10 Great Philipp Lahm Moments for Germany

Bayern Munich and retired Germany captain Philipp Lahm turns 31 today, and despite his advancing years can still be said to be at the top of his game.

A year after winning a treble and seven months after winning the Club World Cup with Bayern, the versatile defender led his country to victory in the World Cup in Brazil.

After hoisting football's most coveted trophy, Lahm announced his international retirement. And now as he turns 31, B/R looks back at his best moments for the German national team. Click "Begin Slideshow" to take a look.

Scoring at the Death Against England in 2002 Under-19 Euro Group Stage

THOMAS KIENZLE/Associated Press

Before he became a hero for Germany's senior team, a young Philipp Lahm made his mark in his country's youth sides. His best run came for the under-19s at the 2002 European Championship.

In that tournament, Germany were paired with England in Group B. And the two rival sides met in their opener. England looked to have won the match, carrying a 3-1 lead into the 90th minute. But Lahm struck and Mike Hanke added another three minutes into injury time and the Germans, who would later win the group ahead of Ireland, managed to snatch a point at the death.

Winning their group sent Germany to the final, where they were downed 1-0 by a Fernando Torres strike; one of two times the striker would break Lahm's heart at a European Championship in his career. But if not for Lahm's goal, which was an early indicator of the defender's leadership, the Nationalmannschaft never would have made it to the final.

Man-of-the-Match Debut in 2004

DARKO BANDIC/Associated Press

Lahm's first great moment for Germany came in his first match for the Nationalmannschaft, a friendly against Croatia.

In his debut, Lahm was kept on the pitch for the full 90 minutes and was hugely impressive in a match that ended in a 2-1 victory for the Germans.

For his efforts, Lahm was rated by German magazine Kicker as man of the match. Not bad for a 20-year-old debutant.

Scoring Against Costa Rica: 2006 World Cup Group Stage

ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS/Associated Press

The 2006 World Cup was a huge occasion for Germany. Four years after reaching the final, and with a young and revamped squad, the Nationalmannschaft played as the host nation. Lahm was just 22 years old and wasted no time in making his mark.

Six minutes into Germany's opener with Costa Rica, the youngster cut in from the left flank and curled a brilliant effort inside the far post. It took the pressure off the Germans, who won that game 4-2 (with Lahm later assisting Miroslav Klose) and proved to be a big success at the tournament. With an unfavored and inexperienced team, Jurgen Klinsmann's men still managed to finish third.

Rebounding from Heartbreak to Claim 3rd Place at 2006 World Cup

ROBERTO PFEIL/Associated Press

A young Lahm appeared in all seven of Germany's matches at the 2006 World Cup. The sixth was a huge disappointment. After advancing to the semifinal, the Nationalmannschaft played to a thrilling but frustrated 0-0 draw with Italy over 90 minutes. Twenty-nine minutes of extra time were played before Fabio Grosso broke German hearts. Alessandro del Piero sealed the result in injury time.

Germany were devastated after the match, having narrowly missed out on what at best was a once-in-a-generation chance to play the World Cup final at home. They had just days to pull themselves together. And indeed they did by the time of the third-place match against Portugal.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was man of the match against Portugal, but Lahm had a very good game at right-back, his first outing of the tournament on the side of his favored foot. And it was a big moment for him and Germany as player and team affirmed their potential with a third-placed finish. It was a sign of good things to come.

Scoring the Winner Against Turkey, Euro 2008 Semifinal

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Playing as a full-back almost exclusively during his international career, Lahm only scored five goals for country. The most spectacular of these by far came against Turkey in the semifinal of Euro 2008.

The Turkey match was a real roller coaster and was deadlocked at 1-1 until the 79th minute, when Lahm assisted Miroslav Klose for the go-ahead. Turkey soon equalized, but Lahm decided the result at the death.

Having beaten his marker, the left-back played a one-two pass with Thomas Hitzlsperger that set him through on goal. He finished by coolly passing the ball into the net, breaking Turkish hearts and sending his country through to the final. Lahm's leadership in that match was an early indicator that he had the makings of a captain.

Succeeding Michael Ballack as Germany Captain

Joern Pollex/Getty Images

When Michael Ballack was ruled out of the 2010 World Cup shortly before the tournament's start, Germany were shocked. The loss of their captain, one of a select few players proven to be world class, was a huge loss. His ability to raise the level of his teammates' performance was legendary. And some thought it unique. They were wrong.

There were a few candidates to take the captaincy in Ballack's absence, Bastian Schweinsteiger among them. But Lahm was given the captaincy in a somewhat controversial decision by Joachim Low that would later be vindicated. The diminutive defender was a different kind of leader, not as vocal as Ballack. But he led quietly and by example. The captaincy was a huge honor for Lahm, who made the best of it.

Equalizing Against Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2010 International Friendly

Petr David Josek/Associated Press

International friendlies are often considered meaningless and rarely produce big career moments, but Germany's test match on June 3, 2010 brought a big moment for Lahm. The Nationalmannschaft were still reeling from the loss of Ballack and it was still unclear as to whether his successor was indeed the right man to wear the captain's armband. Lahm proved his worth against the Balkan side.

With Germany a goal behind in the second half and struggling to create a threat in attack, Lahm took matters into his own hands. The defender burst forward, latching onto a pass before breaking towards goal. He dribbled to the edge of the penalty box before unleashing a brilliant shot into the upper-left corner of goal, an inch-perfect effort that clanged in off the post.

Lahm's equalizer turned the match around and Germany would go on to win 3-1. It was a big moment for the player, who justified his captaincy and helped steady a team that along with Ballack had been forced to deal with the absence of many other key players. Germany's World Cup would not have a completely happy ending, but with many thanks to Lahm, a team including many inexperienced players went on to claim third place. And it all started with a friendly against Bosnia.

Humiliating Marcelo and Brazil, 2014 World Cup Semifinal

Felipe Dana/Associated Press

Lahm's third and final World Cup would prove to be his greatest success as an international footballer. Before the final, he played a huge role in dismantling hosts Brazil in what was a historic 7-1 in for Germany.

There were many heroes in the German ranks on the day, including Toni Kroos. But Lahm played a great game as well. He gave two assists on the day but his greatest contribution may have been this world-class tackle on Marcelo.

The score was still just 1-0 at the time of Lahm's challenge, one that was necessary and perfectly timed. Many would have conceded a penalty, others may not have been brave enough to make an attempt for the ball.

Brazil were tournament favorites heading into the 2014 World Cup, and Germany under Lahm's captaincy absolutely dismantled them. It provided a huge boost of confidence to the Nationalmannschaft and was enough to spur them on to victory in the final.

Netting the Opener Against Greece, Euro 2012 Quarterfinal

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Lahm didn't score many goals in his international career, but when he did, they were rarely superfluous. His strike against Greece in the Euro 2012 quarterfinal put Germany ahead early on, setting the Nationalmannschaft on course for victory.

Not entirely unlike his goal at the 2006 World Cup, Lahm received the ball on the left flank, cut to his right and fired a long-ranged strike just inside the far post.

Lahm's goal was the first of four for Germany on the day, and his side went on to win the match 4-2.

Lifting Football's Most Coveted Trophy, 2014 World Cup Final

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

The crowning achievement of Lahm's career as a professional footballer came in his final appearance for Germany, the 2014 World Cup final. It wasn't his best individual performance, but he played rock-solid defense and helped ensure a clean sheet for his side over 120 minutes.

At the end of it all, the captain Lahm lifted the trophy triumphantly. He announced his retirement from international football after the match, a decision which in an interview with Sport Bild (h/t FIFA.com), he claimed he mulled throughout the 2013-14 club season.

Many legends of international football overstay their welcome, playing long enough to lose their edge and harm their respective national teams. Lahm ended his international career on the highest possible note. A fitting finale for a model professional.

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