The 61-year-old Bayern Munich president, who won the World Cup with Germany both as a player in 1974 and as coach in 1990, will be presented with the award for his football career and helping to organise the 2006 World Cup.

Beckenbauer will be the seventh sportsman to receive the award after Brazilian football legend Pele, Holland's Johan Cruyff, British rower Steven Redgrave, New Zealand yachtsman Peter Blake, South African golfer Gary Player and Norwegian mountaineer Arne Naess.

The prize is a "special honour for prominent sportsmen and personalities who have substantially made their mark on international sport," organisers of the Laureus Awards said in a statement.