed with the New York Cosmos of the North Atlantic Soccer League. His teammates included the redoubtable Pele of Brazil and Giorgio Chinaglia of Italy, each of whom had achieved his own World Cup fame. Attendance soared as the Cosmos, playing in Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands sports complex, achieved worldwide recognition. Beckenbauer, who split his playing duties between midfield and defense, was the league's MVP in 1977 and the Cosmos were league champions in 1977, 1978 and 1980. He played one final season in New York in 1982 after returning to Germany and leading SV Hamburg to Bundesliga and German Cup titles.

Beckenbauer, as coach and later an executive with Bayern Munich, has helped the team retain its status among the European elites. He was also an effective power broker as Germany landed the 2006 World Cup. "Beckenbauer's charisma and political skills were instrumental in the triumph of the German bid," the news service Reuters wrote in 2000, when Germany edged South Africa in the voting.