Mario Gotze crowns Germany as champions of the world

Mario Gotze scored the only goal of the game

The best team of the 2014 World Cup won on Sunday night to lift the trophy. A late goal in extra time was enough to see Germany eek past a solid Argentina side as Alex Johnson explains. 

Substitute Mario Gotze became the hero as his extra-time strike gave Germany a 1-0 World Cup final win over Argentina in the Maracana.

For their third World Cup final meeting, both managers opted to stick with the same starting elevens from their semi-final victories, with Germany much fancied following their 7-1 rout of hosts Brazil.

However, there was late drama when Sami Khedira pulled up in the warm-up and Christoph Kramer was handed his first-ever start for Germany.

An open start to the game brought about few sights of goal for either side and it took 20 minutes for the first clear chance to come about.

Toni Kroos headed back towards his own goal and let in Gonzalo Higuain, but he could only shoot wide with just Manuel Neuer to beat from just inside the area.

On the half-hour mark Higuain did have the ball in the net, but an offside flag cut short his celebrations after he turned home an Ezequiel Lavezzi cross.

Five minutes before the break Argentina went close again as Lionel Messi got clear of his marker, Mats Hummels, and poked the ball past Neuer, only for Jerome Boateng to get back and make a crucial clearance from near his goal-line.

Germany finally woke up in the closing minutes of the first half, with Kroos shooting weakly straight at Sergio Romero from the edge of the penalty area.

And Die Mannschaft went even closer in stoppage time when Kroos curled over a corner from the right and Benedikt Howedes arrived to crash a header against the post when it looked easier to score.

Argentina started the second half the better and Lionel Messi should have broken the deadlock just two minutes in, but he somehow shot wide of the far post with just Neuer to beat.

Germany seemed to have lost the momentum they had at the end of the first half, with the ever-combative Javier Mascherano a fearsome presence in the midfield.

Messi did carve out a couple of half-openings, but could not find a way past a resolute German defence.

And chances remained at a premium despite plenty of attacking intent, with Kroos played in on the edge of the area by Mesut Ozil with eight minutes to left, only to place his shot a yard wide of target.

A late push failed to provide a dramatic finale, with Miroslav Klose being replaced late on to end the World Cup career of the competition's all-time leading goalscorer.

Early in extra-time Andre Schurrle was denied by a solid block from Romero at his near post, being played in by Gotze, who had come on in place of Klose.

Soon after Rodrigo Palacio wasted another superb chance for Argentina, as he lifted a shot wide of goal when he was clean through, with Neuer doing just enough to put the forward out.

The game became heated as penalties drew ever closer, with Bastian Schweinsteiger taking several hits, but staying on to inspire his side on.

And the decisive goal eventually arrived just seven minutes from the end of extra-time.

The ever-willing Schurrle ran away down the left and lifted the ball into the near post, where Gotze controlled it on his chest and then smacked it past Romero with his left foot.

It was a goal worthy of winning any game and as hard as Argentina tried to respond, when a Messi free-kick drifted high over the crossbar, Germany had finished the job and had won the World Cup.