Helmut Rahn

1946/50 SC Oelde 09 (GER)

1950/51 Sportfreunde Katernberg (GER) 30 games, 7 goals

1951/59 Rot-Weiss Essen (GER) 211 games, 94 goals

(Oberliga West: 201 games, 88 goals)

(Deutsche Meisterschaft: 10 games, 6 goals)

1959/60 FC Cologne (GER) 38 games, 17 goals

(Oberliga West: 29 games, 11 goals)

(Deutsche Meisterschaft: 7 games, 4 goals)

(West German Cup: 2 games, 2 goals)

1960/63 SC Enschede (HOL) 69 games, 39 goals

1963/65 MSV Duisburg (GER) 19 matches, 7 goals

With the National Team :

40 caps, 21 goals

(Friendly matches: 26 caps, 10 goals)

(World Cup qualifiers: 4 caps, 1 goal)

(World Cup: 10 caps, 10 goals)

1st cap: November 21, 1951 against Turkey (2-0)

Last cap: April 27, 1960 against Portugal (1-0)

B: 1 cap, 2 goals

Helmut Rahn

Born on August 16, 1929 in Essen (GER)

Died on August 14, 2003 in Essen (GER)

German, Right-winger, 1m78

Nicknames: "Der Boss", "The cannon of Essen"

Helmut Rahn was born on August 16, 1929 in Essen, Germany, nicknamed "Der Boss", or the boss, he was a player with undeniable talent, incredibly fast and powerful. He began his career at SC Oelde 09 in 1946, then joined Sportfreunde Katernberg before changing clubs again for Rot-Weiss Essen.

With this club, he won the German championship in 1955 and participated in the first Champions League in history in 1955/56. After 8 years at Rot-Weiss Essen, he was transferred to FC Cologne where he had an incredible season, 17 goals in 38 games, playing as a right winger.

After this great season, he became one of the first German players to play abroad, as he joined the club SC Enschede, in the Netherlands. Then he returned to Germany, to MSV Duisburg in order to end his career in 1965, when he was 36 years old, following a recurring leg injury.

But Rahn's legend is written more on the international level, he was a regular in the German national team between 1951 and 1960. And he reached an impressive peak in the national team, being one of the main architects of the German world title in 1954.

Despite not being selected for the World Cup initially, he went on a tour of Uruguay with his club. But Sepp Herberger called him up at the last minute and he took part in the competition. He did not play the first match, but in the second, he scored a goal, then again, he did not play.

In the quarter-finals, he started, and would remain so until the end of the competition. The reason? He was unplayable. He scored a crucial goal in the quarter-finals against Yugoslavia, then in the semi-finals, he provided an assist against Austria. Germany then reached the final of the competition, to everyone's surprise.

This final would be the scene of one of the greatest individual performances in the history of football in a World Cup final. Helmut Rahn was everywhere, creating and finishing. Led 2-0 by Hungary after 8 minutes, he was the one who provided a magnificent cross for Morlock, then he equalized following a mistake by the Hungarian goalkeeper, and he scored the winning goal after eliminating 2 Hungarian defenders with his dribble. 2 goals and 1 assist, an anthology final for the German winger who single-handedly created the "Miracle of Bern".

He then continued his career with Germany, keeping a starting place during the 1958 World Cup during which he shone again, Rahn was the man of the big events, he will have scored 6 goals during this World Cup. In total, he will have played 40 matches for 21 goals with Germany.

- Silver Ball in 1958

- 2nd best scorer of the World Cup in 1958 (6 goals)

- Named in the typical team of the tournament of the World Cup 1954

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