2014 World Cup Semi-Final vs Germany

Lore & Background

This match ended in a historic loss for Brazil; in a massive show of dominance, Germany led 5–0 within 29 minutes, with four goals being scored inside a six-minute span, and brought the score up to 7–0 in the second half. Brazil scored a consolation goal through Oscar in the last minute, ending the match 7–1. Germany's Toni Kroos was selected as the man of the match. The game marked several tournament records.

Germany's win marked the largest margin of victory in a FIFA World Cup semi-final. The game saw Germany overtake Brazil as the highest-scoring team in World Cup tournament history and become the first team to reach eight World Cup finals. Miroslav Klose scored his 16th career World Cup goal and surpassed Brazil's own Ronaldo as the tournament's all-time record goalscorer. Brazil's loss broke their 62-match unbeaten streak at home in competitive matches, going back to the 1975 Copa América (where they lost 3–1 to Peru in the same stadium), and equalled their biggest margin of defeat in a match alongside a 6–0 loss to Uruguay in 1920.

It was also Brazil's worst margin of defeat in a World Cup match, with their previous worst loss in that category being their 3–0 loss to France in the 1998 final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris. Ultimately, the match was described as a national humiliation. The game has been dubbed the Mineiraço in reference to the Mineirão stadium, evoking a previous 'spirit of national shame' known as the Maracanaço in which Brazil unexpectedly lost in the de facto final of the 1950 FIFA World Cup on home soil to Uruguay.

Brazil lost 3–0 to the Netherlands in the match for third place, while Germany went on to win the World Cup, winning 1–0 against Argentina in the final. This was Germany's fourth World Cup triumph, bringing them joint-second behind five-time winners Brazil, as well as the first European World Cup triumph in the Americas.

Reader's Guide

The match started with attacking play from both sides. Germany scored first in the 11th minute from a corner, with Thomas Müller scoring. In the 23rd minute, Miroslav Klose scored on a rebound to make it 2–0, setting the record for most World Cup goals. Then, in the 24th minute, Toni Kroos scored, followed by another Kroos goal in the 26th minute (just 69 seconds apart). Sami Khedira scored in the 29th minute, making it 5–0. All five first-half goals came within the first half-hour, with four in a six-minute span. In the second half, André Schürrle scored in the 69th and 79th minutes to make it 7–0. Oscar scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute, ending 7–1. Brazil had no shots on target in the first half. Many Brazil supporters left the stadium before the second half, and fights in the stands forced the Military Police to send a special forces squad.