Horst-Dieter Höttges (10 September 1943 – 22 June 2023) was a German professional footballer who played as a sweeper or right-back. Having started his career with hometown club Borussia Mönchengladbach, he spent most of his career with Werder Bremen. He made 420 Bundesliga appearances for Werder Bremen, a club record for outfield players, scoring 55 goals and helped the club win the Bundesliga title in the 1964–65 season, his first at Werder Bremen. At international level, he represented West Germany from 1965 to 1974, amassing 66 caps and scoring 1 goal. He was part of the West Germany squads that won the 1974 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 1972.
HINT: Horst-Dieter Höttges, along with four other West German players, became the first to win gold, silver, and bronze medals at different FIFA World Cup competitions, signifying a remarkable level of consistent performance and longevity in the tournament.
👉 Horst-Dieter Höttges in the context of 1974 FIFA World Cup final
The 1974 FIFA World Cup final was the final match of the 1974 FIFA World Cup held in Munich, Germany (formerly West Germany) on 7 July. It was the 10th FIFA World Cup competition, held to determine the world champion among national men's football sides. The match was contested by the Netherlands and West Germany, with West Germany winning 2–1. The Netherlands opened the scoring via a Johan Neeskens penalty in the second minute, only for Paul Breitner to equalise with another penalty in the 25th minute before Gerd Müller scored the winning goal in the 43rd minute, claiming West Germany's second FIFA World Cup.
Five German players (Sepp Maier, Franz Beckenbauer, Wolfgang Overath, Jürgen Grabowski and Horst-Dieter Höttges) became the first in history to have won gold, silver and bronze medals at the FIFA World Cup.