View source for Fritz Walter

{{Short description|German footballer (1920–2002)}}
{{About|the footballer born in 1920|other people named Fritz Walter|Fritz Walter (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Fritz Walter
| image = Fritz Walter cropped 2.JPG
| caption = Walter with [[1. FC Kaiserslautern|Kaiserslautern]] in 1956
| fullname = Friedrich Walter
| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|10|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Kaiserslautern]], [[Weimar Republic|Germany]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|6|17|1920|10|31|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Enkenbach-Alsenborn]], Germany
| height = 1.75 m<ref>{{NFT}}</ref>
| position = [[Attacking midfielder]], [[inside forward]]
| youthyears1 = 1928–1937
| youthclubs1 = [[1. FC Kaiserslautern]]{{efn|Even the 1928–1929 period as FV Kaiserslautern is included.}}
| years1 = 1937–1959
| clubs1 = [[1. FC Kaiserslautern]]
| caps1 = 411
| goals1 = 372
| years2 = 1943
| clubs2 = [[Thionville FC|TSG Diedenhofen]]
| caps2 = 29
| goals2 = 18
| years3 = 1943
| clubs3 = [[TSG Saargemünd]]
| caps3 = 12
| goals3 = 1
| manageryears1 = 1945–1949
| managerclubs1 = [[1. FC Kaiserslautern]] (player-coach)
| manageryears2 = 1960
| managerclubs2 = [[VfL Neustadt/Coburg]]
| manageryears3 = 1962–1968
| managerclubs3 = [[SV Alsenborn]]
| totalcaps = 469
| totalgoals = 391
| nationalyears1 = 1940–1958
| nationalteam1 = [[Germany national football team|Germany / West Germany]]
| nationalcaps1 = 61
| nationalgoals1 = 33
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|FRG}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[1954 FIFA World Cup|1954 Switzerland]]|}}
}}
'''Friedrich''' "'''Fritz'''" '''Walter''' ({{IPA|de|ˈfʁiːdʁɪç fʁɪts ˈvaltɐ|lang|De-Fritz Walter.ogg|audio}}; 31 October 1920 – 17 June 2002) was a German [[association football|footballer]] who spent his entire senior career at [[1. FC Kaiserslautern]]. He usually played as an [[Midfielder#Attacking midfielder|attacking midfielder]] or [[inside forward]]. In his time with the [[Germany national football team|Germany]] and [[West Germany national football team|West Germany national team]]s, he appeared in 61 games and scored 33 goals, and was the [[Captain (association football)|captain]] of the team that won the [[1954 FIFA World Cup]]. After his career, he was named honorary captain of the Germany national team.

==Life and career==

===Early club career===
Born on 31 October 1920, Walter was exposed to football early with his parents, Ludwig (1894–1976) and Dorothea Walter ([[birth name|née]] Kieburg; 1896–1978), working at the [[1. FC Kaiserslautern]] club restaurant.<ref name="fritz-walter-museum">{{cite web|url=https://www.initiative-fritz-walter-museum.de/erinnerungen/2021/007-dorothea-walter/|title=Die Mutter der Weltmeister—Zum 125. Geburtstag von Dorothea Walter|date=7 February 2021|publisher=Fritz Walter Museum|access-date=23 December 2023}}</ref> By 1928 he had joined the Kaiserslautern youth academy, and he made his first team debut at 17, continuing an association with the club that would be his only professional club.<ref name="uefa1">{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/aboutuefa/organisation/history/obituaries/newsid=26646.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024133534/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/aboutuefa/organisation/history/obituaries/newsid=26646.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2012|title=Tributes for the 'Hero of Berne'|date=18 June 2002|publisher=UEFA|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref><ref name="fifaclassicplayer1">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=44747/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228024644/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=44747/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 February 2008|title=Fritz WALTER – Germany's post-war hero|work=FIFA Classic Player|publisher=FIFA|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref><ref name="ContiSoccerWorld1">{{cite web|url=http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/uk/en/contisoccerworld/themes/02_fanzone/04_stars/1954-walter-en.html|title=FIFA World Cup Star 1954: Fritz Walter|work=ContiSoccerWorld|publisher=Continental|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref>

International pro teams had repeatedly offered him hefty sums, but with support from his wife always declined in order to stay at home, to play for his home town, the national team and "Chef" (German for "Boss") Herberger.

===International debut===
Walter debuted with the Germany national team in 1940 under [[Sepp Herberger]], and scored a [[Hat-trick#Association football|hat-trick]] against [[Romania national football team|Romania]].<ref name="fifaclassicplayer1" />

===War===
Walter was drafted into the armed forces in 1942. However, the end of the war found 24-year-old Walter in a [[Prisoner of War]] camp in [[Maramures]] in which he played with Hungarian and Slovakian guards. When the Soviets arrived they generally took all German prisoners back to [[Gulag]]s in the [[Soviet Union]]. One of the Hungarian prison guards had seen Walter playing for Germany, and told them that Fritz was not German but from the [[Saar Protectorate]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Fritz Walter – A Footballing Grandmaster : "I was there in 1942. I have seen you play against us. Hungary lost 3–5"|url=http://www.goaldentimes.org/fritz-walter-%E2%80%93-a-footballing-grandmaster/|website=goaldentimes.org|access-date=2 February 2015|archive-date=10 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210075903/http://www.goaldentimes.org/fritz-walter-%E2%80%93-a-footballing-grandmaster/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Walter would later call the match in question as the most important of his life as it spared him and his brother from a gulag sentence.

===Return to Germany===
Upon his return in 1945, Walter, who by now suffered from [[malaria]], again played for Kaiserslautern,<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/players/fwalterdata.html | title = Fritz Walter – Matches and Goals in Oberliga | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 14 January 2016 | access-date = 21 January 2016 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation}}</ref> leading them to German championships in 1951 and 1953. Walter coached [[VfR Kaiserslautern]] during the 1948–49 season and helped them win the 1948–49 Westpfälzischen Amateurliga. [[Sepp Herberger]] recalled Walter to the national team in 1951, and he was named captain.<ref name="fifaclassicplayer1" />

He was captain of the [[West Germany|West German]] team that won their first [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] in [[1954 FIFA World Cup|1954]], beating Hungary. He and his brother, [[Ottmar Walter]], became the first brothers to play in a World Cup winning team.<ref name="ContiSoccerWorld1" />

In 1956, after the crackdown by the Soviets of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian Uprising]], the Hungarian football team were caught away from home, and for two years, Fritz managed their games and provided the financial backing and in small measure, paid them back for having saved him from deportation to the Soviet Union. Walter received his last cap<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fwalter-intlg.html | title = Fritz Walter – Goals in International Matches | first = Karel | last = Stokkermans | date = 14 January 2016 | access-date = 21 January 2016 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation}}</ref> during the semi-final against [[Sweden men's national football team|Sweden]] in the [[1958 FIFA World Cup|1958 World Cup]], suffering an injury which ended his international career, and he retired from football in 1959.

===Later life and legacy===
[[Image:DielautrerheldenvonBern.JPG|thumb|right|Memorial for the [[1. FC Kaiserslautern]] players in the [[1954 FIFA World Cup Final]]. From left to right: [[Werner Liebrich]], Walter, [[Werner Kohlmeyer]], [[Horst Eckel]] and [[Ottmar Walter]].]]
The home stadium of 1. FC Kaiserslautern was renamed the [[Fritz-Walter-Stadion]] in 1985.

Fritz Walter was named an honorary captain of the German football squad in 1958.<ref>The [[German Football Association|DFB]] [https://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=12351 Fritz Walter: Das Idol vom Betzenberg].</ref> The other five are [[Uwe Seeler]], [[Franz Beckenbauer]], [[Lothar Matthäus]], [[Bettina Wiegmann]] and [[Jürgen Klinsmann]].

Walter died in [[Enkenbach-Alsenborn]] on 17 June 2002, aged 81.<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/team_pages/germany/newsid_2050000/2050347.stm|title=World Cup hero Walter dies|date=17 June 2002|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref> It was his dream to see the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|World Cup 2006]] in "his" town Kaiserslautern as the town had not been selected in the smaller tournament of 1974, but it was denied with his death. But on the fourth anniversary of his death on 17 June 2006, the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]] played [[Italy national football team|Italy]] in Kaiserslautern and a minute of silence was observed in his memory. Today people may visit the "Fritz Walter Haus" in the town of [[Enkenbach-Alsenborn]] approx. 20&nbsp;km east of Kaiserslautern (first exit from Kaiserslautern on [[Bundesautobahn 6]] direction Mannheim).<ref name="boston1">{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/articles/2006/06/20/immortal_beloved/|title=Immortal, beloved German icon still a presence|last=Dell'Apa|first=Frank|date=20 June 2006|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref>

In November 2003, to celebrate [[UEFA]]'s 50th anniversary, the [[German Football Association]] (DFB) selected him as its [[UEFA Jubilee Awards|Golden Player]] of the past 50 years (from 1954 to 2003).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind=256/newsId=130150.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 August 2006 |archive-date=12 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312053707/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind=256/newsId=130150.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

During the eighties and nineties, there was another successful [[Bundesliga]] striker called "[[Fritz Walter (footballer, 1960)|Fritz Walter]]", who mainly played for [[VfB Stuttgart]]. Although he had no relationship to the great Kaiserslautern captain, sports fans jokingly called him "Fritz Walter junior".

In 2005, the ''[[Fritz Walter Medal]]'', a series of annual awards which were established in his honour, and which are given by the [[German Football Association]] to youth footballers in Germany, was first awarded.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=511739&tx_dfbnews_pi1&#91;showUid&#93;=1784 |title=DFB verleiht Fritz-Walter-Medaille an Nachwuchsspieler|trans-title=DFB to award Fritz-Walter-Medal to youth players|publisher=[[German Football Association]]|language=de|date=9 February 2004|access-date=20 September 2012}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[file:Fritz Walter Trainingslager der Deutschen Fußballnationalmannschaft in der Sportschule Malente (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Walter in 1965]]
Walter's wife of five decades was Italia Walter ([[birth name|née]] Bortoluzzi; 1922–2000), a woman from [[Belluno]], Italy.

It was popular knowledge in Germany that Walter appeared to play better the worse the weather was, and so now the term "Fritz Walter's weather" is used to describe rainy weather conditions, often rendered with odd local dialect grammar "of Fritz, his weather". This is because he, as many other soldiers, had contracted malaria during the war, thus rendering him unable to stand the heat of the sun. The 1954 World Cup final was played in "Fritz Walter's weather" conditions.

On 6 October 1956, Walter scored a spectacular goal in [[Leipzig]] in front of 100,000 East Germans during a friendly against [[Wismut Aue]], when he hit the ball back-heel while diving forward.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/0,1518,440986,00.html|title = Fritz Walters Hackentrick: Das vergessene Jahrhunderttor| newspaper=Der Spiegel | date=6 October 2006 | last1=Trede | first1=Broder-Jürgen }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Club===
:Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/16686/Fritz_Walter.html|title=Fritz Walter Club-statistics|access-date=28 March 2014|publisher=National Football Teams}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="18"|[[1. FC Kaiserslautern]]
|1939–40
|[[Gauliga Südwest/Mainhessen]]
|15||21
|-
|1940–41
|Gauliga Südwest/Mainhessen
|12||16
|-
|1941–42
|Gauliga Südwest/Mainhessen
|14||39
|-
|1942–43
|Gauliga Südwest/Mainhessen
|3||1
|-
|1945–46
|[[Oberliga Südwest (1945–63)|Oberliga Südwest]]
|14||16
|-
|1946–47
|Oberliga Südwest
|14||22
|-
|1947–47
|Oberliga Südwest
|24||31
|-
|1948–49
|Oberliga Südwest
|22||30
|-
|1949–50
|Oberliga Südwest
|26||34
|-
|1950–51
|Oberliga Südwest
|19||5
|-
|1951–52
|Oberliga Südwest
|27||19
|-
|1952–53
|Oberliga Südwest
|30||38
|-
|1953–54
|Oberliga Südwest
|29||20
|-
|1954–55
|Oberliga Südwest
|21||10
|-
|1955–56
|Oberliga Südwest
|25||16
|-
|1956–57
|Oberliga Südwest
|21||15
|-
|1957–58
|Oberliga Südwest
|26||5
|-
|1958–59
|Oberliga Südwest
|22||10
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
!364!!348
|}

===International===
:''Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Walter goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Fritz Walter
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|style="text-align:center"|1
|rowspan="3"|{{dts|14 July 1940}}
|rowspan="3"|[[Frankfurt]], Germany
|rowspan="3"|{{fb|Romania|1867}}
|style="text-align:center"|4–0
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|9–3
|rowspan="3"|[[Friendly (association football)|Friendly]]
|rowspan="3"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v Romania, 14 July 1940|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-romania-14-july-1940-225056/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|2
|style="text-align:center"|8–2
|-
|style="text-align:center"|3
|style="text-align:center"|9–3
|-
|style="text-align:center"|4
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|1 September 1940}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Leipzig]], Germany
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Finland}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|13–0
|rowspan="2"|Friendly
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v Finland, 01 September 1940|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-finland-01-september-1940-225062/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|5
|style="text-align:center"|–
|-
|style="text-align:center"|6
|{{dts|9 March  1941}}
|[[Stuttgart]], Germany
|{{fb|Switzerland}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|4–2
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v Switzerland, 09 March 1941|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-switzerland-09-march-1941-225096/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|7
|{{dts|6 April 1941}}
|[[Cologne]], Germany
|{{fb|Hungary|1920}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|7–0
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v Hungary, 06 April 1941|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-hungary-06-april-1941-225099/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|8
|{{dts|1 June 1941}}
|[[Stadionul Republicii]], [[Bucharest]], Romania
|{{fb|Romania|1867}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|style="text-align:center"|4–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Romania v Germany, 01 June 1941|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/romania-v-germany-01-june-1941-225118/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|9
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|15 June 1941}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Vienna]], Austria
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Croatia|1941}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|5–1
|rowspan="2"|Friendly
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v Croatia, 15 June 1941|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-croatia-15-june-1941-225120/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|10
|style="text-align:center"|–
|-
|style="text-align:center"|11
|{{dts|5 October 1941}}
|[[Råsunda Stadium]], Stockholm, Sweden
|{{fb|Sweden}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–4
|style="text-align:center"|2–4
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sweden v Germany, 05 October 1941|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/sweden-v-germany-05-october-1941-225127/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|12
|{{dts|7 December 1941}}
|[[Wrocław]], Poland
|{{fb|Slovakia}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|4–0
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v Slovakia, 07 December 1941|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-slovakia-07-december-1941-225133/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|13
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|3 May 1942}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Ferenc Puskás Stadium|Népstadion]], [[Budapest]], Hungary
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Hungary|1920}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|5–3
|rowspan="2"|Friendly
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hungary v Germany, 03 May 1942|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/hungary-v-germany-03-may-1942-225167/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|14
|style="text-align:center"|3–3
|-
|style="text-align:center"|15
|rowspan="3"|{{dts|16 August 1942}}
|rowspan="3"|[[Bytom]], Poland
|rowspan="3"|{{fb|Romania|1867}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|7–0
|rowspan="3"|Friendly
|rowspan="3"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v Romania, 16 August 1942|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-romania-16-august-1942-225175/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|16
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|17
|style="text-align:center"|3–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|18
|{{dts|18 October 1942}}
|[[Wankdorf Stadium]], [[Bern]], Switzerland
|{{fb|Switzerland}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|5–3
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Switzerland v Germany, 18 October 1942|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/switzerland-v-germany-18-october-1942-225184/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|19
|{{dts|1 November 1942}}
|[[MHPArena|Neckarstadion]], Stuttgart, Germany
|{{fb|Croatia}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|style="text-align:center"|5–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v Croatia, 01 November 1942|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-croatia-01-november-1942-225186/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|20
|{{dts|15 April 1951}}
|[[Letzigrund]], [[Zurich]], Switzerland
|{{fb|Switzerland}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|3–2
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Switzerland v West Germany, 15 April 1951|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/switzerland-v-west-germany-15-april-1951-225944/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|21
|{{dts|17 October 1951}}
|[[Dalymount Park]], [[Dublin]], Republic of Ireland
|{{fb|Republic of Ireland}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–2
|style="text-align:center"|2–3
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Republic of Ireland v West Germany, 17 October 1951|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/republic-of-ireland-v-west-germany-17-october-1951-226003/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|22
|{{dts|9 November 1952}}
|[[Rosenaustadion]], [[Augsburg]], Germany
|{{fb|Switzerland}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|5–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=West Germany v Switzerland, 09 November 1952|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/west-germany-v-switzerland-09-november-1952-226133/|website=|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|23
|{{dts|21 December 1952}}
|[[Südweststadion]], [[Ludwigshafen]], Germany
|{{fb|Yugoslavia}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|3–2
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=West Germany v Yugoslavia, 21 December 1952|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/west-germany-v-yugoslavia-21-december-1952-226147/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|24
|{{dts|19 August 1953}}
|[[Ullevaal Stadion]], [[Oslo]], Norway
|{{fb|Norway}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|[[1954 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Norway v West Germany, 19 August 1953|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/norway-v-west-germany-19-august-1953-226251/|website=|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|25
|{{dts|22 November 1953}}
|[[Volksparkstadion]], [[Hamburg]], Germany
|{{fb|Norway}}
|style="text-align:center"|3–1
|style="text-align:center"|5–1
|1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=West Germany v Norway, 22 November 1953|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/west-germany-v-norway-22-november-1953-226292/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|26
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|25 April 1954}}
|rowspan="2"|[[St. Jakob Stadium]], [[Basel]], Switzerland
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Switzerland}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|5–3
|rowspan="2"|Friendly
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Switzerland v West Germany, 25 April 1954|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/switzerland-v-west-germany-25-april-1954-226345/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|27
|style="text-align:center"|–
|-
|style="text-align:center"|28
|{{dts|23 June 1954}}
|Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
|{{fb|Turkey}}
|style="text-align:center"|6–1
|style="text-align:center"|7–2
|[[1954 FIFA World Cup]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=West Germany v Turkey, 23 June 1954|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/west-germany-v-turkey-23-june-1954-226392/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|29
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|30 June 1954}}
|rowspan="2"|St. Jakob Stadium, Basel, Switzerland
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Austria}}
|style="text-align:center"|3–1
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|6–1
|rowspan="2"|1954 FIFA World Cup
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=West Germany v Austria, 30 June 1954|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/west-germany-v-austria-30-june-1954-226397/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|30
|style="text-align:center"|5–1
|-
|style="text-align:center"|31
|{{dts|21 August 1955}}
|[[Central Dynamo Stadium]], [[Moscow]], USSR
|{{fb|USSR}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|2–3
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=USSR v West Germany, 21 August 1955|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/ussr-v-west-germany-21-august-1955-226554/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|32
|{{dts|16 November 1955}}
|[[Wildparkstadion]], [[Karlsruhe]], Germany
|{{fb|Norway}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=West Germany v Norway, 16 November 1955|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/west-germany-v-norway-16-november-1955-226601/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|33
|{{dts|26 May 1956}}
|[[Olympiastadion (Berlin)|Olympiastadion]], [[Berlin]], Germany
|{{fb|England}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–3
|style="text-align:center"|1–3
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Germany v England, 26 May 1956|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/germany-v-england-26-may-1956-226701/|website=11v11|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>
|}

==Honours==

===Club===
'''1. FC Kaiserslautern'''
:[[List of German football champions|German football championship]]: [[1951 German football championship|1950–51]], [[1953 German football championship|1952–53]]<ref name="FIFA">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=44747/profile.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922173811/http://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=44747/profile.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 September 2015|title=Germany's post-war hero|publisher=FIFA|access-date=16 July 2015}}</ref>

===International===
'''West Germany'''
:[[FIFA World Cup]]: [[1954 FIFA World Cup|1954]]<ref name="FIFA"/>

===Individual===
* [[FIFA World Cup awards#Golden Ball|FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball]]: 1954<ref name="FIFA"/>
* [[FIFA World Cup awards#All-Star Team|FIFA World Cup All-Star Team]]: 1954
* [[FIFA Order of Merit]]: 1995<ref name="FIFA"/>
* [[UEFA Jubilee Awards|UEFA German Golden Player]]: 2003<ref name="uefagoldenplayers">{{cite web|url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/uefa/news/kind=2/newsid=130150.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105102329/http://en.archive.uefa.com/uefa/news/kind=2/newsid=130150.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 January 2013|title=Golden Players take centre stage|date=29 November 2003|publisher=UEFA|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref>
* [[UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll|UEFA Jubilee Poll]] (2004): #68<ref>{{cite news|date=21 December 2006|title=UEFA Awards|work= Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/uefa-awards.html#100|access-date=12 March 2024}}</ref>
* Member of [[Germany's Sports Hall of Fame]]

== See also ==
* [[List of one-club men]]
* [[List of footballers with 500 or more goals|List of men's footballers with 500 or more goals]]

==Notes and references==
;Notes
{{notelist}}

;References
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Sports links}}
*[https://www.dfb.de/dfb-team/db/dfbnat.php?action=select&liga=Nationalmannschaft&lang=E&name=F.%3BWalter&gegner= DFB Statistics of Fritz Walter]
*[https://archive.today/20071224031110/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/history/associationweeks/association=47/newsId=162417.html UEFA – Germany's Golden Player]
*[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/fritz-walter-645761.html Fritz Walter – Obituary – The Independent]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Paul Janes]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Germany national football team|West Germany]] captain|years=1951–1956}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Hans Schäfer]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{1. FC Kaiserslautern managers}}
{{Navboxes colour
|title= Awards
|bg= gold
|list1=
{{UEFA Jubilee Awards}}
{{1954 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament}}
}}
{{Navboxes colour
|title      = West Germany squads
|bg        = white
|fg        = black
|bordercolor=black
|list1=
{{West Germany Squad 1954 World Cup}}
{{West Germany Squad 1958 World Cup}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walter, Fritz}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:Footballers from Kaiserslautern]]
[[Category:People from the Palatinate (region)]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:UEFA Golden Players]]
[[Category:German men's footballers]]
[[Category:Germany men's international footballers]]
[[Category:1. FC Kaiserslautern players]]
[[Category:1. FC Kaiserslautern managers]]
[[Category:1954 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1958 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:German military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:German football managers]]
[[Category:German prisoners of war in World War II held by the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:West German men's footballers]]
[[Category:West German football managers]]