There are dates in football history that immediately scream. After a 12-year wait, the Brazilian national team appeared to be on track to win the FIFA World Cup on July 8, 2014. They looked certain to win the quadrennial competition on their home field as they faced Germany in the semi-finals at the Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto.
But what transpired in front of around 55,000 spectators shook the sports world for once and for all. Brazil was humiliated by the eventual reigning champs 7-1.
The Germans were led by goals from Thomas Muller, Mirasolav Klose, Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, and Andre Schurrle, while only Oscar of Brazil managed to score a consolation goal in the 90th minute. It was a somber day in Brazilian football history, as a club that was once known for its explosive potential suffered a devastating loss in spite of all the odds.
Superstar forward Neymar Jr. sustained an injury, but Brazil had enough players in their lineup to prevent such a loss.
What is the number of remaining players from those teams?
A result like that could have ended a lot of careers, and it did! Not a single player from that terrible night was on the Brazilian squad that lost to Uruguay in the quarterfinals of the Copa America 2024. Almost every major player from the 2014 World Cup, including heavyweights like David Luiz, Marcelo, and Fernandinho, is now an outsider on the national squad.
Among the new talents on the current team are Rodrygo, Endrick, Raphinha, and Eder Militao. The Selecao has undoubtedly hit the reset button in the wake of that loss, even though players like Fernandinho were still part of the national team setup. Since then, the German squad has also seen a number of changes. Muller and Kroos were still playing for the national team at Euro 2024, but both of them retired.
For many years, Germany and Brazil have both been mainstays in the football world. Their ardent fan bases, however, have been disappointed by their recent performances. The events of July 2014 were not an anomaly and still haunt them now. Will they be able to turn things around and move up the ranks in the years to come? Time will tell.
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