Germany won the world cup for the fourth time as Bayern Munich star Mario Götze’s extra-time winner help Die Nationalmannschaft beat Argentina in Marcano, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The Germany midfielder who came in as a substitute brilliantly controlled André Schürrle’s cross with his chest before volleying into the bottom corner in second-half of extra-time. Throughout the match both teams were guilty of missing chances in normal time, with Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain and Lionel Messi both dragging wide, while Howedes hit the bar at stroke of hal-time in normal time.
Here is the stats compilation of FIFA World Cup 2014:
1) The 2014 World Cup saw a joint highest number of goals scored -171 equalling record of France 1998
2) Germany reached the final for eight time; more than any other team in history of competition.
3) There were fewer red cards in 2014 edition than any of the previous eight editions, dating back to 1986.
4) Argentina trailed for just seven minutes in the entire tournament (excluding injury time).
5) Miroslav Klose became the top scoring player in World Cup history with his strike against Brazil in the semi-finals (16 goals).
6) Brazil committed 31 fouls in their quarter-final win over Colombia; the most fouls that they had made in a single World Cup game since records began in 1966.
7) This was the first time that three sides from the Concafaf region made it out of the group stages and into the last 16 (since the format began in 1986).
8) James Rodríguez became the first player to score in his first five career World Cup appearances since Peru’s Teófilo Cubillas (across the 1970 and 1978 tournaments). Gerd Müller in 1970 was the last player to do it in a single tournament.
9) Belgium reached the quarter-final stage, despite only holding a lead for 52 minutes in their five matches combined.
10) Costa Rica, ranked 28th, knocked out England, Italy, Greece and Uruguay, four sides placed in the top 12 positions of the Fifa Rankings (Uruguay – 7th, Italy – 9th, England – 10th, Greece – 12th).
11) All eight group stage winners progressed to the quarter-finals stage for the first time in World Cup history.
12) One point was England’s lowest-ever return in a World Cup group stage.
13) This was the first time that England have been eliminated from a World Cup at the group stage since 1958.
14) Three of the last four teams to win the World Cup have gone out in the following group stage (France 2002, Italy 2010, Spain 2014).
15) There were more goals scored by substitutes in this World Cup than in any previous edition (32).
16) Silvestre Varela’s goal for Portugal v USA was the latest during normal time of a World Cup finals match since 1994 (94min 33sec).
17) Tim Howard made 15 saves in the USA’s quarter-final defeat to Belgium – no goalkeeper has ever made as many saves in a single World Cup game (1966-2014).
19) Italy have exited at the group stage in their last two World Cups. The last time they managed this was in the 1960s (1962 and 1966).
19) Germany are the first European team to win the World Cup in Latin America.
20) Germany’s 7-1 win was the biggest margin of victory ever seen in a World Cup semi-final.
21) Germany scored 18 goals – the last team to score as many in a World Cup tournament was Brazil (also 18) in 2002.
Stats courtsey: (@OptaJoe)