The 2014 FIFA World Cup was staged at 12 venues across Brazil, including Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, originally built for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, but reconstructed and renovated in the interim. It was, in fact, the first World Cup to feature goal-line tecchnology and the use of vanishing spray, or vanishing foam, by referees. The World Cup final, featuring Germany and Argentina, took place at the Maracanã Stadium on July 13, 2014, and was won by Germany after extra time. With the match goalless at the end of normal time, Mario Götze, who had replaced Miroslav Klose after 88 minutes, controlled and volleyed home an André Schürrle cross to become the first substitute to score the winning goal in a World Cup final.
Seeded into Group G, Germany faced Portugal, Ghana and the United States, in that order, in their three group matches. They started with a 4-0 thrashing of Portugal at the Casa de Apostas Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, during which Thomas Müller scored a hat-trick. Ghana proved more resilient opponents and actually led 2-1 after 63 minutes at the Estádio Governador Plácido Castelo, Fortaleza before Miroslav Klose salvaged a 2-2 draw for Die Nationalelf. Müller, again, scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over the United States at Arena Pernambuco in São Lourenço da Mata to ensure that Germany topped Group G, ahead of their opponents.
In the knockout stages, Germany beat Algeria 2-1 after extra time in the round of 16, the match having finished goalless after 90 minutes, and France 1-0, courtesy of Mats Hummels’ goal after 13 minutes, in the quarter-final to make the semi-finals of the World Cup for a record fourth tournament running. The semi-final against Brazil was a bizarre, one-sided affair, which Germany won 7-1, thereby inflicting the heaviest defeat their opponents had suffered since they lost 6-0 to Uruguay in what is now the Copa América in 1920. By contrast, the World Cup final against Argentina, whom Germany had also met in 1986 and 1990, was a relatively sedate affair.