Karl Burger was a member of the German soccer team at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He started his soccer career as a goalkeeper, but was later became an internationally recognized center half and inside half. His trainer was the British coach William Townley. Burger played for Sportfreunde Stuttgart (1895-1901), Schwaben Augsburg (1901-07), SpVgg Fürth (1907-14), again for Sportfreunde Stuttgart (1914-17), Dresdner SC (1917-20), and eventually for MTV Augsburg. In 1914 he helped Fürth to win the German Championship against VfB Leipzig (3-2). Burger earned one international cap. He was a businessman, who owned a hotel in Waibstadt after his active career, later a restaurant and a cinema.