German football mourns its last hero from 1954: Horst Eckel died on Friday at the age of 89.
This was announced by the German Football Association (DFB).
Eckel was the only surviving world champion of the legendary team that won the first World Cup title for Germany in 1954 in Bern.
Eckel leaves behind his wife Hannelore and their two daughters Susanne and Dagmar.
Between 1952 and 1958 Eckel played a total of 32 times for the selection of the German Football Association (DFB).
The outrunner, who was born in Vogelbach and was nicknamed “Greyhound”, won two German championships with 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1951 and 1953).