Beckenbauer to be honored at Euro 2024 opening ceremony
UEFA has announced that the football world will pay tribute to German football icon Franz Beckenbauer, who died earlier this year, at the Euro 2024 opening ceremony ahead of the Germany-Scotland match in Munich on Friday.
Bernard Dietz and Jürgen Klinsmann, who captained Germany to European Championship glory in 1980 and 1996 respectively, will be joined by Beckenbauer's wife Heidi in bringing the trophy onto the pitch before the start of the tournament, making sure all three of Germany's European Championship triumphs are represented at the ceremony.
As a player, Beckenbauer captained West Germany to the European Championship in 1972 and the World Cup in 1974. He later guided his country to the 1990 World Cup title as a coach.
He passed away in January at the age of 78.