- Germany's Mario Götze scored with a brilliant finish to win the World Cup for Germany tonight, as his team beat Argentina 1-0 in the hotly-contested final.The Bayern Munich star coolly slotted home to score in the 113th minute, after his team had battled long into extra time in their bid to take home the famous trophy for the fourth time - the first as a unified nation.Midfielder Götze, 22, came on as a substitute to net the winner, controlling the ball with his chest before volleying it into the Argentine goal, making the Germans the first European team to win the title in South America.
High hopes: Despite Germany having gone into the game on the back of a 7-1 humiliation of Brazil, it was Argentina who had the better chances in the first half
Hoping and praying: A Germany fan looks to the heavens as he watches his team struggle to break down Argentina
Determined: An Argentina soccer fans kisses a replica of the World Cup trophy as he watches the game on a giant screen set up in Buenos Airesuntil 8pm BST, flooding the streets around the Maracana with a sea of blue and white, black, red and yellow.
From traditional Bavarian Lederhosen and East Germany vintage tops of the 1970s to giant Argentine flags and those of every South American nation, fans were getting ready for the biggest single event in world sports.
'This is our time. This is our continent and our victory tonight here in Brazil,' said Juan Alvarez, 24, who drove three days from the Argentine capital Buenos Aires with a group of friend, as he showed his ticket for the game.
'Winning it here in Brazil would make it even better,' he said.
Travelling in style: Former Spanish international Carles Puyol (right) and model Gisele Bundchen (left) walk in the tunnel to present the World Cup in a special Louis Vuitton travel case
Getting verything in place: Puyol and Gisele present the famous World Cup trophy prior to the match
Bringing glamour to the proceedings: Columbian singer Shakira wowed fans as she joined forces with Carlinhos Brown (left)
Daring: The singers performed their song Dare, accompanied by a host of samba dancers and musicians
Repeat performance: This is the third World Cup in which Shakira has performed. She met her partner, Spain's Gerard Pique, during the 2010 tournament in South Africa
Song and dance: Carlinhos Brown wore a distinctive black and white headdress as he performed with Shakira
Star: The blonde singer and mother-of-one wowed fans in her eye-catching red sequinned outfit
Putting on a show: Keepy uppy experts in Germany and Argentina kits show off their skills as Shakira performs
Celebration of football: Artists perform before the FIFA World Cup 2014 final between Germany and Argentina at the Estadio do Maracana
Group effort: Musicians Carlos Santana, Wyclef Jean, singers Shakira, Alexandre Pires, Ivete Sangalo and Carlinhos Brown perform during the closing ceremony
Motherly love: Singer Shakira and her son Milan, whose father is Spain and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique
Police, military and other security personnel numbering tens of thousands mingled with arriving fans as the host nation looked to safely round off a tournament which has been largely successful despite initial fears regarding security, transport and construction.
In a mortifying twist for Brazilians whose rivalry with their South American neighbours runs deep, authorities expected a total of 100,000 Argentines to flood into the city of their bitter footballing rivals with Germany fans easily outnumbered.
Some had paid $10,000 for an airline and hotel package, while others drove the 2,000 kilometres from Buenos Aires.
Carnival: A dancer dons this crystal head dress to perform in the closing ceremony
Celebration: Decked out in Germany colours, this dancer has all eyes on her as she performs before the kick off
Culmination: Dancers perform during in front of a German flag before the start of the World Cup final
Entertainment: A dancer parades with a US flag. The US team won over fans during the tournament with their teamwork and gutsy performances
Argentine flags, tents and cars were dotted all around the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in Rio. Many climbed up to the Christ statue, draping blue-and-white colours at the bottom.
More Argentine planes were landing in the morning at Rio's international airport carrying neighbouring fans into the city for the showcase final and a repeat of the 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals.
Despite a disappointing fourth-place finish, Brazil fans, living around the stadium in Rio's Maracana neighbourhood that also hosted the 1950 World Cup decider in which the hosts lost to Uruguay, had unfurled their green, yellow and blue flags on the balconies.
Famous faces: Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen and her husband NFL star Tom Brady arrive at the stadium
Showing the love: Her home country may have gone out in the semi finals, but Gisele still appeared to be enjoying herself as she made a heart gesture in the stadium
Guests of honour: FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, Vanessa Lorenzo, NFL athlete Tom Brady, model Gisele Bundchen and former Spanish international Carles Puyol (left to right) pose for a photograph before the game
Unlikely pundit: Singer Rihanna, pictured in the stadium tonight, has been a prolific tweeter during the tournament, giving her opinion on many of the teams taking part
Pre-match diplomacy: FIFA President Sep Blatter talks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German President Joachim Gauck final
Faces in the crowd: Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, center, and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, watch the closing ceremony
Mixed allegiances: A fan of Germany poses with fans of Argentina as they wait for the start of their 2014 World Cup final
Chanting 'Brazil, Brazil' to the Argentines below, these Rio citizens were eager to add a touch of South American rivalry even if their team was left out of the biggest party of the tournament, with the World Cup drawing to a close after an action-packed month.
Brazilian fans had largely thrown their lot in with Germany, hoping they could stop an Argentine win that would give them bragging rights for years. Some locals, with tickets to a game where they had dreamed of seeing Brazil lift a sixth World Cup, instead donned Germany colours for the occasion.
'We have forgiven Germany what they did to us. In fact, we admire them because they played the Brazil way,' said Rio resident Bruno Perreira, outside the 74,738-capacity Maracana wearing a Germany replica top and joking with Argentina fans.
Fans united: With just hours until kick off, these Germany and Argentina fans put their sporting rivalries aside as they enjoyed the build up to the World Cup final outside the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro
Show of support: Football fans gather to watch the final World Cup match between Argentina and Germany on a giant screen on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro
Packed out: Thousands of fans, most of them Argentine, cram into the Copacabana fan park
Ready for kick off: Both Germany and Argentina fans seemed in good spirits as they arrived at the Maracana this afternoon
Flying the flag: German fans chant slogans as they arrive at Copacabana beach ahead of the Argentina game
With the band: Drum playing Argentine fans make their presence known on Copacabana beach
Rivalry: This laughing Argentina fan pokes fun at arch rivals Brazil's World Cup collapse by covering his sleeping friend in a Brazilian flag on Copacabana beach
Party atmosphere: The sea of fans around the stadium had spread to Copacabana with Argentine fans excitedly preparing for the final
The game marked the third time Germany and Argentina have met in a World Cup final. Argentina won 3-2 in a 1986 thriller in Mexico City, while Germany won 1-0 four years later in Rome.
And the history does not stop there: Germany kicked Argentina out of the last two World Cups in the quarter-finals, humiliatingly so by a 4-0 scoreline in 2010 when they cruelly exposed then coach Maradona's tactical naivety.
After an exciting tournament where attack has prevailed and goals have been flowing, many thought that the final was likely to be a more cagey affair with Germany employing numbers to annul Messi, and Argentina wary of leaving the sorts of spaces that Brazil did.
Bunny girls: German fans enjoy the sunshine as they prepared to watch the game in Berlin tonight
Home supporters: German fans donned yellow, red and black wigs with their replica shirts as they arrived for a big screen viewing at the Brandenburg Gate
Singing in the rain: Fans in Berlin braved the rain to secure a good spot at the city's fan park
Ready for kick off: These German fans at the Brandenburg gate were hoping to see a great performance from stars like Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos
Back home: These German fans were gearing up for their team's World Cup final match against Argentina at the Brandenburg Gate fan park area in Berlin
VLADIMIR PUTIN MEETS WORLD LEADERS AS RUSSIA GETS READY TO HOST THE NEXT WORLD CUP IN 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the leaders of both Germany and Argentina ahead of tonight's World Cup final, as Russia prepares to host the next tournament in 2018.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Putin briefly on Sunday before the final as the leaders called for a stepping-up of peace efforts in Ukraine, according to Putin's spokesman.
The pair have been in regular telephone contact over the Ukraine crisis, with Merkel urging Putin to use his influence with pro-Russian separatists to help bring about an end to fighting in the east of the former Soviet republic in which hundreds of people have been killed.
Meeting: German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Putin briefly on Sunday before tonight's World Cup final as the leaders called for a stepping-up of peace efforts in Ukraine
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Merkel and the Kremlin leader agreed the situation 'has a tendency towards degradation'.
"Both Putin and Merkel stressed the necessity to urgently resume the work of a contact group on Ukraine, possibly in the format of a video conference. It is their common opinion that, in order for the contact group to resume its work, a ceasefire needs to be declared as soon as possible," Peskov said.
A separate statement released by Merkel's office said effective controls along Russia's border with Ukraine and an exchange of prisoners were key prerequisites for a ceasefire.
Agreement: Yesterday, Putin signed agreements on nuclear energy generation with Argentina's President Cristina Fernadez
Yesterday, Putin signed agreements on nuclear energy generation with Argentina, which has been building nuclear-powered electricity plants to revive its nuclear programme and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels amid an energy crunch.
Mr Putin and president Cristina Fernandez said the Russian atomic energy corporation, Rosatom, would be involved with the construction of units in Argentina's Atucha III nuclear power plant.
'These are very important agreements,' said Ms Fernandez, who had been out of the public eye for a week due to a throat infection.
'Argentina is a leader in Latin America in terms of nuclear energy generation," she said at a joint news conference at the presidential palace. "They reaffirm our bonds of friendship and strategic links.'
Both goalkeepers, Manuel Neuer of Germany and Sergio Romero of Argentina, went into the game in the form of their lives, while Messi, on four goals, and Thomas Mueller, on five, were both chasing the 'Golden Boot' award for the leading scorer.
But it was Colombia's James Rodriguez who took home the prize after scoring six goals. All three are also among the 10 players short-listed for FIFA's 'Golden Ball' award to the tournament's best player - which Messi eventually won, while Neuer took home the 'Golden Glove' for best goalkeeper.
In total, the goal-laden tournament produced 171 goals, equalling the all-time record of 171 set in France in 1998.
Banging the drum: An Argentina soccer fan with a drum and coconut gathers with other fans on Copacabana beach ahead of the final World Cup match
On their way: Cheering Argentina supporters turn Copacabana beach into a sea of blue and white
Home and away: Young fans in Buenos Aires get ready for their country's big match
On a prayer: Argentine soccer fans Anna Baez (left) and Deborah Chanal sit with Santo Gauchito Gil as they hope he helps their team win the World Cup final
What's new, Buenos Aires: Argentine soccer fans show their spirit in Buenos Aires as the country prepares for the showdown against Germany
Giving his blessing: Fan Daniel Venezia dressed as the pope shows his spirit for the Argentine team
Divine intervention: Mr Venezia gives his prediction that Argentina will win the game 3-1
Showing his colours: Argentina soccer fan Miguel Perez poses for the portrait in his body paint in Samba Land, an area used as a campground by visiting World Cup fans in Rio de Janeiro
Brazil's agony at losing the semi-final so disastrously was compounded by another poor defensive display in Saturday's 3-0 defeat by the Netherlands in the third-place playoff match.
Having not lost a competitive home game since 1975, Brazil have now suffered two defeats in five days: a sad end to a tournament they entered with such confidence and high hopes.
German-themed pubs and bars across London were filled with delighted expats tonight as they gathered to watch their national team win the World Cup.
At the Zeitgeist pub in Vauxhall several hundred fans erupted with joy at the final whistle, spraying beer everywhere to start a party that went on long into the night after Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time.
One fan, called Jorg, said: 'It's unbelievable. This is the second World Cup I have witnessed us winning since I was born, the first I was too young to realise, this one has been a dream.
'We now have four stars, four stars baby. I'm going to have to go shopping and get a new shirt with four stars on it!'
Philip Nuggert, from the German city of Bielefeld, was heading to Trafalgar Square to carry on the party.
He said: 'I feel amazing, I can't believe we won this.
Preparations: Workers prepare for the tonight's closing ceremony which took place before kick off and featured performances from Shakira
Safety measures: Police, military and other security personnel numbering tens of thousands mingled with arriving fans as the host nation looked to safely round off a tournament which has been largely successful despite initial fears regarding security, transport and construction
'And Gotze scored, it is incredible, it's the best feeling ever.
'Now we are heading to Trafalgar Square to party all night long.
'I spoke to my manager already, she is fine with it!'
The mood was in stark contrast to that in Argentinian bars across the capital.
Around 400 noisy fans gathered at Moo Cantina in Pimlico to cheer on the South Americans.
Hopeful: German fans outside the Maracana. Germany are set to play in their eighth World Cup final; more than any other nation. They have won three titles
Photo op: A female German supporter takes a selfie with her smartphone in front of a billboard in Rio de Janeiro
All together now: But were these two fans as friendly towards one another come kick off?
True colours: An Argentina fan has his face painted in Argentina's national colours before tonight's big match
Many wore their team's blue and white shirt and painted their cheeks in support of their heroes.
They chanted constantly throughout the game until Mario Gotze's goal in the 113th minute left everyone in stunned silence.
Some fans were left in tears and could not bring themselves to watch the dying moments of the game.
But when the final whistle was blown the fans gave a rapturous round of applause for their team's efforts.
Even Pope Francis was keeping an eye on the game from the Vatican.
The Argentine-born, football-loving pontiff pledged neutrality, promising not to pray for any team. However, Francis did tweet on the eve of the final: 'The World Cup allowed people from different countries and religions to come together.'
Neutral: Even Pope Francis was keeping an eye on the game from the Vatican. The Argentine-born, football-loving pontiff pledged neutrality, promising not to pray for any team
Hoping God is on their side? Argentina and Germany fans wave their national flags prior to Pope Francis Sunday Angelus prayer at St. Peter's Square
Icon: A smiling nun holds up a Lionel Messi Argentina shirt as she waits for Pope Francis
Playing it smart: From left, the BBC presenting team of Rio Ferdinand, Alan Shearer, Alan Hansen, and Gary Lineker
BBC presenter Gary Lineker matched his dark suit with a charcoal tie while fellow former England striker Alan Shearer teamed his suit with a purple and white striped tie. Former Scotland international Alan Hansen wore a blue tie to mark his final broadcast appearance for the BBC after 22 years. Rio Ferdinand wore a double breasted suit with a bright orange tie.
But on Twitter many questioned the choice of the BBC team, with one describing them as ‘looking like sales reps’. Even Ferdinand joked later that his outfit made him look like a pilot for the airline easyJet.
On ITV, presenter Adrian Chiles and Martin O’Neill were in long-sleeve shirts while Ian Wright, Lee Dixon and Glenn Hoddle wore short-sleeve shirts.
None had a tie on.
Casual look: From left, the ITV panel was made up of Martin O'Neill, Ian Wright, Adrian Chiles, Lee Dixon, and Glenn Hoddle. None wore a tie
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