CHINA TOPIX

08/20/2025 03:03:04 pm

Make CT Your Homepage

Germany Wins World Cup, 1-0

Germany takes World Cup

(Photo : Reuters) Germany's players pose for pictures as they celebrate with their World Cup trophy after winning their 2014 World Cup final against Argentina at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro July 13, 2014.

Germany won its fourth World Cup after a tense 1-0 victory over Argentina Sunday, with a strike by Mario Gotze seven minutes from the end of extra time ending a 24-year wait at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The German team earlier put an end to Brazil's dream of winning the World Cup during the semifinals. 

Like Us on Facebook

The match was scoreless for more than 90 minutes of play, with both teams displaying a series of missed opportunities. 

But Germany did show how organized and efficient it could be, in spite of predictions that no European team could ever win on South American soil. 

A first attempt by Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain sailed wide and another found the back of the net. 

Lionel Messi, team captain and four-time player, also sent an attempt in the first half within inches of the net, but failed to cement his legacy in this critical game of his life. 

Germany's Benedikt Howedes also attempted to score near the end of the first half, but the ball bounced off the post and the game remained scoreless. 

It stayed at 0-0 for the second half and into the first half of extra time.

As it looked like the game was heading to a penalty shootout, Bayern Munich star Mario Goetze took Andre Schurrie's cross on his chest, and then volleyed the ball past Argentina goalie Sergio Romero's dive to take home the victory. 

It was Germany's first World Cup win as a unified nation, also giving them the honor of being the first European team to win the title on South American soil. 

It was also Argentina that they defeated the last time Germany took the World Cup in 1990. 

In 2006, Germany almost took the title, but it bowed out of the semifinal after a painful defeat by Italy in its own country.

Two years later, Germany bowed to Spain in the final of the European Championships, before the same opposition ended its World Cup dream in South Africa.

At Euro 2012, Italy once again defeated Germany at the semifinal stage.

Real Time Analytics