Helmut Haller

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Helmut Haller (born July 21, 1939 in Augsburg, Germany) was a footballer who represented West Germany at three World Cups.

Haller was a playmaker and striker who made his international debut at age 19 in 1958. He played at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England and the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He won 33 caps in total, scoring 13 goals.

West Germany reached the final of the 1966 competition and Haller scored the opening goal of the game, but opponents England won 4-2. Along with his second place medal, Haller also got the match ball from the game, though more than 30 years later he returned to England to present it to Geoff Hurst, who had scored a hat-trick in the game and was therefore by tradition considered to be entitled to own the ball.

In his club career, Haller played for Augsburg, he then moved to Italy to join Bologna and then Juventus. In 1973 he went back to his hometown club and retired in 1979.

West Germany West Germany squad - 1962 World Cup Quarter-finalist West Germany

1 Tilkowski | 2 Erhardt | 3 Schnellinger | 4 Schulz | 5 Wilden | 6 Szymaniak | 7 Koslowski | 8 Haller | 9 Seeler | 10 Brülls | 11 Schäfer | 12 Nowak | 13 Kurbjuhn | 14 Werner | 15 Giesemann | 16 Sturm | 17 Kraus | 18 Herrmann | 19 Strehl | 20 Vollmar | 21 Sawitzki | 22 Fahrian | Coach: Herberger

West Germany West Germany squad - 1966 World Cup Runner-up West Germany

1 Tilkowski | 2 Höttges | 3 Schnellinger | 4 Beckenbauer | 5 Schulz | 6 Weber | 7 Brülls | 8 Haller | 9 Seeler | 10 Held | 11 Emmerich | 12 Overath | 13 Hornig | 14 Lutz | 15 Patzke | 16 Lorenz | 17 Paul | 18 Sieloff | 19 Krämer | 20 Grabowski | 21 Bernard | 22 Maier | Coach: Schön

West Germany West Germany squad - 1970 World Cup third place West Germany

1 Maier | 2 Höttges | 3 Schnellinger | 4 Beckenbauer | 5 Schulz | 6 Weber | 7 Vogts | 8 Haller | 9 Seeler | 10 Held | 11 Fichtel | 12 Overath | 13 Müller | 14 Libuda | 15 Patzke | 16 Lorenz | 17 Löhr | 18 Sieloff | 19 Dietrich | 20 Grabowski | 21 Manglitz | 22 Wolter | Coach: Schön