Over 1.5 billion people would be watching the FIFA match of Germany Vs Brazil Live across different continents of the global , this mark highest viewers in the history of mankind and the sport.
In Rio de Janeiro, which is hosting the final, the party was already in full swing, with soccer fans flocking to Copacabana Beach and flooding the city’s bars and restaurants ahead of the 1900GMT kickoff.
A massive security operation was in force outside the famous Maracana Stadium-where 10 heads of state were attending the match along with nearly 75,000 fans.
Although the host nation are not playing in the final, Brazil has transformed the event into one massive carnival, with celebrations taking place across the entire country, from the favelas to the Amazon.
A tournament that has exceeded everyone’s expectations and been widely deemed to be the best ever World Cup, will reach its climax with a game that has all the makings of a classic between two great European and South American heavyweights.
Germany and Argentina have already played each other in two previous World Cup finals, Argentina winning 3-2 in Mexico City in 1986 and Germany triumphing 1-0 in Rome four years later.
Whether Sunday’s game is a high-scoring thriller like 1986 or a defensive chess match as in 1990 remains to be seen, but one thing for sure is that the clash is set up for a battle between the best all-round team and the world’s best player.
Germany have been in impeccable form throughout the tournament and have no apparent weaknesses, while Argentina have clawed their way into the final, relying heavily on their superstar forward Lionel Messi.
Despite being heavily marked, Messi has scored four times in the tournament and carries the hopes of a nation that won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986 but has not made a final in 24 years and has been suffering from economic turmoil.
While the Argentina team have struggled at times in Brazil, Germany have flourished, scoring 10 goals in the last three games, including seven in their eye-popping win over Brazil in the semifinals.
After a week of rain, Mother Nature also looked kindly on the biggest single sporting event in the world, leaving Rio bathed in sunshine in the lead – up to the match as fans began to make their way towards the stadium.
“We are really excited and it is great,” said Germany fan Elke Dambeck. “The weather is brilliant and now we just have to play like we did against Brazil, then it will all be fine.”
Another Germany supporter, who identified herself only as Stephanie, said it was a once in a lifetime experience.
“Unbelievable, I don’t think I will be able to believe I was here until I get home and see the photos,” she said.
“You only have this much luck once in your life and we are lucky enough to be here today.” Argentina fans were also in jubilant mood, chanting songs and joining in with supporters from all over the world, sipping on caipirinha cocktails.
“I hope that we win,” said Diego. “I don’t like to talk about possible goals, I just want Argentina to win. That’s all I want.”
Another fan, Horacio, added: “I made a lot of sacrifices to be here and I hope that the players will put in the same effort on the field so that Argentina are champions again.”
While the festivities in the samba nation were infectious, Brazilian security were keeping a close eye on everything.
Thousands of police, including many on horseback, were stationed at key areas across the city, with the streets around the Maracana cordoned off.
Helicopters were flying overhead while riot police were on standby in case of any trouble with the guest list for the match including Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, Russia President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South Africa President Jacob Zuma.
Colombian pop star Shakira will headline the lavish pre-match ceremony which will also feature Mexican guitarist Carlos Santana and Brazilian singer Ivete Sangalo.
The starting XIs are in!
Germany: Neuer, Howedes, Hummels, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Klose, Muller, Lahm, Kroos, Boateng.
Argentina: Romero, Garay, Zabaleta, Biglia, Perez, Higuain, Messi, Mascherano, Demichelis, Rojo, Lavezzi.
A last little bit of history to set the scene. If Germany win, they’ll become the first European side to win a World Cup in the Americas. It’d also be the first time that teams from the same continent have won three consecutive tournaments. Germany haven’t lifted a major trophy since Euro 96, while Argentina have been waiting since the 1993 Copa America. One of them will slake their thirst this evening by winning the biggest prize of all, whereupon there’ll be a major realignment of the World Cup roll of honour:
5: Brazil (’58, ’62, ’70, ’94, ’02)
4: Italy (’34, ’38, ’82, ’06)
3: Germany (’54, ’74, ’90)
2: Uruguay (’30, ’50), Argentina (’78, ’86)
1: England (’66), France (’98), Spain (’10)
Ah, the Maracanã. So poor old Brazil never got to play here this time. You could say that at least they’ll always have memories of 1950, but, well, y’know.* The famous old stadium – which staged its first match at that World Cup, wet concrete raining down from the roof of the barely completed stands – becomes only the second to stage two World Cup finals†. The other? The Azteca in Mexico City, which has also held a final between the Argentinians and the Germans. There’s a coincidence.
Rio meanwhile becomes the fourth city to stage a second final, behind Mexico City (1970 and 1986), Rome (1934 and 1990) and Paris (1938 and 1998).
* Anyone desirous of reading up on the Maracanaço can do so by referring to 1/25th of our 25 Stunning World Cup Moments series.
† Yes, yes, the 1950 match between Brazil and Uruguay wasn’t technically the final, but we’re 64 matches in, you should be too tired to cause trouble by now.
Germany the favourites, then, after that absurd affair in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday. Will this latest German golden generation finally lift a trophy after a series of semi-final and final mishaps? Is it time for Lionel Messi to finally step out of the big Maradona-shaped shadow and make a claim to World Cup legend status? And which of this final’s well-turned-out coaches, Joachim Löw or Alejandro Sabella, will join the long list of dapper World Cup winning managers, to which both countries have already made a contribution?
We’ll find out soon enough, because … it’s on!!!!
Kick off: 4pm at the Maracanã, 9pm in Berlin, 4pm in Buenos Aires, 8pm in London.
Most dapper World Cup winning manager of all time: Enzo Bearzot, though Löw might run him close if Germany prevail today.
You’ll notice that’s only seven finals. Pride of place, you see, goes to the two which were contested by both teams.
1986: This was a fairly one-sided affair for 74 minutes, Jose Luis Brown and Jorge Valdano putting Argentina two goals up. But then a couple of Andy Brehme corners from the left turned the game. First Karl-Heinz Rummenigge tapped home, then Rudi Voller scrambled an equaliser for West Germany on 82 minutes. The game was suddenly in the balance, for three minutes anyway, after which the previously quiet Diego Maradona slipped a delightful through ball to Jorge Burrachaga, who had an awful long time to think about missing, but didn’t. Argentina had their second World Cup, a mere eight years after claiming their first!
1990: Argentina at Italia ’90 is one of the great under-rated World Cup campaigns. Maradona sashayed through the entire tournament effectively flicking Vs left, right and centre. He turned goalkeeper against the USSR and got away with it. He did for fierce rivals Brazil with one of the great assists, setting up Claudio Caniggia while being mugged and playing with a dodgy foot. He missed a penalty against Yugoslavia, then put another in the same place to knock out the hosts Italy, a country he had nearly plunged into civil war before kick-off with some hilarious Naples-is-not-Italy divide-and-rule mind-games. The final was a step too far, however. West Germany were too good, and the referee wasn’t having any of Pedro Monzon and Gustavo Dezotti’s nonsense. Off you go, lads! Thanks to a late Brehme penalty, the Germans had their third World Cup, and deservedly so! Argentina can console themselves with having irritated purists and folk who would be known today as hipsters worldwide, so hats off to them for that. A bravura performance.
Germany are still waiting for their fourth World Cup, while Argentina’s hunt for their third goes on. One quest will end today, as this fixture becomes the World Cup’s most familiar final, edging ahead of Brazil-Italy. Germany have history on their side, because while it’s 1-1 in finals, Argentina have failed to win any of the other five competitive fixtures between the two nations. They’d started so well, too, winger Oreste Corbatta putting Argentina ahead after three minutes in the 1958 groups, but the 1954 hero Helmut Rahn scored twice in an eventual 3-1 win for West Germany. A goalless draw in the 1966 groups was mainly notable for Rafael Albrecht receiving his marching orders for kneeing Wolfgang Weber in the fruit bowl, and injuring himself in the process. And recent encounters may fill Argentina with more dread: a 2-2 draw in the 2005 Confederations Cup; a loss on penalties in the 2006 World Cup quarters, a game José Pékerman threw away by conservatively withdrawing Juan Román Riquelme; and a 4-0 thrashing by Germany in the World Cup quarters last time round, a genuine rout. But history only counts for so much, it’s the current form that’s truly relevant. And Argentina might not like to contemplate that too much, either, given how poor they were in the semi-final against Holland, compared to what Germany did to Po’ Brazil. A few trends, long-term and current, need bucking if Argentina are to win this one.
Updated
It’s finally time. Match 64 of the 2014 World Cup. The 20th World Cup final. Germany versus Argentina. Two proud footballing nations. Between them, they’ve made nine of the 19 World Cup finals so far contested. Shall we start at the beginning?
1930: The first-ever World Cup final at the Centenario in Montevideo. Argentina led Uruguay 2-1 at half time through winger Carlos Peucelle and pencil-moustached striker Guillermo Stábile. But the hosts came back at them in the second half, Héctor Castro, who lost half an arm to a chainsaw while a teenager, crowning a 4-2 win for Uruguay. Stábile would have to make do with being the tournament’s leading scorer. Argentinian midfielder Juan Evaristo played this match in a beret.
1954: The Magical Magyars of Hungary were supposed to win this one, but West Germany had other ideas. Sepp Herberger’s team went 2-0 down in eight minutes, but Max Morlock and Helmut Rahn pulled it round by the 19-minute mark, and Rahn threaded a winner into the bottom left with five minutes to go. West Germany’s first World Cup was in the bag!
1966: Helmut Haller gave West Germany an early lead at Wembley. Wolfgang Weber later scrambled a last-second equaliser to force extra time. But the English were destined to win this one, just as Scotland were fated to snatch England’s world-champion crown off their heads in 1967 when Jim Baxt… OK, I’ll admit it, this is pathetic.
1974: Johan Cruyff and his total footballers were supposed to win this one, but West Germany had other ideas. Trailing to a Johan Neeskens penalty without even touching the ball, they looked all at sea for a while. Berti Vogts was booked for persistently fouling Cruyff after four minutes. Four minutes! But he went on to shackle the Dutch master, the Germans equalised with a ballsy Paul Breitner penalty, and the absurdly brilliant Gerd Muller screwed home the winner. A second World Cup for the Germans!
1978: There was more unfortunate nonsense for Holland in Buenos Aires four years later, as Rob Rensenbrink came within the width of the left-hand post of winning the final for the Dutch in injury time. Argentina escaped, and Mario Kempes spurred the hosts to victory on a pitch littered with ticker tape and Holland stars suffering from existential angst. Argentina had their first World Cup, nearly half a century after coming so close first time round!
1982: West Germany made absolutely no friends at all in Spain with the mother of all cynical carry-ons. Was it worth it? They battled to the final, but Italy put them to the sword easily enough. Paul Breitner lashed home a consolation volley, becoming only the third player, and the first non-Brazilian, to score in two separate finals. Vavá and Pelé, since you asked.
2002: Germany somehow reached the final, less than a year after being thrashed 5-1 at home by England, and therefore rather deliciously keeping up their record of going deeper than the three lions into every single World Cup since 1966. (Modern-day Brazil take note, the darkest hour is before the dawn.) No fairytale ending for Germany, mind, as Ronaldo fancied making good the horrors of 1998, and did so with aplomb.
