Franz Beckenbauer, one of only three men to win the World Cup as player and a coach, was laid to rest in Munich in a small private ceremony on Friday with the country mourning the loss of "a great footballer, athlete and person".
German tabloid 'Bild' reported Beckenbauer, who died on Sunday at the age of 78, was buried in the Perlacher Forest cemetery, just two kilometres from where he grew up in suburban Munich.
Photographs showed Beckenbauer's coffin covered in flowers and carried through the snow-covered cemetery in the south of the Bavarian capital.
He was buried in a plot next to his son Stephan, who died of a brain tumour at the age of 46 in 2015. Beckenbauer's parents are also buried in the cemetery. Friday's service was restricted to a small number of friends and family.
Beckenbauer's former club, Bayern Munich, have planned a public commemoration for January 19 at their Allianz Arena stadium. The event in the 75,000-seat stadium will be open to the public and will be broadcast on German television.
A spokesperson for Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed on Friday the German leader would be in attendance in order to "show his great respect and recognition for one of our country's great athletes". "With Franz Beckenbauer, our country is losing a great footballer, athlete and person."
Bayern president Herbert Hainer told 'Bild' the arena was the ideal venue as "this stadium would not exist without him". "It should be a memorial service for everyone, together with fans and companions."