2014 FIFA World Cup
Copa do Mundo da FIFA Brasil 2014 (Brazilian Portuguese)
Juntos num só ritmo
(lit.'Together in a single rhythm')
Tournament details
Host countryBrazil
Dates12 June – 13 July
Teams32 (from 5 confederations)
Venue(s)12 (in 12 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Germany (4th title)
Runners-up Argentina
Third place Netherlands
Fourth place Brazil
Tournament statistics
Matches played64
Goals scored171 (2.67 per match)
Attendance3,429,873 (53,592 per match)
Top scorer(s)Colombia James Rodríguez
(6 goals)[1]
Best player(s)Argentina Lionel Messi[2]
Best young playerFrance Paul Pogba[3]
Best goalkeeperGermany Manuel Neuer[4]
Fair play award Colombia[5]
2010
2018

The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in 2007. It was the second time that Brazil staged the competition, the first being in 1950, and the fifth time that it was held in South America.

31 national teams advanced through qualification competitions to join the host nation in the final tournament (with Bosnia and Herzegovina as the only debutant). A total of 64 matches were played in 12 venues located in as many host cities across Brazil. For the first time at a World Cup finals, match officials used goal-line technology, as well as vanishing spray for free kicks.[6] FIFA Fan Fests in each host city gathered a total of 5 million people, and the country received 1 million visitors from 202 countries.[7] Spain, the defending champions, were eliminated at the group stage, along with England and Italy. Uruguay were eliminated in the round of 16, and France exited in the quarter-finals. Host nation Brazil, who had won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, lost to Germany 7–1 in the semi-finals and eventually finished in fourth place.[8]

In the final, Germany defeated Argentina 1–0 after extra time thanks to a Mario Götze half-volley in the 113th minute of the final to win the tournament and secure the country's fourth world title, the first after German reunification in 1990, when as West Germany they also beat Argentina by the same score in 90 minutes in the World Cup final. Germany became the first European team to win a World Cup staged in the Americas,[9] and this result marked the third consecutive title won by a European team, after Italy in 2006 and Spain in 2010.[10][11]

Host selection

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup bids

Announcement of Brazil as hosts, 2007

In March 2003, FIFA announced that the tournament would be held in South America for the first time since 1978, in line with its policy at the time of rotating the right to host the World Cup among different confederations.[12][13] With the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted in South Africa, it would be the second consecutive World Cup outside Europe, which was a first for the tournament. It was also sixth time (second consecutive) in the Southern Hemisphere.[14] Only Brazil and Colombia formally declared their candidacy but, after the withdrawal of the latter from the process,[15] Brazil was officially elected as host nation unopposed on 30 October 2007.[16]

Participating teams and officials

Qualification

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

See also: FIFA World Cup qualification

Following qualification matches played between June 2011 and November 2013, the following 32 teams – shown with their last pre-tournament FIFA world ranking[17] – qualified for the final tournament. Twenty-four of these teams were returning participants from the 2010 World Cup. Bosnia and Herzegovina were the only team with no previous appearance at the World Cup finals.[nb 1][18] Colombia qualified for the World Cup after 16 years of absence, while Belgium and Russia both returned after 12 years. Paraguay failed to qualify for the first time since 1994. This was also the first World Cup for 32 years that did not feature a representative from the Nordic countries. Iran, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Croatia returned to the tournament after missing the 2010 tournament. The highest ranked team not to qualify was Ukraine (ranked 16th), while the lowest ranked team that did qualify was Australia (ranked 62nd).[17]

As of 2022, this was the last time Chile, Ivory Coast, Greece, Italy, Honduras, and Algeria qualified for the World Cup finals, and the only time Bosnia and Herzegovina have qualified, and the last time Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Denmark, Poland, and Serbia failed to qualify. This was also the most recent World Cup finals to feature every prior winning team.

Final draw

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding

The 32 participating teams were drawn into eight groups. In preparation for this, the teams were organised into four pots with the seven highest-ranked teams joining host nation Brazil in the seeded pot.[19] As with the previous tournaments, FIFA aimed to create groups which maximised geographic separation and therefore the unseeded teams were arranged into pots based on geographic considerations.[20][21] The draw took place on 6 December 2013 at the Costa do Sauípe resort in Bahia, during which the teams were drawn by various past World Cup-winning players.[22][23] Under the draw procedure, one randomly drawn team – Italy – was firstly relocated from Pot 4 to Pot 2 to create four equal pots of eight teams.[24]

Officials

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup officials

In March 2013, FIFA published a list of 52 prospective referees, each paired, on the basis of nationality, with two assistant referees, from all six football confederations for the tournament. On 14 January 2014, the FIFA Referees Committee appointed 25 referee trios and eight support duos representing 43 countries for the tournament.[25][26] Yuichi Nishimura from Japan acted as referee in the opening match whereas Nicola Rizzoli from Italy acted as referee in the final.[27][28]

Squads

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup squads

As with the 2010 tournament, each team's squad consisted of 23 players (three of whom must be goalkeepers). Each participating national association had to confirm their final 23-player squad no later than 10 days before the start of the tournament.[29] Teams were permitted to make late replacements in the event of serious injury, at any time up to 24 hours before their first game.[29] During a match, all remaining squad members not named in the starting team were available to be one of the three permitted substitutions (provided the player was not serving a suspension).[29]

Venues

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup venues

12 venues (seven new and five renovated) in twelve cities were selected for the tournament. The venues covered all the main regions of Brazil and created more evenly distributed hosting than the 1950 finals in Brazil.[30] Consequently, the tournament required long-distance travel for teams.[31] During the World Cup, Brazilian cities were also home to the participating teams at 32 separate base camps,[32] as well as staging official fan fests where supporters could view the games.[33]

The most used stadiums were the Maracanã and Brasilia, which hosted seven matches each. The least-used venues were in Cuiabá, Manaus, Natal, and Curitiba, which hosted four matches each; as the four smallest stadiums in use at the tournament, they did not host any knockout round matches.[34]

Rio de Janeiro City, Rio de Janeiro Brasília, Federal District São Paulo City, São Paulo Fortaleza, Ceará
Estádio do Maracanã Estádio Nacional Arena Corinthians
(Arena de São Paulo)
Estádio Castelão
Capacity: 74,738[34] Capacity: 69,432[34] Capacity: 63,321[34] Capacity: 60,348[34]
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Salvador, Bahia
Estádio Mineirão Arena Fonte Nova
Capacity: 58,259[34] Capacity: 51,708[34]
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul Recife, Pernambuco[nb 2]
Estádio Beira-Rio Arena Pernambuco
Capacity: 43,394[34] Capacity: 42,583[34]
Cuiabá, Mato Grosso Manaus, Amazonas Natal, Rio Grande do Norte Curitiba, Paraná
Arena Pantanal Arena da Amazônia Arena das Dunas Arena da Baixada
Capacity: 41,112[34] Capacity: 40,549[34] Capacity: 39,971[34] Capacity: 39,631[34]

Team base camps

Base camps were used by the 32 national squads to stay and train before and during the World Cup tournament. On 31 January 2014, FIFA announced the base camps for each participating team,[32] having earlier circulated a brochure of 84 prospective locations.[35] Most teams opted to stay in the Southeast Region of Brazil, with only eight teams choosing other regions; five teams (Croatia, Germany, Ghana, Greece and Switzerland) opted to stay in the Northeast Region and three teams (Ecuador, South Korea and Spain) opted to stay in the South Region. None opted to stay in the North Region or the Central-West Region.[36] Campo Bahia, the base camp of the eventual champion Germany, attracted much interest.[37]

FIFA Fan Fests

Brazilian fans at the FIFA Fan Fest in Brasília

For a third consecutive World Cup tournament, FIFA staged FIFA Fan Fests in each of the 12 host cities throughout the competition. Prominent examples were the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, which already held a Fan Fest in 2010, and São Paulo's Vale do Anhangabaú.[38][39] The first official event took place on Iracema Beach, in Fortaleza, on 8 June 2014.[40]

Innovations

Technologies

Adidas Brazuca

In order to avoid ghost goals, the 2014 World Cup introduced goal-line technology following successful trials at among others 2013 Confederations Cup. The chosen Goal Control system featured 14 high speed cameras, 7 directed to each of the goals. Data were sent to the central image-processing centre, where a virtual representation of the ball was output on a widescreen to confirm the goal. The referee was equipped with a watch which vibrated and displayed a signal upon a goal.[41][42][43] France's second goal in their group game against Honduras was the first time goal-line technology was needed to confirm that a goal should be given.[44]

Following successful trials,[nb 3] FIFA approved the use of vanishing spray by the referees for the first time at a World Cup Finals. The water-based spray, which disappears within minutes of application, can be used to mark a ten-yard line for the defending team during a free kick and also to draw where the ball is to be placed for a free kick.[45]

The Adidas Brazuca was the official match ball of the 2014 FIFA World Cup[46][47][48][49] and was supplied by Forward Sports of Sialkot, Pakistan.[46] Adidas created a new design of ball after criticisms of the Adidas Jabulani used in the previous World Cup. The number of panels was reduced to six, with the panels being thermally bonded. This created a ball with increased consistency and aerodynamics compared to its predecessor. Furthermore, Adidas underwent an extensive testing process lasting more than two years to produce a ball that would meet the approval of football professionals.

Cooling breaks

Due to the relatively high ambient temperatures in Brazil, particularly at the northern venues, cooling breaks for the players were introduced.[50] Breaks could take place at the referee's discretion after the 30th minute of each half if the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature exceeded 32 °C (90 °F); the breaks would last 3 minutes, with this time made up by an extended period of stoppage time at the end of the half.

The first cooling break in a World Cup play took place during the 32nd minute of the match between the Netherlands and Mexico in the round of 16.[51][52][53][54] At the start of the match, FIFA listed the temperature at 32 °C (90 °F) with 68% humidity.[55]

Anti-doping

The biological passport was introduced in the FIFA World Cup starting in 2014. Blood and urine samples collected from all players before the competition, and from two players per team per match, were analysed by the Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses.[56] FIFA reported that 91.5% of the players taking part in the tournament were tested before the start of the competition and none tested positive.[57] However, FIFA was criticised for how it conducted doping tests.[58][59]

Format

The first round, or group stage, was a competition between the 32 teams divided among eight groups of four, where each group engaged in a round-robin tournament within itself. The two highest ranked teams in each group advanced to the knockout stage.[29] Teams were awarded three points for a win and one for a draw. When comparing teams in a group over-all result came before head-to-head.

In the knockout stage there were four rounds (round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final), with each eliminating the losers. The two semi-final losers competed in a third place play-off. For any match in the knockout stage, a draw after 90 minutes of regulation time was followed by two 15 minute periods of extra time to determine a winner. If the teams were still tied, a penalty shoot-out was held to determine a winner.[29]

The match schedule was announced on 20 October 2011[60] with the kick-off times being confirmed on 27 September 2012;[61] after the final draw, the kick-off times of seven matches were adjusted by FIFA.[62] The competition was organised so that teams that played each other in the group stage could not meet again during the knockout phase until the final (or the 3rd place match).[29] The group stage began on 12 June, with the host nation competing in the opening game as has been the format since the 2006 tournament. The opening game was preceded by an opening ceremony that began at 15:15 local time.[63]

Opening ceremony

From left to right: Claudia Leitte, Pitbull, and Jennifer Lopez performing at the opening ceremony at the Arena de São Paulo, São Paulo.

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony

On 12 June 2014, the 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup began with the opening ceremony at Arena de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. The event saw 660 dancers take to the stadium and perform in a ceremony which celebrated the nature of the country and its love of football. Following the dancers native singer Claudia Leitte emerged on centre stage to perform for the crowd. She was later joined by Cuban-American rapper Pitbull, and American singer Jennifer Lopez to perform the tournament's official song "We Are One (Ole Ola)" which had been released as an official single on 8 April 2014. Following the ceremony, the opening match was played, which saw the hosts come from behind to beat Croatia 3–1.[64][65][66]

Group stage

The group stage of the cup took place in Brazil from 12 June 2014 to 26 June 2014: each team played three games. The group stage was notable for a scarcity of draws and a large number of goals. The first drawn (and goalless) match did not occur until the 13th match of the tournament, between Iran and Nigeria: a drought longer than any World Cup since 1930.[67] The group stage produced a total of 136 goals (an average of 2.83 goals per match), nine fewer than were scored during the entire 2010 tournament.[68] This is the largest number of goals in the group stage since the 32-team system was implemented in 1998[69] and the largest average in a group stage since 1958.[70] World Cup holders Spain were eliminated after only two games, the quickest exit for the defending champions since Italy's from the 1950 tournament.[71] Spain also became the fourth nation to be eliminated in the first round while holding the World Cup crown, the first one being Italy in 1950 (and again in 2010), Brazil in 1966, and France in 2002.[72] For the first time, two teams from Africa advanced to the second round, a feat that would be repeated in the 2022 tournament.

Group A

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Brazil (H) 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Mexico 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 7
3  Croatia 3 1 0 2 6 6 0 3
4  Cameroon 3 0 0 3 1 9 −8 0
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
(H) Hosts
Brazil 3–1 Croatia
  • Neymar 29', 71' (pen.)
  • Oscar 90+1'
Report
Mexico 1–0 Cameroon
Report
Arena das Dunas, Natal
Attendance: 39,216
Referee: Wilmar Roldán (Colombia)

Brazil 0–0 Mexico
Report
Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza
Attendance: 60,342
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)
Cameroon 0–4 Croatia
Report
Arena da Amazônia, Manaus
Attendance: 39,982
Referee: Pedro Proença (Portugal)

Cameroon 1–4 Brazil
Report
Croatia 1–3 Mexico
Report

Group B

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Netherlands 3 3 0 0 10 3 +7 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Chile 3 2 0 1 5 3 +2 6
3  Spain 3 1 0 2 4 7 −3 3
4  Australia 3 0 0 3 3 9 −6 0
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Spain 1–5 Netherlands
Report
Chile 3–1 Australia
Report

Australia 2–3 Netherlands
Report
Spain 0–2 Chile
Report

Australia 0–3 Spain
Report
Arena da Baixada, Curitiba
Attendance: 39,375
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain)
Netherlands 2–0 Chile
Report

Group C

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Colombia 3 3 0 0 9 2 +7 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Greece 3 1 1 1 2 4 −2 4
3  Ivory Coast 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
4  Japan 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Colombia 3–0 Greece
Report
Ivory Coast 2–1 Japan
Report

Colombia 2–1 Ivory Coast
Report
Japan 0–0 Greece
Report
Arena das Dunas, Natal
Attendance: 39,485
Referee: Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)

Japan 1–4 Colombia
Report
Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá
Attendance: 40,340
Referee: Pedro Proença (Portugal)
Greece 2–1 Ivory Coast
Report
Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza
Attendance: 59,095
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)

Group D

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group D

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Costa Rica 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Uruguay 3 2 0 1 4 4 0 6
3  Italy 3 1 0 2 2 3 −1 3
4  England 3 0 1 2 2 4 −2 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Uruguay 1–3 Costa Rica
Report
England 1–2 Italy
Report

Uruguay 2–1 England
Report
Italy 0–1 Costa Rica
Report

Italy 0–1 Uruguay
Report
Arena das Dunas, Natal
Attendance: 39,706
Referee: Marco Rodríguez (Mexico)
Costa Rica 0–0 England
Report

Group E

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group E

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  France 3 2 1 0 8 2 +6 7 Advance to knockout stage
2   Switzerland 3 2 0 1 7 6 +1 6
3  Ecuador 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
4  Honduras 3 0 0 3 1 8 −7 0
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Switzerland 2–1 Ecuador
Report
France 3–0 Honduras
Report

Switzerland 2–5 France
Report
Honduras 1–2 Ecuador
Report
Arena da Baixada, Curitiba
Attendance: 39,224
Referee: Ben Williams (Australia)

Honduras 0–3  Switzerland
Report
Arena da Amazônia, Manaus
Attendance: 40,322
Referee: Néstor Pitana (Argentina)
Ecuador 0–0 France
Report

Group F

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group F

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Argentina 3 3 0 0 6 3 +3 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Nigeria 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
3  Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 1 0 2 4 4 0 3
4  Iran 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Argentina 2–1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Report
Iran 0–0 Nigeria
Report
Arena da Baixada, Curitiba
Attendance: 39,081
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)

Argentina 1–0 Iran
Report
Nigeria 1–0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Report
Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá
Attendance: 40,499
Referee: Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)

Nigeria 2–3 Argentina
Report
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3–1 Iran
Report Ghoochannejhad 82'

Group G

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group G

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Germany 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  United States 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
3  Portugal 3 1 1 1 4 7 −3 4
4  Ghana 3 0 1 2 4 6 −2 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Germany 4–0 Portugal
Report
Ghana 1–2 United States
Report
Arena das Dunas, Natal
Attendance: 39,760
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Germany 2–2 Ghana
Report
Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza
Attendance: 59,621
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)
United States 2–2 Portugal
Report
Arena da Amazônia, Manaus
Attendance: 40,123
Referee: Néstor Pitana (Argentina)

United States 0–1 Germany
Report
Portugal 2–1 Ghana
Report

Group H

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group H

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Belgium 3 3 0 0 4 1 +3 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Algeria 3 1 1 1 6 5 +1 4
3  Russia 3 0 2 1 2 3 −1 2
4  South Korea 3 0 1 2 3 6 −3 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Belgium 2–1 Algeria
Report
Russia 1–1 South Korea
Report
Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá
Attendance: 37,603
Referee: Néstor Pitana (Argentina)

Belgium 1–0 Russia
Report
South Korea 2–4 Algeria
Report

South Korea 0–1 Belgium
Report
Algeria 1–1 Russia
Report
Arena da Baixada, Curitiba
Attendance: 39,311
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)

Knockout stage

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup knockout stage

 
Round of 16Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
              
 
28 June – Belo Horizonte
 
 
 Brazil (pen.) 1 (3)
 
4 July – Fortaleza
 
 Chile1 (2)
 
 Brazil2
 
28 June – Rio de Janeiro
 
 Colombia1
 
 Colombia2
 
8 JulyBelo Horizonte
 
 Uruguay0
 
 Brazil1
 
30 June – Brasília
 
 Germany 7
 
 France 2
 
4 July – Rio de Janeiro
 
 Nigeria 0
 
 France0
 
30 June – Porto Alegre
 
 Germany1
 
 Germany (a.e.t.) 2
 
13 JulyRio de Janeiro
 
 Algeria 1
 
 Germany (a.e.t.)1
 
29 June – Fortaleza
 
 Argentina0
 
 Netherlands2
 
5 July – Salvador
 
 Mexico1
 
 Netherlands (pen.)0 (4)
 
29 June – Recife
 
 Costa Rica 0 (3)
 
 Costa Rica (pen.)1 (5)
 
9 July – São Paulo
 
 Greece 1 (3)
 
 Netherlands0 (2)
 
1 July – São Paulo
 
 Argentina (pen.)0 (4) Third place
 
 Argentina (a.e.t.)1
 
5 July – Brasília12 July – Brasília
 
  Switzerland 0
 
 Argentina1 Brazil0
 
1 July – Salvador
 
 Belgium0  Netherlands3
 
 Belgium (a.e.t.)2
 
 
 United States1
 

Scores after extra time are indicated by (aet), and penalty shoot-outs are indicated by (pen.).

Round of 16

All the group winners advanced into the quarter-finals. They included four teams from UEFA, three from CONMEBOL, and one from CONCACAF. Of the eight matches, five required extra-time, and two of these required penalty shoot-outs; this was the first time penalty shoot-outs occurred in more than one game in a round of 16.[nb 4] The goal average per game in the round of 16 was 2.25, a drop of 0.58 goals per game from the group stage.[78] The eight teams to win in the round of 16 included four former champions (Brazil, Germany, Argentina and France), a three-time runner-up (Netherlands), and two first-time quarter-finalists (Colombia and Costa Rica).[79][80] Belgium reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986.[81]

All times listed below are at local time (UTC−3)

Brazil 1–1 (a.e.t.) Chile
Report
Penalties
3–2

Colombia 2–0 Uruguay
Report

Netherlands 2–1 Mexico
Report

Costa Rica 1–1 (a.e.t.) Greece
Report
Penalties
5–3

France 2–0 Nigeria
Report

Germany 2–1 (a.e.t.) Algeria
Report
Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre
Attendance: 43,063
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Argentina 1–0 (a.e.t.)  Switzerland
Report
Arena Corinthians, São Paulo
Attendance: 63,255
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Belgium 2–1 (a.e.t.) United States
Report

Quarter-finals

With a 1–0 victory over France, Germany set a World Cup record with four consecutive semi-final appearances. Brazil beat Colombia 2–1, but Brazil's Neymar was injured and missed the rest of the competition. Argentina reached the final four for the first time since 1990 after a 1–0 win over Belgium. The Netherlands reached the semi-finals for the second consecutive tournament, after overcoming Costa Rica in a penalty shoot-out following a 0–0 draw at the end of extra time, with goalkeeper Tim Krul having been substituted on for the shoot-out and saving two penalties.

France 0–1 Germany
Report

Brazil 2–1 Colombia
Report

Argentina 1–0 Belgium
Report

Netherlands 0–0 (a.e.t.) Costa Rica
Report
Penalties
4–3

Semi-finals

Germany qualified for the final for the eighth time with a historic 7–1 win over Brazil – the biggest defeat in Brazilian football since 1920. Miroslav Klose's goal in this match was his 16th throughout all World Cups, breaking the record he had previously shared with Ronaldo.[82] Klose set another record by becoming the first player to appear in four World Cup semi-finals.[83] Argentina reached their first final since 1990, and their fifth overall, after overcoming the Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out following a 0–0 draw at the end of extra time.

Main article: Brazil v Germany (2014 FIFA World Cup)

Brazil 1–7 Germany
Report

Netherlands 0–0 (a.e.t.) Argentina
Report
Penalties
2–4
Arena Corinthians, São Paulo
Attendance: 63,267
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)

Third place play-off

The Netherlands defeated Brazil 3–0 to secure third place, the first for the Dutch team in their history. Overall, Brazil conceded 14 goals in the tournament; this was the most by a team at any single World Cup since 1986, and the most by a host nation in history, although their fourth-place finish still represented Brazil's best result in a World Cup since their last win in 2002.[84]

Brazil 0–3 Netherlands
Report

Final

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup final

The final featured Germany against Argentina for a record third time after 1986 and 1990.

Germany 1–0 (a.e.t.) Argentina
Götze 113' Report

This marked the first time that teams from the same continent had won three consecutive World Cups (following Italy in 2006 and Spain in 2010). It was also the first time that a European nation had won the World Cup in the Americas. On aggregate Europe then had 11 victories, to South America's nine.

Statistics

See also: List of FIFA World Cup records

Goalscorers

In total, 171 goals were scored by a record 121 players, with five credited as own goals. Goals scored from penalty shoot-outs are not counted. James Rodríguez was awarded the Golden Boot for scoring six goals, the first time that a Colombian player received the award.[85][86]

6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Own goals

Source: FIFA[87]

Discipline

The most notable disciplinary case was that of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, who was suspended for nine international matches and banned from taking part in any football-related activity (including entering any stadium) for four months, following a biting incident on Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. He was also fined CHF100,000.[88][89][90] After an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Suárez was later allowed to participate in training and friendly matches with new club Barcelona.[91]

Awards

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:[92][93]

Award Winner Other nominees
Golden Ball

1st place, gold medalist(s) Argentina Lionel Messi
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Germany Thomas Müller
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Netherlands Arjen Robben

Argentina Ángel Di María
Colombia James Rodríguez
Argentina Javier Mascherano
Germany Mats Hummels
Brazil Neymar
Germany Philipp Lahm
Germany Toni Kroos[94]

Golden Boot

1st place, gold medalist(s) Colombia James Rodríguez (6 goals, 2 assists)
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Germany Thomas Müller (5 goals, 3 assists)
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Brazil Neymar (4 goals, 1 assist)[95]

Golden Glove

Germany Manuel Neuer

Costa Rica Keylor Navas
Argentina Sergio Romero[96]

Young Player Award

France Paul Pogba

Netherlands Memphis Depay
France Raphaël Varane[97]

FIFA Fair Play Trophy

 Colombia

Technical Study Group

The members of the Technical Study Group, the committee that decided which players won the awards, were led by FIFA's head of the Technical Division Jean-Paul Brigger and featured:[98]

There were changes to the voting procedure for awards for the 2014 edition: while in 2010 accredited media were allowed to vote for the Golden Ball award,[99] in 2014 only the Technical Study Group could select the outcome.[100]

All-Star Team

As was the case during the 2010 edition, FIFA released an All-Star Team based on the Castrol performance index in its official website.[101]

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards

Germany Manuel Neuer

Argentina Marcos Rojo
Germany Mats Hummels
Brazil Thiago Silva
Netherlands Stefan de Vrij

Brazil Oscar
Germany Toni Kroos
Germany Philipp Lahm
Colombia James Rodríguez

Netherlands Arjen Robben
Germany Thomas Müller

Dream Team

FIFA also invited users of FIFA.com to elect their Dream Team.[102][103]

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards Manager

Germany Manuel Neuer

Brazil Marcelo
Germany Mats Hummels
Brazil Thiago Silva
Brazil David Luiz

Argentina Ángel Di María
Germany Toni Kroos
Colombia James Rodríguez

Brazil Neymar
Argentina Lionel Messi
Germany Thomas Müller

Germany Joachim Löw

Prize money

The total prize money on offer for the tournament was confirmed by FIFA as US$576 million (including payments of $70 million to domestic clubs and $100 million as player insurances), a 37 percent increase from the amount allocated in the 2010 tournament. Before the tournament, each of the 32 entrants received $1.5 million for preparation costs. At the tournament, the prize money was distributed as follows:[104]

Final standings

Per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.[105]

Result of countries participating in the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Pos. Team G Pld W D L Pts GF GA GD
1  Germany G 7 6 1 0 19 18 4 +14
2  Argentina F 7 5 1 1 16 8 4 +4
3