There was always only going to be one winner in this category. Not only was Franz Beckenbauer the undoubted choice for the heart of the defence but he also gets our nod for the captaincy of the all-time greatest World Cup XI.

'Der Kaiser', as he was nicknamed, remains the only man to win the World Cup both as player and manager, however it was on the field that he is most widely remembered and admired. His genius lay in his unique style of play, a revolutionary in modern football who not only formulated but mastered the role of sweeper.

The peak of Beckenbauer's playing achievements came when captaining West Germany to World Cup glory in Munich in 1974 and he went on to make 103 international appearances, scoring 14 goals.

He has since gone on to become one of the football's most important ambassadors and is chairman of the organization committee for the 2006 Finals in Germany.