A tribute ceremony was held for the “Kaiser”, who passed away in January, as part of the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony. In addition, Harry Kane was presented with the Gerd Müller Award – the trophy was presented by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
The 68th Ballon d’Or, one of the most prestigious prizes in world football, was not only marked by extraordinary sporting achievements this year, but also paid special tribute to Franz Beckenbauer, who passed away in January. On the occasion of the death of the “Kaiser”, a solemn tribute ceremony took place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday evening, attended by Heidi, the widow of Beckenbauer, and their children Joel and Francesca, as well as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
“I very much welcome the decision of the Ballon d’Or organizers to pay tribute to Franz Beckenbauer in this special way,” said Bayern’s long-standing CEO: ”He has won this award twice and was one of the first global football personalities anyway. His influence on our game across the board is immeasurable. The world of football is fortunate to have had Franz Beckenbauer in its midst. Franz was my captain, my coach and our president – a man of global stature who connected and inspired people beyond football. Franz Beckenbauer is and remains the greatest personality FC Bayern has ever had – and unforgettable in every role he played.”
Rummenigge honors Mbappé and Kane
A tribute video was shown in honor of Franz Beckenbauer, celebrating his contribution to football. On stage, the family and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge talked to presenters Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert about two-time Ballon d’Or winner Franz Beckenbauer.
Following the tribute ceremony, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge presented the Gerd Müller Trophy for top scorer of the 2023/24 season. The trophy is awarded to the player who has scored the most goals in official matches for club and national team. Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane were joint top in this statistic with 52 goals each.
For the first time in the history of the Ballon d’Or, UEFA is co-organizing this prestigious award ceremony in partnership with Groupe Amaury, which includes France Football and L’Équipe. This partnership aims to strengthen the global influence and reach of the Ballon d’Or and bring the international football community even closer together.
The Ballon d’Or, which has been awarded annually since 1956, is the highest individual accolade in football alongside the FIFA Best Awards and is given to the most outstanding players in the world. Franz Beckenbauer, who won the award twice, remains a legend as a revolutionary defender and 1974 World Cup captain to this day. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won the Ballon d’Or in 1980 and 1981 and thus also stands in the distinguished tradition of great award winners.