Photo Gallery The 1974 World Cup
Striker Jürgen Sparwasser celebrates his winning goal for East Germany against arch-rival West Germany in the group stages. East Germany came in at the top of the group, a major coup for the communist state.
In front of a home crowd at the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Gerd Müller celebrates scoring the second and decisive goal as West Germany defeated Holland 2-1 in the World Cup final.
Footballing legends Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany) and Johan Cruyff (Holland) challenge each other for the ball. Beckenbauer helped the Germans to their second World Cup victory -- the first was in 1954.
Franz Beckenbauer holds aloft Germany's World Cup trophy, sending an adoring nation into rapturous celebrations.
West German defender Paul Breitner scored a penalty in the final against Holland. His nickname was "Afro Paule," courtesy of his striking haircut.
"Tip and Tap," the official mascots of the 1974 World Cup, won the hearts of German fans
Franz Beckenbauer was nicknamed "Der Kaiser" ("the emperor") because of his dominance on the football field. He won the World Cup again in 1990, this time as manager.
West Germany's Gerd Müller scores the winning goal in the 1974 final. He scored 68 goals in just 62 international games, one of greatest goal-scoring achievements of all time.
