Ballon d’Or Winner 1990: Masterful Matthaus

Germany has a long, comprehensive list of talent that has gone on to do great things in football, as one of the world’s most fiercely competitive sporting nations. Lothar Matthäus, however, sits on the throne at the very top of the list of German greats.

The most capped player in the history of the national side, Matthäus was a stalwart of the national team. He was inescapable, both in his longevity with over 20 years spent at the top of his game and his omnipresence on a football pitch.

He was, without doubt, the best player of his kind across the ’80s and 90’s, seemingly able to do the jobs of 5 players alone.

The Talented Mr. Matthaus

Lothar Matthaus will always be remembered as one of football’s most complete players. More well-rounded than even the mythical Rolls-Royce player, Matthaus could do it all. Pin-point passing, driving runs forward, carrying the ball up the field, unrivaled vision, and footballing intelligence, combined with fearless defending and impassioned leadership made for a midfielder that had no discernible weaknesses.

He was the first true all-rounder, a title that has been bestowed on an incredibly select group of legendary midfielders.

Born on March 21, 1961, in Erlangen, Germany, Lothar Matthäus began his footballing career in 1971 with 1. FC Herzogenaurach, a small town in Nuremberg.

At the youth level, he quickly proved he was destined for greater things, as upon making the senior squad, would score 20 in 22 from midfield, carrying the whole team on his back aged just 18.

Unsurprisingly, he soon joined a bigger side, starting his professional career with Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1979. He was always versatile, from a young age, with the German excelling in various positions across the field. Naturally, such a player would fall into the central midfield role, where he would quickly make his mark.

After 5 seasons and 36 goals in 162, Matthaus was hoovered up by perennial giants of the German game, Bayern Munich. Like most who transfer to Bayern, he achieved immense success instantaneously. Unlike most, however, he would become a key figure for the club, leading them to 3 Bundesliga titles in a row and a Dfb Pokal in his first 4-year stint there. 

In just 4 seasons he’d score 57 in 113 from midfield, a record that bests many great forwards during the same period.

In 1988, he made a huge decision, joining Inter Milan for 3,600,000 Euros, in a move that would help facilitate the best performances of Matthaus’ career. At the time the Serie A attracted the greatest players in the world, much like the Premier League of today. The league was stacked with talent and boasted huge sides and rich competition. It was the true test for any player of the 90s wanting to play at the absolute highest level.

2 years of Serie A football later, and he had won his first Ballon d’Or.

World Cup Glory: Italia 90

The 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy served as the backdrop for Matthäus’ crowning achievement. Leading the West German national team as their captain, Matthäus was a talisman behind a fearsome World Cup run, culminating in a tense final decided by a penalty. 

It may not have been a tournament for the purists; Italia 90 boasted the highest amount of time wasting on average per game while having the lowest number of goals( 2.21) scored out of any World Cup.

Every game was a battle, in a tournament where Maradona was fouled 53 times in 7 games, you needed more than just ability. You needed grit, determination, and a certain robustness to survive, whilst to truly reach the top, you needed that combativeness in conjunction with on-the-ball skills that rival the 2004 Arsenal squad.

Ultimately, Matthaus had all this, and more as he did much more than just survive a World Cup in which players were routinely hacked down with little consequences. 

He scored 4 important goals along the German’s road to glory, doing the business at a World Cup so anti-football that the backpass rule was introduced, and the offside rule was changed so that attackers were on if they were level with the defender.

But, for Matthaus, there was little care, and to come out on top in such a difficult tournament, which is already considered the pinnacle of football, makes winning Italia 90 an extra special achievement. He’d even go on to state that this World Cup felt like playing a home tournament for him, having built such a following in Italy, he was cheered as one of Italy’s own.

With his impassioned leadership, no doubt he was able to project this feeling onto much of the squad, as West Germany skipped over every hurdle in their path.

This Italian love, however, was not put to its fullest test, as West Germany would avoid facing Italy. they were knocked out by Argentina in the Semi-Final on the other side of the draw. Whether or not that love would have wavered had West Germany bested Italy in the final we can only speculate based on the Italian’s love of football and their national team… So almost certainly.

In club football for that year, Matthaus was inspired, scoring 16 in 31 for Inter from midfield. Sadly only a single man, and duplication not being one of the many skills he possessed, Inter would only manage a 3rd place finish.

His incredible performances had, however, cemented him as the best midfielder in the Serie A, and probably also the best defender, striker, lover, DIY man, and bass guitarist, given how he excelled in everything he did.

The season before, he managed 19 goal contributions in 25, with 11 goals and 8 assists, also proving to be stupendously consistent.

Europe’s Highest Individual Honour

In recognition of his outstanding performances over the calendar year, with the World Cup win no doubt the biggest factor, Lothar Matthäus was named the best European player, as he won the most prestigious of individual awards.  He was the clear winner with 137 points. Comprehensively clearing a young Salvatore Schillaci who had garnered 84 votes in second place, as Inter Milan and Germany teammate Andreas Brehme followed suit in third.

Matthäus’ versatility and adaptability were key factors in securing the Ballon d’Or, he played Defensive Midfield, Attacking Midfield, and Center Midfield in just the 1990 World Cup alone, excelling in every game, no matter the task coach Franz Beckenbauer had for him, with many fans and pundits having been viewing Matthaus as Beckenbauer’s predecessor.

His ability to seamlessly transition between defensive and attacking roles made him a one-of-a-kind midfielder. Often you couldn’t tell where he was meant to be playing, not because he was out of position, but the fact he seemed to do the jobs of an entire midfield by himself. Whether orchestrating the play from deep positions or surging forward with purpose, he exhibited a rare combination of technical skill and tactical astuteness.

Matthaus would go on to play another 10 years, shattering the German national cap record, making 150 appearances and captaining them since 1988, earning his first cap in 1980. One of the most worthy Ballon d’Or winners, in today’s market, he’d be worth as much as a striker like Mbappe. 

Seldom do we see a center midfielder have such an impact on both the defensive and attacking sides of the game. If Jude Bellingham is worth 103 Million Euros, prime Matthaus would be 200, even if Bellingham is still young.

Lothar Matthaus Career Stats

1990 Ballon d’Or Top 20: