One long month of intense football, 64 matches, and 171 goals, the 2014 World Cup will always have a particular spot in our hearts. Even today, it’s still ranked among the best tournaments ever played. 31 countries from different parts of the world joined Brazil to give us some of the finest displays of sportsmanship ever seen. It was a particularly tough competition because Bosnia and Herzegovina were their only debutants. Here are some significant highlights of this titillating competition.
2014 World Cup The Group Stage
The 32 countries were divided into eight groups.
Group A held Brazil, the home team, Mexico, Croatia, and Cameroon.
Only Brazil and Mexico advanced to the next stage of these four teams.
Group B held Netherlands, Chile, Spain, and Australia.
Just the Netherlands and Chile qualified here.
Group C had Columbia, Greece, Ivory Coast, and Japan.
Columbia and Greece were the qualifiers here.
Group D held Costa Rica, Uruguay, Italy, and England.
Costa Rica and Uruguay qualified here.
Group E had France, Switzerland, Ecuador, and Honduras.
France and Switzerland qualified here.
Group F held Argentina, Nigeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Iran.
Argentina and Nigeria qualified.
Group G had Germany, the United States, Portugal, and Ghana.
Germany and the United States qualified here.
H held Belgium, Algeria, Russia, and South Korea, the last group.
Only Belgium and Algeria qualified here.
The Round Of 16, Quarter Finals And Semifinals
Even though the games played up to this point had been thrilling, to say the least, there can be no contesting that the teams that remained here upped the ante in a rather significant way. Of the 16 teams that made it to the knockout stage, only Colombia, France, Germany, Brazil, Netherlands, Belgium, Costa Rica, and Argentina progressed further. What’s more, by the time these remaining teams locked horns, the most unexpected offsets happened with France, Belgium, and Columbia dropping out of the running with just one goal difference and the Netherlands qualifying on penalties. From this point, the host country, Brazil, faced Germany only to suffer a crushing 1-7 defeat while the Netherlands crashed out after losing on penalties to Argentina.
How It Ended
The last two teams standing, Germany and Argentina, faced off on the 13th of July in Rio de Janeiro. After a pulse-elevating back and forth between the two sides, Germany managed to clinch a goal in extra time, sealing their place as the winners of the World Cup. A day to this, Brazil and Netherlands met at Brasilia to slug it out for 3rd place. Again, Brazil suffered a dismal defeat as they lost 0-3 to the Netherlands.
The Best Players Of The Tournament
After a stunning six goals, James Rodriguez came away as the top scorer of the 2014 World Cup. Lionel Messi was the best player in the competition while Manuel Neuer, the goalie of the winning team, was the World Cup’s best keeper. The 2022 Qatar World Cup is sure to bring more reverting action. Be sure to cash out on this epic saga!
