World Cup final 2014: Germany v Argentina - live
Germany v Argentina updates from the Maracanã
The full, surprise-free teamsheets
Germany: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Hummels, Howedes, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Kroos, Ozil, Klose.
Subs: Zieler, Grosskreutz, Ginter, Schurrle, Podolski, Draxler, Durm, Mertesacker, Gotze, Kramer, Weidenfeller.
Argentina: Romero, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Garay, Rojo, Biglia, Mascherano, Perez, Higuain, Messi, Lavezzi.
Subs: Orion, Campagnaro, Gago, Di Maria, Rodriguez, Augusto Fernandez, Federico Fernandez, Palacio, Alvarez, Aguero, Basanta, Andujar.
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
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)
Brazil winning the World Cup. Kids, ask mum or dad.
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.
1950: the last time a World Cup was decided at the Maracana.
Oh Moacir!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?
Cesar Luis Menotti and cheroot
A very well turned out Sepp Herberger flanked by Fritz Walter and Helmut Rahn in 1972.
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.
Enzo Bearzot (and Paolo Rossi). You need audacity to pull off a white blazer, never mind a World Cup win. And by god was Bearzot audacious.
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!
1986: El Diego was actually pretty quiet in this match. Apart from the bit where he set up the goal that won a World Cup.
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.
1990: Monzon is sent off for killing Klinsmann, by the looks of it. He didn't kill him, though, did he.
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.
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.
1930: Uruguay's veteran captain Jose Nasazzi and his Argentinian counterpart Manuel Ferreira lead their teams out.
What a lovely scene. A return to formal wear for mascots, please, Fifa!
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!
1974: Booked for persistent fouling after four minutes!
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!
1978: Cruel on Ruud Krol.
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.
1982: A bittersweet end to one of the great international careers.
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.
http://www.theguardian.com/