AWARD WINNERS
Golden Glove - Manuel Neuer
Golden Ball - Lionel Messi
Golden Boot - James Rodriguez (6)
Hyundai Young Player - Paul Pogba
FIFA Fair Play - Colombia
GOALS
The 2014 FIFA World Cup is now the joint-highest scoring World Cup in history (level on 171 goals with France 1998). 136 goals were scored in the 48 group matches, 32 goals were scored by substitutes and only 5 own goals were scored in the tournament.
The goals were magnificent - James Rodriguez's left-foot strike, Robin van Persie's leaping header, Tim Cahill's strike that thumped the underside of the crossbar before bouncing down over the line and Mario Götze's extra-time volley that won Germany the title.
Tim Cahill has scored in three different World Cups for Australia, no Australian has done so in more than one tournament.
Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan's sixth goal overtook Cameroon's Roger Milla's five goals as all-time top scoring African player at a World Cup.
Algeria became the first African team to score four goals in a World Cup game when they beat South Korea 4-2.
Keisuke Honda became the first Japanese player to score in two separate World Cups.
Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri scored the only all left-footed hat-trick in World Cup history and was named man of the match twice as his team reached the last 16. His treble was also the 50th hat-trick in the history of the World Cup.
Clint Dempsey’s 29 second goal vs Ghana was the fifth fastest in World Cup history.
GOALKEEPING
Tim Howard made the most saves during the World Cup, with 27 saves. Howard also made 15 saves in a World Cup match than anyone.
Tim Krul was brought on with seconds of extra-time remaining in the Netherlands v Costa Rica tie. In the penalty shootout, he dived the right way all five times and saved twice to save the day.
Colombia's Faryd Mondragón (43y 3d) became the oldest player to ever make an appearance at a World Cup finals.
Switzerland's Diego Benaglio was the only goalkeeper to register a shot at the 2014 tournament vs Argentina.
Algeria's goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi created two goalscoring chances.
Costa Rica's Keylor Navas saved 21 of the 23 shots on target that he faced at the World Cup.
TEAMS
Three of the last four teams to win the World Cup have gone out in the following group stage (France 2002, Italy 2010, Spain 2014).
Italy have exited at the group stage in their last 2 World Cups. The last time they managed this was 1962 and 1966.
Honduras have played nine games without a win at the World Cup (D3 L6).
For the first time ever, Ghana went out in the group stage. Only three teams have never exited in a World Cup group stage: Germany, Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.
Mexico have been knocked out of the World Cup finals in the second round since 1994; no team has been knocked out at this stage as often as Mexico.
Japan have lost all three of their World Cup second round ties.
The Netherlands progressed to the semi-finals for the third time in their last four World Cups.
Argentina progressed from all four of their World Cup semi-finals.
Costa Rica knocked out Italy, England, Greece and beat Ururguay, four sides placed in the top 12 positions of the FIFA Rankings (Ururguay 7th, Italy 9th, England 10th, Greece 12th).
By losing 4-0 to Germany, Portugal conceded four goals in a World Cup for the first time in their history.
Germany
Germany became four-time World Cup winners.
The 2014 World Cup final made Germany v Argentina the joint-most often played fixture along with Brazil v Sweden.
Germany played their eighth World Cup final - more than any other team in the history of the competition.
Germany’s 7-1 win was the biggest margin of victory ever seen in a World Cup semi-final and they were the first team to score this many goals in the semi-finals. Germany were 5-0 up faster than any other team in World Cup history (29 minutes). There were just 179 seconds between Germany's second and fourth goals v Brazil.
The last time the Germany won that high was in September 2008 against Liechtenstein.
Germany are the first European team to win a World Cup in the Americas.
Germany scored 18 goals this World Cup, the most for a team in one World Cup since Brazil 2002 (18). Spain won the 2010 World Cup with only eight goals.
Germany scored four goals from corners in the 2014 World Cup, more than any other country.
Germany became the top scoring nation in World Cup history and have now scored 224 goals in the World Cup, three more than Brazil.
Germany scored seven goals, more than England have in their past two World Cup campaigns combined.
Germany are the first team to ever score 7 times in a World Cup semi-final.
Miroslav Klose needed two goals to become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. The 36-year-old Lazio player scored with his first touch, from a yard out, against Ghana and become the joint top-scorer in World Cup history, alongside Ronaldo. He then scored his landmark sixteenth in the 7-1 against Brazil.
Miroslav Klose
All-Time World Cup Top Scorer
24 World Cup Caps
16 World Cup Goals
137 International Caps
71 Goals
Germany's Manuel Neuer did not just save the ball from going into the net, at times he rushed out of his box, went down the pitch and acted like a defender, sweeping away trouble.
Bastian Schweinsteiger won his 108th cap in the final, drawing level with Klinsmann (5th place of all Germany players).
Thomas Müller (2010 & 2014) and Miroslav Klose (2002 & 2006) are the only players to score 5+ goals at consecutive World Cups.
Thomas Müller is the third player (After Cubillas and Klose) in history to score 5+ goals in two different World Cups. He has scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 12 World Cup matches. Müller is the 13th player to reach double figures for World Cup goals and the 5th German to do it.
Mario Götze (22y 39d) is the youngest scorer of a goal in a World Cup final since Wolfgang Weber in 1966 (22 years, 33 days). He is also the first player to score a winning goal as a substitute in a World Cup final.
Sami Khedira is the tenth player to win the European Cup/Champions League & World Cup in the same season.
Only Roger Milla scored more goals as a substitute at the World Cup finals than André Schürrle.
ARGENTINA
Lionel Messi scored the winner in Argentina's opening game against Bosnia-Herzegovina, scored the only goal against Iran and added two more against Japan.No sub for Argentina scored a goal at the 2014 World Cup.
Argentina trailed for only 7 minutes at the 2014 World Cup.
Javier Mascherano made more tackles than any other player at the 2014 World Cup.
Germany's winning goal was the first World Cup goal Argentina ever conceded in extra-time.
Argentina failed to have a shot on target in a World Cup game for the first time since the 1990 final against Germany.
NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands have beaten no nation in World Cup football more often than Brazil (3 times).
The Netherlands have lost five of the seven penalty shoot-outs they have played in World Cups and European Championships.
The Netherlands have never scored in extra time in a World Cup game (six conceded in five games).
The Netherlands are the second team at the 2014 World Cup to use all three goalkeepers along with Portugal. They also used all 23 players this World Cup, the most for a single squad in one World Cup ever.
Jasper Cillesen was the first goalkeeper to be subbed off twice in the history of the World Cup.
All seven of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's World Cup appearances were as a sub. No player of any nation has made more without starting a game.
BRAZIL
The 7-1 defeat to Germany equalled Brazil's all-time biggest margin of defeat (lost 6-0 to Uruguay in 1920). The defeat was the biggest losing margin by a host nation at a World Cup.
Brazil conceded ten goals from fourteen shots on target conceded in the semi-final and third place playoff game combined.
Brazil committed 31 fouls in their quarter final win over Colombia; the most fouls that they had made in a single World Cup game since records began in 1966.
Brazil have topped every group they’ve played in at a World Cup since 1982.
Brazil lost two consecutive World Cup games for first time since 1974.
Brazil have conceded five goals for only the second time in the World Cup; the first was in 1938 v Poland.
Brazil have suffered their first defeat at home in a competitive game since September 1975.
Brazil conceded fourteen goals at the 2014 World Cup, their worst record in a single edition. Nine of them coming in the first 30 minutes.
Only Brazil's Julio César was penalised for a foul at the 2014 World Cup. Oscar picked up the only yellow card for simulation in the 2014 World Cup. Second half sub Ramires had more shots than Bernard, Willian, Hulk & Fred put together (3) against Germany.
Brazil have not lost consecutive matches on home soil since 1940.
Brazil have now conceded over 100 goals in the World Cup.
SPAIN
Spain conceded five goals in an international (1-5 vs Netherlands) for the first time since losing 6-2 to Scotland in 1963. A four goal margin is the biggest losing margin by a defending champion at a World Cup.
In his 126 minutes in the World Cup, Diego Costa failed to get a single shot on target (only five shots in total).
In winning Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012, Spain conceded a total of six goals, one fewer than they did in their three matches at World Cup 2014.
ENGLAND
One point was England’s lowest-ever in a World Cup group stage. It was the first time England have been eliminated from a World Cup at the group stage since 1958.
Luke Shaw was the youngest player (18y 348d) to play at this World Cup, when he played for England v Costa Rica.
Wayne Rooney recorded his first World Cup assist in England's opening game vs Italy and his first goal in their game vs Uruguay.
Joe Hart made only one save in two World Cup games.
OVERALL
Neymar scored the 100th goal of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil's 100th game in World Cup finals history.
James Rodriguez, named after James Bond, but pronounced "Ham-ez" became the first player to score in his first five career World Cup appearances since Peru’s Teofilo Cubillas.
The last nine World Cup 3rd/4th place playoff matches have all seen at least three goals scored.
The top scoring squad number at 2014 World Cup is number 10 with 29 goals.
Eight matches went to extra-time at the 2014 World Cup, a joint-record along with 1990.
Five of the last seven World Cup finals have been goalless at half-time.
A World Cup semi-final ended 0-0 for the first time. No World Cup semi-final had ever ended 0-0 (including extra-time).
All eight group stage winners went to the quarter finals stage for the first time in World Cup history.
Cameroon, Australia and Honduras lost all of their group stage matches. While Netherlands, Colombia, Argentina and Belgium won all of their group stage matches.
Other teams threatened upsets without delivering the final blow, among them Australia and Mexico against Netherlands, Iran and Switzerland against Argentina, Ghana and Algeria against Germany.
The disappointment of Cameroon, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire left Algeria to fly the African flag. Algeria reached the knockout stage for the first time and produced an incredible last-16 display against Germany, but lost in extra time.
Few tipped Chile to progress at Spain's expense or USA at Portugal's. Chile eliminated the world and European champions to end their era of dominance.
Costa Rica came into the World Cup, without two of their best players, and in a World Cup group with three former world champions. They beat Uruguay and Italy, drew with England and sent Greece packing in a penalty shootout in the last 16 but lost to the Netherlands by the same method in the quarter-final.
ASSOCIATIONS
UEFA have won the World Cup for three successive tournaments - a confederation record.
Only six European nations made it to the last 16; a joint-World cup low since the Round of 16 was introduced in 1986.
This World Cup was the first time that three sides from the CONCACAF region made it out of the group stages and into the last 16 (since 1986).
Red Cards
There were fewer red cards at the 2014 World Cup than any other edition since 1986, with 8 reds.
Alex Song who picked up Cameroon's eighth red card in their World Cup history. His relative Rigobert Song is one of only two players (along with Zinedine Zidane) to be sent off twice at World Cups, meaning the Song family is responsible for three of Cameroon's eight reds.
Injuries
Neymar suffered the greatest injury which ruled him out of the rest of the World Cup after getting Brazil to the semi-finals. Neymar broke a vertebra in his back following a challenge by Colombia's Juan Zuniga in their quarter-final match. Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, Sami Khedira, Wesley Sneijder, Christoph Kramer and a few others also suffered problems, and Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't fully fit but pushed himself for Portugal.
Radamel Falcao, Franck Ribery, Marco Reus, Rafael van der Vaart, Thiago Alcantara, Riccardo Montolivo or Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were ruled out before a ball had been kicked.
Scandals
Algeria were fined because their supporters used lasers, Cameroon embroiled in match-fixing allegations, an England fan lost a piece of his ear which was bitten off by another England fan and Arjen Robben was accused of diving but later admitted to it.
For a third time in his career, Luis Suarez bit a player. This time it was defender Giorgio Chiellini of Italy. Suarez was suspended for their last 16 match with Colombia - the first absence of a four-month ban - as they lost 2-0.
The opening match between Brazil and Croatia drew as much attention for decisions made by referee Yuichi Nishimura as it did for the actual football.
Vanishing Spray
It resembled shaving cream, many referees sprayed players boots but its use was important. It is used to mark the spot of a free-kick near the penalty area and the distance away that a defensive wall must stand, disappearing from the grass within a minute.
It has been utilised in Brazilian and Argentine football for several seasons, was trialled at last year's FIFA Under-20 World Cup and will be introduced to the Champions League next season.
Other
The first cooling break in World Cup history took place in the intense heat of Fortaleza when Netherlands beat Mexico. It gave the players the chance to rehydrate. Louis Van Gaal later revealed he used the time to make a tactical switch that turned the game Netherlands' way in the last 15 minutes.
If the World Cup does take place in Qatar in 2022, we may be seeing many more of these.
Inside both Arena Fonte Nova and the Maracana, where they were stunned by Netherlands and Chile respectively, there was a palpable sense that we were witnessing something historic: the end of an era. La Roja's six-year rule of the game is over, a turnover of players is sure to follow and uncertainty surrounds the future of coach Vicente Del Bosque. 'Tiki taka' remains at the heart of Spain's philosophy, but it must evolve if they are to challenge again.
Celebration of the tournament arguably belonged to the superb Colombians, who showed a hip-shaking, rhythmic ability that captured the sheer joy and fun of a World Cup in the home of samba.
Prize Money
Winner - £20.4m
Runner-up - £14.6m
3rd Place - £12.9m
4th Place - £11.7m
Quarter-Finalist - £8.2m
Round of 16 - £5.3m
Group Stage - £4.7m
Goals Scored
Germany - 18
Netherlands - 15
Colombia - 12
Brazil - 11
France - 10
Goal Scorers
Rodriguez - 6
Müller - 5
Messi - 4
Neymar - 4
van Persie - 4
Top Assists
4 - Cuadrado
3 - Kroos
3 - Müller
3 - Blind
Most Saves
USA - 27
Germany - 24
Algeria - 23
Switzerland - 22
Colombia - 22
This post is not late. The Germans and I are still celebrating.
