2014 FIFA World Cup Final

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2014 FIFA World Cup Final
View from the right-hand side of the field as Götze strikes the winning goal, with defender Demichelis and the Argentine goalkeeper Romero also visible
Germany's Mario Götze scores the match-winning goal in the 113th minute
Event2014 FIFA World Cup
After extra time
Date13 July 2014 (2014-07-13)
VenueMaracanã Stadium,
Rio de Janeiro
Man of the MatchMario Götze (Germany)
RefereeNicola Rizzoli (Italy)
Attendance74,738
WeatherFair
23 °C (73 °F)
65% humidity
2010
2018

The 2014 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match of the 2014 World Cup, the 20th edition of FIFA's competition for national football teams. The match was played at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 13 July 2014, and was contested by Germany and Argentina. The event comprised hosts Brazil and 31 other teams who emerged from the qualification phase, organised by the six FIFA confederations. The 32 teams competed in a group stage, from which 16 teams qualified for the knockout stage. En route to the final, Germany finished first in Group G, with two wins and a draw, after which they defeated Algeria in the round of 16, France in the quarter-final and Brazil, by a score of 7–1, in the semi-final. Argentina finished top of Group F with three wins, before defeating Switzerland in the round of 16, Belgium in the quarter-final and the Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out in the semi-final. The final took place in front of 74,738 supporters, as well as over a billion watching on television, and was refereed by Nicola Rizzoli from Italy.

Gonzalo Higuaín missed a chance to score for Argentina in the first half when he was one-on-one with Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, and Benedikt Höwedes failed to give Germany the lead shortly before half-time when his shot struck the goalpost. Lionel Messi had an opportunity to score when he was one-on-one with Neuer shortly after half time, but his low shot went wide of the goal. On 71 minutes, Thomas Müller was through on goal following a build-up involving André Schürrle and Mesut Özil, but he failed to control the ball and lost it to Argentina's goalkeeper, Sergio Romero. With the match goalless after 90 minutes, it went to extra time, in the second period of which Germany broke the deadlock. Mario Götze, who had come on as a substitute shortly before the end of normal time, received Schürrle's cross from the left on his chest before volleying a left-footed shot into the net to secure a 1–0 victory for Germany.

Germany's win was their fourth World Cup title and the first since German reunification, as well as the first World Cup win by a European team in the Americas. Götze was named the man of the match, and Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as FIFA's outstanding player of the tournament. Germany's manager, Joachim Löw, labelled his side's win as the culmination of a project that had begun ten years previously under his predecessor Jürgen Klinsmann, and praised his team's spirit. His Argentine counterpart, Alejandro Sabella, thought his team had been unlucky to lose, and called his players "warriors". Germany failed to defend their trophy at the subsequent 2018 World Cup in Russia, becoming the third successive World Cup holders to be eliminated in the group phase after defeats against Mexico and South Korea.

Background[]

View of the match ball, displayed on a pedestal
The Adidas Brazuca Final Rio used in the match

The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th edition of the World Cup, FIFA's football competition for national teams, held in Brazil between 12 June and 13 July 2014.[1][2] Brazil qualified for the finals automatically as tournament hosts, and 203 teams competed for the remaining 31 spots through qualifying rounds organised by the six FIFA confederations and held between June 2011 and November 2013.[3][4] In the finals, the teams were divided into eight groups of four with each team playing each other once in a round-robin format. The two top teams from each group advanced to a knock-out phase.[2] The defending champions from the 2010 World Cup were Spain, who had achieved three successive victories in major tournaments, having also won Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.[5] Spain were eliminated in the group phase in the 2014 event.[2]

Germany had won the title three times before as West Germany – in 1954, 1974 and 1990. Argentina had two titles, in 1978 and 1986.[1] The two sides had met each other six times previously in the World Cup,[6] including in the 1986 final, which Argentina won 3–2, and the 1990 final, which West Germany won 1–0.[7][8] They had met in the quarter-final stage of both of the most recent two World Cups, Germany winning both – a penalty-shootout win in 2006 and a 4–0 win in 2010. Germany lost in the semi-final on both occasions.[9][10] The most recent meeting between the two teams before the 2014 World Cup was a friendly match played on 15 August 2012 at Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt, which was won by Argentina 3–1.[11]

The venue for the final was announced in 2011 as the Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho in Rio de Janeiro, commonly known as the Maracanã Stadium.[12][13] It was built in preparation for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and that tournament's final match, in which Uruguay beat Brazil 2–1 to win the trophy, is as of 2021 the record-holder for the highest attendance at any football match in history.[a][15] The Maracanã also hosted the finals of the Copa América in 1989, 2019 and 2021; the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup final; and both the men's and women's football finals at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[16][17] The stadium underwent an extensive rebuild before the 2014 World Cup, after which its capacity was 78,838.[18][19]

The match ball for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, announced on 29 May 2014, was a variation of the Adidas Brazuca named the Adidas Brazuca Final Rio.[20] Though the technical aspects of the ball were the same, the design was different from the Brazuca balls used in the group phase and prior knockout games, with a green, gold and black coloring.[20] It was the third ball released specifically for FIFA World Cup final matches, after the Teamgeist Berlin (2006) and the Jo'bulani (2010).[21]

Route to the final[]

Germany[]

Germany's route to the final
Opponent Result
1 Portugal 4–0
2 Ghana 2–2
3 United States 1–0
R16 Algeria 2–1 (a.e.t.)
QF France 1–0
SF Brazil 7–1

Germany were drawn in Group G for the World Cup, in which they were joined by Ghana, Portugal and the United States.[22] Their first match was against Portugal, on 16 June 2014 at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador. Germany won a penalty on 10 minutes, when João Pereira fouled Mario Götze. Müller took the kick and gave Germany the lead.[23] Mats Hummels added a second goal with a header on 32 minutes, and Portugal's Pepe was shown a red card five minutes later, after he headbutted Müller.[24] Müller then scored his second in injury time to give Germany a 3–0 half-time lead.[24] Müller scored a third from close range in the second half, to complete a 4–0 victory, after Rui Patrício had failed to clear a cross by André Schürrle.[25] Germany's second game was against Ghana at the Estádio Castelão in Fortaleza. After a goalless first half, Götze opened the scoring on 51 minutes, when his headed shot from a Müller cross bounced off his own knee and past Ghana's goalkeeper Fatau Dauda. Ghana equalised shortly afterwards, through an André Ayew header, and then took the lead when Sulley Muntari found Asamoah Gyan with a pass, after an error by Manuel Neuer.[26] Germany levelled the game again on 71 minutes, when Miroslav Klose, who had come on as a substitute, kicked Benedikt Höwedes's goal-bound header into the goal from close range.[26][27] Klose's goal equalled the Brazilian Ronaldo's World Cup record of 15 goals, and the game finished 2–2.[26] Germany's last group game was against the United States at Itaipava Arena Pernambuco in Recife, with a win or draw needed to guarantee qualification.[28] In rainy conditions, Müller scored the only goal of the game with a shot inside the penalty area after goalkeeper Tim Howard had saved Per Mertesacker's header. Germany qualified as group winners.[29]

Germany's opponents in the round of 16 were Algeria, with the match played on 30 June at the Estádio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre.[30] The game was tied at 0–0 after 90 minutes, Germany being described by BBC Sport's David Ornstein as looking frequently "rattled" as "Algeria wasted a succession of chances in an opening, exciting encounter".[31] Germany took the lead early in extra time, when Müller crossed from the left and Schürrle scored from close range.[31] Mesut Özil added a second for Germany in the final minute of extra time, before Abdelmoumene Djabou pulled a goal back for Algeria with a volley in injury time. Germany held on to record a 2–1 win. [30] They then faced France in the quarter-final at the Maracanã Stadium on 4 July. Hummels gave Germany the lead on 12 minutes with a header, following a free kick by Toni Kroos, and that proved to be the only goal of what Ornstein described as a "comfortable" win.[32] Germany faced tournament hosts Brazil in their semi-final game, on 8 July in Belo Horizonte. In a result described by BBC Sport's Phil McNulty in 2019 as "a drama ... that will never be forgotten by anyone who witnessed it", Germany won the game 7–1, inflicting Brazil's first competitive defeat at home for 39 years.[33] They took the lead on 10 minutes, when Müller scored from a corner, unmarked by any Brazil players. They doubled their lead on 22 minutes through Klose, with his record-breaking 16th World Cup goal, before Kroos made it 3–0 on 25 minutes with a left-footed volley.[34] Kroos scored again 179 seconds later, from an assist by Sami Khedira, before Khedira himself scored to make it 5–0 at half time. Schürrle scored twice in the second half to make it 7–0, before Oscar scored Brazil's sole goal shortly before the end.[35] Simon Burnton of The Guardian later described Germany's play as being "of a savagery unwitnessed against significant opposition in the tournament's history".[36] Germany progressed to their eighth final, 12 years after their last and their second since German reunification.[b][1]

Argentina[]

Argentina's route to the final
Opponent Result
1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–1
2 Iran 1–0
3 Nigeria 3–2
R16 Switzerland 1–0 (a.e.t.)
QF Belgium 1–0
SF Netherlands 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p)

Argentina were drawn in Group F, alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria.[38] Their opening game took place on 15 June 2014 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were making their World Cup debut. It was the first game of the tournament at the Maracanã Stadium.[39][40] Argentina took the lead on 3 minutes, when Bosnian defender Sead Kolašinac scored an own goal after a free kick by Lionel Messi had been flicked on by Marcos Rojo. In the second half, Messi scored himself to double Argentina's lead with a powerful shot following a one-two with Gonzalo Higuaín. Vedad Ibišević scored for Bosnia and Herzegovina with 6 minutes remaining, but Argentina held on for a 2–1 win.[40] Their second game was against Iran at the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte on 21 June. Barney Ronay of The Guardian described Iran as producing a "stirring performance against an Argentina team of all the attacking talents", and the match remained goalless until the 90th minute.[41] Argentina who took the win in injury time, when Messi scored a left-footed shot into the corner from outside the penalty area to seal qualification for the next round with a game to spare.[38][42] Their final group game was on 25 June, against Nigeria in Porto Alegre. Messi gave Argentina the lead on 3 minutes, scoring on the rebound after Ángel Di María's shot hit the goalpost. Ahmed Musa equalised for Nigeria a minute later with a right-footed curling shot, before Messi gave Argentina the lead again with a free kick from 25 yards (23 m) out shortly before half time. Musa equalised once again 2 minutes into the second half, hitting the ball past goalkeeper Sergio Romero after a one-two with Emmanuel Emenike, but Rojo scored with his knee 3 minutes later to seal a 3–2 win and first place in the final group table.[43]

Argentina's round-of-16 opponents were Switzerland, on 1 July at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo. Argentina had the majority of the possession during the game, but BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko labelled their play "unconvincing", citing their failure to break down a Switzerland side who were playing defensively.[44] There were no goals during normal time, and it remained 0–0 until 2 minutes before the end of extra time when Messi set up Di María to score the winner past Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio. Substitute Blerim Džemaili almost equalised for Switzerland immediately afterwards with a shot that hit the goalpost, but Argentina held on for a 1–0 win.[44] Their quarter-final was against Belgium at the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in Brasília on 5 July. Argentina scored the only goal of the game on 8 minutes through Higuaín, who scored from the edge of the penalty area after Di María's pass was deflected off Belgium's Jan Vertonghen.[45] Argentina played the Netherlands in the semi-final on 9 July. There were no goals in the game, in either normal time or extra time, in what McNulty described as "120 tedious ... minutes that were in stark contrast to the spectacular shock" of the previous day's semi-final between Brazil and Germany.[46] Ron Vlaar of the Netherlands took the first penalty, a low shot to the right, which was saved by Romero. The next three kicks, by Messi, Arjen Robben and Ezequiel Garay, were all scored, before Romero made another save, diving to his right to keep out a high penalty from Wesley Sneijder. Sergio Agüero, Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodríguez all scored their penalties, giving Argentina a 4–2 shoot-out win.[47] The press in Argentina called Romero's two saves the "hands of God", a reference to the "hand of God" goal scored by Diego Maradona in 1986.[48] Argentina progressed to their fifth final, which was also their first since 1990.[1]

Match[]

Pre-match[]

Angela Merkel and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner pictured shaking hands
Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel (left) attended the final. President of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (right) did not attend due to her grandson's birthday and a case of pharyngo-laryngitis.

Nicola Rizzoli, from Italy, was named as the referee of the final, together with fellow Italians Renato Faverani and Andrea Stefani as the assistant referees, and Carlos Vera and Christian Lescano from Ecuador as the fourth and fifth officials.[49] Earlier in the 2014 World Cup, Rizzoli took charge of the Spain–Netherlands and Nigeria–Argentina matches in the group stage, and the Argentina–Belgium quarter-final. He had previously taken charge of the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final and the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. He was also one of the referees at the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He became the third Italian referee to take charge of a World Cup final, after Sergio Gonella in 1978 and Pierluigi Collina in 2002.[49]

A closing ceremony for the World Cup took place about an hour and forty minutes before the final.[50] A performance of two acts, the ceremony lasted about 20 minutes. The first act featured 22 samba dancers and a host of other performers, 32 of the dancers wearing dresses decorated in the colours of the each of the participating teams. The second act featured musical performances headlined by Colombian singer Shakira, and included singers Carlinhos Brown, Wyclef Jean, Alexandre Pires and Ivete Sangalo as well as guitarist Carlos Santana.[51][52] Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen and Carles Puyol, a member of Spain's winning team in 2010, unveiled the FIFA World Cup Trophy.[53]

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff was present at the final, along with Russian president Vladimir Putin, whose country hosted the next World Cup,[54] and Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa, the previous hosts.[55] Representing the finalists, German president Joachim Gauck and chancellor Angela Merkel were in attendance,[56] although Argentina's president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner could not attend because of both her grandson's birthday and a case of pharyngo-laryngitis.[57] Other world leaders present included Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon and Antigua and Barbuda's Gaston Browne.[58] Several celebrities and athletes also attended the final, including Rihanna, Daniel Craig, Mick Jagger, Ashton Kutcher, David Beckham, Tom Brady, Olivier Dacourt, LeBron James, and Christian Vieri.[58] Former World Cup winners like Fabio Cannavaro, Lothar Matthäus, Daniel Passarella, Marco Materazzi and Pelé were present as well.[58][59][60][61] Brazilian spectators at the game were largely supportive of the Germans as a result of the Argentina–Brazil football rivalry, despite their team's heavy semi-final loss.[62][63][64]

Germany were forced to make a late change to their line-up when Khedira sustained a calf injury during the warm-up before the match. He was replaced in the line-up by Christoph Kramer,[65] with Germany's team otherwise unchanged from that which started in their win over Brazil in the semi-final.[35][66] Argentina began the match with the identical team to that which started their semi-final against the Netherlands.[46][66]

First half[]

View from behind the goal of Messi with the ball, while two German defenders chase him and the goalkeeper stands guard
Lionel Messi running with the ball into the penalty area on nine minutes

Germany kicked off the match at 4 pm local time (7 pm UTC) in temperatures of 23 °C (73 °F) with 65% humidity, in front of a crowd of 74,738 and an estimated global television audience of 1.013 billion.[67][66][68] The weather at Santos Dumont Airport, 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) from the stadium,[c] was recorded as fair at the time of kick-off, becoming partly cloudy later in the evening.[71] Germany won a free kick 3 minutes into the game, when Rojo fouled Müller around 25 yards (23 m) from the Argentina goal. The free kick was hit straight at the wall, and Argentina launched a counterattack from the rebound. Pablo Zabaleta ran with the ball down the right before passing to Higuaín on the edge of the penalty area. He took a shot from a narrow angle, but the ball went wide of Neuer's left-hand goalpost. On 9 minutes, Messi outpaced Hummels on the Argentina right and ran into the penalty area. He attempted to find Ezequiel Lavezzi from the byline but Schweinsteiger reached it first and cleared.[72] Germany had considerably more of the early possession, but a German defensive error on 20 minutes gave Argentina what Jerry Hinnen of CBS Sports called "the best opportunity for either side" thus far. Kroos miscued a header, which left Higuaín one-on-one with Neuer, but the latter's shot from the edge of the penalty area went wide of the goal.[73] On 23 minutes, Klose had a chance to score when the ball reached him following a cross by Philipp Lahm, but Zabaleta dispossessed him before he could shoot.[72]

In the 30th minute, Lavezzi found space for Argentina on the right and crossed into the penalty area. Higuaín collected the ball and slotted it past Neuer into the goal.[72] He celebrated for several seconds, but the strike was disallowed as he had been in an offside position.[66] Germany made a substitution shortly afterwards, taking off Kramer as a result of a head injury he had sustained 14 minutes previously.[74] He was replaced by Schürrle.[66] Höwedes received a yellow card on 33 minutes for a tackle which connected with Zabaleta's shins, before Messi had a 20-yard (18 m) shot blocked by Schweinsteiger. A minute later, Germany launched an attack down the left through Müller, who passed to Schürrle. He hit a shot towards the top left of the goal, but Romero did a full-stretch dive to save it,[72] despite having his eyeline blocked by Özil.[66] Messi then had another opportunity, running with the ball into the Germany penalty area and kicking the ball towards goal. Jérôme Boateng prevented Argentina taking the lead with a goal-line clearance.[72] Shortly before half time, Höwedes received a Kroos corner in the penalty area, in what reporters for UEFA called the "best chance of the half", but his headed shot struck the goalpost and it remained 0–0 at half time.[75]

Second half[]

View of Klose with the ball having just been kicked, with two Argentine defenders having contested the ball, while goalkeeper Romero awaits and another German player looks on
Miroslav Klose shooting at goal in the second half of the game

Argentina began the second half with Agüero on the field in place of Lavezzi. Higuaín had a shot in the first minute of the half after running down the right wing, but it went wide of Neuer's goal. Messi then had an opportunity to score when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper a minute later, but his low shot on goal also went wide. Argentina had more possession than Germany in the opening 10 minutes of the half, and they had another chance on 50 minutes when Higuaín received a ball just inside the penalty area; he missed the ball with his attempted shot. Klose had Germany's first shot on goal of the second half on 59 minutes but his shot lacked power and was caught by Romero. Argentina had an opportunity to score through a Martín Demichelis header four minutes later, but Klose intercepted to send it behind. Shortly afterwards, Javier Mascherano brought down Klose after losing the ball to him, and was booked. His team-mate Agüero was also booked a minute later for a foul on Schweinsteiger. Midway through the second half, The Guardian's Scott Murray commented that the first half had been "goalless and brilliant", but the second was "goalless and ... well, not so much", although he noted that it remained an open game.[72]

Germany had a chance on 71 minutes, Müller, Schürrle and Özil all getting involved in a build-up which Murray described as "tiki-taka", but when Müller eventually reached the penalty area with only Romero to beat, he failed to control the ball properly and the goalkeeper claimed it. Messi had a shot on 75 minutes, following a run across the edge of the German penalty area, which he attempted to curl into the top left-hand corner of the goal; it missed the target. Germany appealed for a penalty with 10 minutes remaining, after a tussle close to the Argentina goalpost following a Lahm cross, but the referee awarded a goal kick to Argentina.[72] Kroos then had a chance for Germany following a lay-off pass by Özil, but he again missed the target.[66] Both sides made substitutions in the final 5 minutes – Fernando Gago replacing Enzo Pérez for Argentina, and Götze came on for Klose for Germany.[72] This represented Klose's last appearance for Germany, and he remains as of 2021 the most prolific goalscorer for any country in World Cup history.[76][77] The final remained goalless after 90 minutes, and extra time was played.[66]

Extra time[]

Close-up view from the left of Götze hitting the ball, with the Argentine goalkeeper visible, partly obscured by defender Demichelis
Mario Götze struck the winning goal in extra time

Early in the first half of extra time, Schürrle received a pass in front of goal from Götze, but his close-range shot was stopped by Romero.[72] This was followed by a break upfield by Messi and Agüero with only two defenders covering, but Boateng was able to intercept and clear the danger. Five minutes later, a lob by Rodrigo Palacio over Neuer went just wide after the forward jumped on a mistake by Hummels in the German penalty area.[78] At the halfway point in extra time, Murray wrote that Argentina were "offering very little up front" and speculated that many of the players might be "thinking about penalties already".[72] Alan Tyers of The Daily Telegraph noted that Messi did not "look quite the ticket" and that he had not been playing well since half time.[78] In the second half of extra time, Germany broke the deadlock when Götze scored in the 113th minute. Schürrle raced past two defenders on the left before crossing into the penalty area, where Götze controlled the ball on his chest and then volleyed left-footed into the net.[79] Müller had a chance to double Germany's lead shortly afterward when he dribbled past two defenders, but his shot across the net was too wide. Late in extra time, Messi had an opportunity to equalise from a free kick within goal-scoring distance, but his attempt flew high over the crossbar.[80] That proved to be the last action of the game as the final whistle was blown, confirming Germany's 1–0 victory.[72]

Details[]

Germany 1–0 (a.e.t.) Argentina
  • Götze 113'
Report
Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro
Attendance: 74,738
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
A mostly white football shirt, shorts and socks, with a red V shape near the top of the shirt and red stripes at the top of the socks
Germany
A football shirt featuring dark blue in the top portion and lighter blue stripes at the bottom, with blue shorts and blue socks with black and yellow stripes at the top
Argentina
GK 1 Manuel Neuer
LB 4 Benedikt Höwedes Yellow card 34'
CB 5 Mats Hummels
CB 20 Jérôme Boateng
RB 16 Philipp Lahm (c)
LM 18 Toni Kroos
CM 7 Bastian Schweinsteiger Yellow card 29'
RM 23 Christoph Kramer downward-facing red arrow 32'
LF 8 Mesut Özil downward-facing red arrow 120'
CF 11 Miroslav Klose downward-facing red arrow 88'
RF 13 Thomas Müller
Substitutions:
FW 9 André Schürrle upward-facing green arrow 32'
MF 19 Mario Götze upward-facing green arrow 88'
DF 17 Per Mertesacker upward-facing green arrow 120'
Manager:
Joachim Löw
Diagram of a football field showing German players in a 4–3–3 formation in the lower half and Argentine players in a 4–2–3–1 formation in the upper half
GK 1 Sergio Romero
LB 16 Marcos Rojo
CB 2 Ezequiel Garay
CB 15 Martín Demichelis
RB 4 Pablo Zabaleta
DM 6 Lucas Biglia
DM 14 Javier Mascherano Yellow card 64'
LW 22 Ezequiel Lavezzi downward-facing red arrow 45'
DM 10 Lionel Messi (c)
RW 8 Enzo Pérez downward-facing red arrow 86'
CF 9 Gonzalo Higuaín downward-facing red arrow 78'
Substitutions:
FW 20 Sergio Agüero Yellow card 65' upward-facing green arrow 45'
FW 18 Rodrigo Palacio upward-facing green arrow 78'
MF 5 Fernando Gago upward-facing green arrow 86'
Manager:
Alejandro Sabella

Man of the Match:
Mario Götze (Germany)

Assistant referees:
Renato Faverani (Italy)
Andrea Stefani (Italy)
Fourth official:
Carlos Vera (Ecuador)
Fifth official:
Christian Lescano (Ecuador)

Match rules:

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if still tied.
  • Twelve named eligible substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.
Statistics
Overall[81] Germany Argentina
Goals scored 1 0
Total shots 10 10
Shots on target 7 2
Ball possession 60% 40%
Corner kicks 5 3
Fouls committed 20 16
Offsides 3 2
Saves 2 6
Yellow cards 2 2
Red cards 0 0

Post-match[]

View of the celebrating German team on a podium behind a glass screen, Lahm holding the trophy aloft, while spectators with cameras stand behind
German captain Philipp Lahm lifts the World Cup trophy

Germany's victory marked the first World Cup win by a European team in the Americas, but it was also the third successive European triumph after Italy and Spain's wins in 2006 and 2010.[1][82] President Rousseff of Brazil delivered the trophy to German captain Philipp Lahm during the awards ceremony on the stands.[83][84] Alongside her during the trophy handover was FIFA president Sepp Blatter.[85] The goalscorer Götze was named as the official man of the match for the final, despite playing only the last two minutes of normal time and thirty minutes of extra time. Messi was awarded the Golden Ball, FIFA's award for whom they considered the tournament's best player, and Neuer was given the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper.[86]

Joachim Löw, the manager of Germany, labelled his side's win as the culmination of a project which had begun ten years previously under his predecessor Jürgen Klinsmann. Speaking after the game, Löw said: "We’d not made this ultimate step before, but champions do what they will do. This team has developed a spirit which is unbelievable."[87] His Argentine counterpart, Alejandro Sabella, praised his players, describing them as "warriors", and felt that they had been unlucky to lose. He said that his team had had the better chances "but we didn’t take them, and we only had to last another five minutes or so to reach penalties. The pain is immense."[87] Götze expressed a sense of disbelief at his scoring of the winning goal, having not had the opportunity to play for much of the tournament. He said: "You score the goal and you don’t really know what’s happening. It hasn’t been a simple tournament, or year, for me and I owe a lot to my family and my girlfriend who always believed in me. But a dream became reality here."[87]

The German press praised the team for their overall performance in the tournament, contrasting it with the team's poor form a decade earlier. Christian Gödecke, writing in Der Spiegel wrote "Now Germany is world champion, and German football is barely recognisable. It’s the perfect mix of virtue and magic, of hurrah and heave ho."[88] Writers in the Süddeutsche Zeitung described the final as a "fitting punchline" to the tournament, while noting that "There won’t be debates like there were in Rome in 1990, when the penalty that Andreas Brehme netted for the 1–0 victory was controversial and triggered conspiracy theories against Fifa amongst the Argentinians".[88] In Argentina, the press were downbeat but also indicated their pride in the team's achievement,[89] with many newspapers featuring a front-page picture of Messi after the match, alone or with his teammates.[90] Newspaper Clarín lamented the team's missed chances and their denied penalty appeal.[89] Ezequiel Fernández Moores of La Nacion thought Germany the deserved winners, and believed the referee correct in denying Higuaín's penalty appeal.[91] The host country's rivalry with Argentina continued to feature in the Brazilian press after the game, sports daily Lance! using the headline "Tell Me How You Feel Now" in response to Argentine mocking of Brazil throughout the tournament. Speaking on his TV show, Maradona responded to this by contrasting Argentina's one-goal defeat to the 7–1 loss suffered by Brazil.[91] A photograph by Chinese photographer Bao Tailiang of the , showing Messi staring at the World Cup Trophy after Argentina's defeat, won the Sports Singles award at the 2015 World Press Photo of the Year contest.[92]

Germany's next major tournament was UEFA Euro 2016, in which they reached the semi-final before losing 2–0 to France.[93] At the subsequent 2018 World Cup in Russia, Germany failed to advance from the group phase, finishing bottom of their group behind Sweden, Mexico and South Korea. Germany secured only one win at the tournament, over Sweden, and lost to Mexico and South Korea, becoming the third successive World Cup holders to be eliminated without reaching the knock-outs.[94] Argentina's next major tournament was the 2015 Copa América, where they reached the final but were defeated by Chile in a penalty shoot-out.[95] In the 2018 World Cup, they advanced from their group in second place behind Croatia, before being beaten in the round of 16 by France.[96]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Guinness World Records state that the official crowd for the game was 173,850, but note that with illegal entrants included, who were not recorded, the figure could have been as high as 210,000.[14]
  2. ^ German reunification took place in October 1990, a few months after West Germany's victory in the 1990 World Cup.[37]
  3. ^ Distance measured using Google Maps distance calculator, between Rio de Janeiro Airport RJ Santos Dumont, coordinates 22.9129077°S,43.1670911°W and Maracanã, coordinates 22.9121039°S,43.2323445°W.[69][70]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Tikkanen, Amy; Augustyn, Adam; Levy, Michael; Ray, Michael; Luebering, J. E.; Lotha, Gloria; Young, Grace; Shepherd, Melinda C.; Sinha, Surabhi; Rodriguez, Emily (19 August 2021). "World Cup: History & Winners". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Stokkermans, Karel (5 July 2018). "World Cup 2014". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  3. ^ "FIFA to unveil 2014 World Cup qualification draw". France 24. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  4. ^ Stokkermans, Karel; Andrés, Juan Pablo; Lugo, Erik Francisco (16 November 2017). "World Cup 2014 Qualifying". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 June 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Are Spain the best team of all time?". BBC Sport. 2 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Germany national football team: record v Argentina". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  7. ^ "1986 FIFA World Cup Match Report: Argentina – Germany FR". FIFA. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  8. ^ "1990 FIFA World Cup Match Report: Germany FR – Argentina". FIFA. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  9. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (5 July 2018). "World Cup 2006". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  10. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (5 July 2018). "World Cup 2010". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Germany 1 Argentina 3". Goal. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  12. ^ Trusdell, Brian (2014). Pelé : Soccer Star & Ambassador. ABDO Publishing Company. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-629-68148-1. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Maracana to host final". Sky Sports. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  14. ^ Janela, Mike (12 June 2018). "World Cup Rewind: Largest attendance at a match in the 1950 Brazil final". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  15. ^ Brown, Paul (3 September 2021). "Fans back in stadiums: The post-war football fandom boom in the late 1940s suggests the game will recover from the COVID-19 pandemic". FourFourTwo. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  16. ^ Sanderson, Tom (9 July 2021). "Brazil v Argentina is a final that could redeem a disappointing Copa América". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Maracana to host 2016 Men's and Women's Olympic Football finals". ESPN. 11 November 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  18. ^ "In pictures: Maracana stadium reopens". BBC News. 28 April 2013. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Maracanã fica mais moderno sem abrir mão de sua história". O Estado de S. Paulo (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  20. ^ a b "Adidas Brazuca Final Rio unveiled". FIFA. 29 May 2014. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  21. ^ "World Cup Ball – What Ball Will Be Used At The 2018 World Cup?". World Soccer. 13 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Guide to World Cup Group G". BBC Sport. 7 June 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Germany – Portugal live". Eurosport. 16 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  24. ^ a b Ornstein, David (16 June 2014). "Germany 4–0 Portugal". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  25. ^ Wilson, Paul (16 June 2014). "Germany 4–0 Portugal". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  26. ^ a b c Smith, Ben (21 June 2014). "World Cup: Germany 2–2 Ghana". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  27. ^ "World Cup: Germany 2–2 Ghana; Klose equals record". The Scotsman. 21 June 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  28. ^ Parker, Graham (26 June 2014). "USA v Germany: World Cup 2014 – as it happened". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  29. ^ Smith, Ben (26 June 2014). "USA 0–1 Germany". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  30. ^ a b Hytner, David (30 June 2014). "Germany 2–1 Algeria". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  31. ^ a b David Ornstein (30 June 2014). "Germany 2–1 Algeria". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  32. ^ Ornstein, David (4 July 2014). "France 0–1 Germany". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  33. ^ McNulty, Phil (28 December 2019). "I was there – Brazil 1–7 Germany". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  34. ^ Glendenning, Barry (8 July 2014). "Brazil 1–7 Germany: World Cup 2014 semi-final – as it happened". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  35. ^ a b McNulty, Phil (8 July 2014). "Brazil 1–7 Germany". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  36. ^ Burnton, Simon (23 May 2013). "World Cup stunning moments: Germany humiliate Brazil 7–1". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  37. ^ Nelsson, Richard (5 October 2018). "German reunification: together into the great unknown – archive, October 1990". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  38. ^ a b Swinburne, Zander (24 June 2014). "World Cup 2014: How can Argentina, Nigeria, Iran and". The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  39. ^ Byrnes, Mark (16 June 2014). "A Brief History of Brazil's Most Treasured World Cup Stadium". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  40. ^ a b Sanghera, Mandeep (15 June 2014). "World Cup: Argentina 2–1 Bosnia-Hercegovina". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  41. ^ Ronay, Barney (21 June 2014). "Argentina 1–0 Iran". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  42. ^ Gittings, Paul (21 June 2014). "World Cup: Lionel Messi magic denies Iran a share of the spoils". CNN. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  43. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (25 June 2014). "Nigeria 2–3 Argentina". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  44. ^ a b Jurejko, Jonathan (1 July 2014). "Argentina 1–0 Switzerland (aet)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  45. ^ Fifield, Dominic (5 July 2014). "Argentina 1–0 Belgium". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  46. ^ a b McNulty, Phil (9 July 2014). "Netherlands 0–0 Argentina (2–4 on pens)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  47. ^ Murray, Scott (9 July 2014). "Holland v Argentina: World Cup 2014 semi-final – as it happened!". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  48. ^ "Netherlands 0 Argentina 0 World Cup 2014: 'Sergio Romero's Hands of". The Independent. 10 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  49. ^ a b "Nicola Rizzoli to referee Final". FIFA. 11 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  50. ^ "Closing ceremony to celebrate Brazil 2014 in style". FIFA. 12 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  51. ^ "Shakira, Santana Electrify World Cup 2014 Closing Ceremony". NDTV. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  52. ^ "Shakira headlines fairly normal World Cup closing ceremony". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  53. ^ "Puyol, Gisele to unveil Trophy before the Final". FIFA. Archived from the original on 9 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  54. ^ "Vladimir Putin to attend World Cup final in Brazil". The Voice of Russia. 20 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  55. ^ "Zuma to watch World Cup final". The Citizen. South African Press Association. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  56. ^ Camargo, Marcelo (25 January 2014). "Germany chancellor and president to watch final at Maracanã". Brazil Communication Company. Agência Brasil. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  57. ^ Payne, Marissa (13 July 2014). "Argentina's president isn't attending the World Cup final because of grandson's birthday". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  58. ^ a b c Gibson, Owen (13 July 2014). "World Cup final guest list has bizarre and random look". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  59. ^ Maese, Rick; Phillips, Dom (13 July 2014). "2014 World Cup draws to a close in conflicted Brazil". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  60. ^ "World Cup 2014: Best selfies". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  61. ^ "Former internationals Lothar Matthaeus, Fabio Cannavaro and Daniel Passarella take a selfie the WC 2014 Final match". Veooz. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  62. ^ Young, James (13 July 2014). "Brazil falls short, but its World Cup provides unforgettable theater". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  63. ^ Brunner, Cody (13 July 2014). "Argentina's World Cup final loss to Germany gives Brazil something to cheer about". Yahoo. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  64. ^ "Brazilians Go Back to Real Life". The New York Times. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  65. ^ "Germany replacement Kramer lasts half an hour". Eurosport. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  66. ^ a b c d e f g h McNulty, Phil (13 July 2014). "Germany 1–0 Argentina (aet)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  67. ^ "Tactical line-up – Germany–Argentina". FIFA. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  68. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup™ reached 3.2 billion viewers, one billion watched final". FIFA. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  69. ^ Google (2 October 2021). "Rio de Janeiro Airport RJ Santos Dumont" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  70. ^ Google (2 October 2021). "Maracanã" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  71. ^ "Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Weather History – Jul 13, 2014". The Weather Company. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  72. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Murray, Scott (13 July 2014). "World Cup final 2014: Germany v Argentina – as it happened". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  73. ^ Hinnen, Jerry (13 July 2014). "Look: Higuain misses golden opportunity to give Argentina a lead". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  74. ^ "Germany's Christoph Kramer asked referee: 'Is this the final?'". The Guardian. Associated Press. 17 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  75. ^ "Götze goal wins Germany the World Cup". UEFA. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  76. ^ "Miroslav Klose". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  77. ^ "A tribute to Gerd Muller". FIFA. 15 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  78. ^ a b Tyers, Alan; Khan, Mehreen (13 July 2014). "World Cup final 2014, Germany vs Argentina: as it happened". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  79. ^ Taylor, Daniel (13 July 2014). "Germany beat Argentina to win World Cup final with late Mario Götze goal". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  80. ^ "Messi's World Cup ends on a bitter note". CBS. Associated Press. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  81. ^ "Match report – Germany 1–0 Argentina" (PDF). FIFA. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  82. ^ "2014 World Cup Brazil". FIFA. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  83. ^ "Dilma Rousseff Confirms She Will Hand the Trophy to the World Cup Winner and Says Boos "Are Part of the Job"". Folha de S.Paulo. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  84. ^ "Brazil defeated pessimistic predictions for the World Cup – Rousseff". Reuters. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  85. ^ "Philipp Lahm of Germany is presented with the World Cup trophy by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter". Getty Images. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  86. ^ "Awards". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  87. ^ a b c Fifield, Dominic (14 July 2014). "Joachim Löw: I told Mario Götze to 'show you are better than Messi'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  88. ^ a b Oltermann, Philip (14 July 2014). "World Cup final press reaction: Germany's win a 'fitting punchline'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  89. ^ a b Corporán, Leo (14 July 2014). "Te Enteraste". El Nacional (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  90. ^ "Argentina: Paleó hata el final". Clarín (in Spanish). p. 1.

    "Tristeza y Orgullo". Crónica (in Spanish). p. 1.

    "Orgullo Nacional". Diario Popular (in Spanish). p. 1.

    "El amor es más fuerte". Página 12 (in Spanish). p. 1.

    "Fin de sueño Mundial". Los Andes (in Spanish). p. 1.

    "Sin Copa, con orgullo". La Nación (in Spanish). p. 1.

    "El esfuerzo no alcanzó". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). p. 1.

    "You made us proud". Buenos Aires Herald. p. 1.

    "Gracias Mundialias". Olé (in Spanish). p. 1.

  91. ^ a b Hennigan, Tom (15 July 2014). "Brazil revels in Argentina's World Cup final misfortune". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2021. Higuaín
  92. ^ "World Cup final photo of Lionel Messi eyeing trophy wins prize". ESPN. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  93. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (15 October 2020). "European Championship 2016". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  94. ^ Rutzler, Peter (27 June 2018). "Germany struck by the curse of the World Cup winner". i. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  95. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (16 June 2016). "Copa América 2015". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  96. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (9 August 2018). "World Cup 2018". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2021.

External links[]

Media related to Final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from ""