Global Information2014 FIFA World Cup information
| Copa do Mundo da FIFA Brasil 2014 (Brazilian Portuguese) | |
|---|---|
 Juntos num só ritmo (lit. 'Together in a single rhythm') | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Brazil |
| Dates | 12 June – 13 July |
| Teams | 32 (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 played | 64 |
| Goals scored | 171 (2.67 per match) |
| Attendance | 3,429,873 (53,592 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  James Rodríguez(6 goals)[1] |
| Best player(s) | Lionel Messi[2] |
| Best young player |  Paul Pogba[3] |
| Best goalkeeper | Manuel Neuer[4] |
| Fair play award | Colombia[5] |
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. Fans and pundits alike consider this edition of the World Cup to be one of the best ever held.[6][7][8]
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.[9] FIFA Fan Fests in each host city gathered a total of 5 million people, and the country received 1 million visitors from 202 countries.[10] 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.[11]
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,[12] and this result marked the third consecutive title won by a European team, after Italy in 2006 and Spain in 2010.[13][14]
- ^ "Players – Top goals". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- ^ Mason, Peter (13 July 2014). "Lionel Messi wins Golden Ball award for best player of World Cup". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ "Pogba wins Hyundai Young Player Award". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- ^ "Manuel Neuer wins golden glove award". NDTV Sports. Agence France-Presse. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
- ^ "Colombia national team wins FIFA's Fair Play award at 2014 World Cup". Colombia Reports. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
- ^ "25 Reasons Why 2014 World Cup Was the Best Ever". Bleacher Report. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "World Cup 2014: Was this the greatest tournament of all? Yes". The Telegraph. 12 July 2014. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Which is the best World Cup ever? Rating contenders from 1954 to 2014". TheGuardian.com. 13 July 2018. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "FIFA launch GLT tender for Brazil 2013/14". FIFA.com. 19 February 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- ^ Passarinho, Nathalia; Matoso, Filipe (14 July 2014). "Em balanço da Copa, Dilma diz que Brasil derrotou prognósticos 'terríveis'". G1 (in Portuguese). Grupo Globo. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 December 2022.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "If the World Cup started tomorrow". ESPN FC. 12 June 2013. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- ^ Owen, David (14 July 2014). "Battle of the Brands: Adidas lifts the World Cup, but Nike scores most goals". Inside World Football. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Numbers Game: All the stats from Germany's fourth World Cup triumph". Firstpost. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2014.