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World Cup 1974

Winner

Germany

Highlights

The 1974 World Cup, played in West Germany, was the first at which the winners received the current trophy, its predecessor having been awarded permanently to Brazil. The format changed too: the semi-finals were replaced by a second round of two groups, whose winners met in the final. Zaire, the first team from sub-Saharan Africa to take part, lost 9-0 to Yugoslavia.

In the first round, East Germany beat West Germany 1-0 in Hamburg, with a goal from Jürgen Sparwasser, in the only meeting ever played between the two German states. Johan Cruyff's Netherlands dazzled with their "Total Football" and swept aside Argentina and then Brazil. Poland finished third, and their forward Grzegorz Lato was top scorer with seven goals.

In the final in Munich, the Dutch were awarded a penalty in the opening minute, converted by Johan Neeskens before a single German player had touched the ball. Franz Beckenbauer's West Germany, the reigning European champions, equalised through a Paul Breitner penalty, and Gerd Müller scored before half-time to secure Germany's second world title (2-1).

Statistics

Total goals
97
Matches played
38
Goals/match
2.55
Best attack (goals scored)
16
Poland
Best defense (goals conceded)
1
Scotland

First round

Qualified for the next round

Group 1

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.GDREast Germany 5 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3
2.Germany 4 3 2 0 1 4 1 +3
3.Chile 2 3 0 2 1 1 2 -1
4.Australia 1 3 0 1 2 0 5 -5
Match results
Germany - Chile1 - 0
East Germany - Australia2 - 0
Germany - Australia3 - 0
Chile - East Germany1 - 1
Chile - Australia0 - 0
East Germany - Germany1 - 0

Group 2

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.YUGYugoslavia 4 3 1 2 0 10 1 +9
2.Brazil 4 3 1 2 0 3 0 +3
3.Scotland 4 3 1 2 0 3 1 +2
4.Zaire 0 3 0 0 3 0 14 -14
Match results
Yugoslavia - Brazil0 - 0
Scotland - Zaire2 - 0
Yugoslavia - Zaire9 - 0
Scotland - Brazil0 - 0
Brazil - Zaire3 - 0
Yugoslavia - Scotland1 - 1

Group 3

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Netherlands 5 3 2 1 0 6 1 +5
2.Sweden 4 3 1 2 0 3 0 +3
3.Bulgaria 2 3 0 2 1 2 5 -3
4.Uruguay 1 3 0 1 2 1 6 -5
Match results
Netherlands - Uruguay2 - 0
Sweden - Bulgaria0 - 0
Netherlands - Sweden0 - 0
Bulgaria - Uruguay1 - 1
Netherlands - Bulgaria4 - 1
Sweden - Uruguay3 - 0

Group 4

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Poland 6 3 3 0 0 12 3 +9
2.Argentina 3 3 1 1 1 7 5 +2
3.Italy 3 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1
4.Haiti 0 3 0 0 3 2 14 -12
Match results
Italy - Haiti3 - 1
Poland - Argentina3 - 2
Poland - Haiti7 - 0
Argentina - Italy1 - 1
Argentina - Haiti4 - 1
Poland - Italy2 - 1

Second round

Qualified for the next round

Group A

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Netherlands 6 3 3 0 0 8 0 +8
2.Brazil 4 3 2 0 1 3 3 0
3.GDREast Germany 1 3 0 1 2 1 4 -3
4.Argentina 1 3 0 1 2 2 7 -5
Match results
Brazil - East Germany1 - 0
Netherlands - Argentina4 - 0
Netherlands - East Germany2 - 0
Brazil - Argentina2 - 1
Netherlands - Brazil2 - 0
East Germany - Argentina1 - 1

Group B

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Germany 6 3 3 0 0 7 2 +5
2.Poland 4 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1
3.Sweden 2 3 1 0 2 4 6 -2
4.YUGYugoslavia 0 3 0 0 3 2 6 -4
Match results
Germany - Yugoslavia2 - 0
Poland - Sweden1 - 0
Germany - Sweden4 - 2
Poland - Yugoslavia2 - 1
Sweden - Yugoslavia2 - 1
Germany - Poland1 - 0

Knockout stage

Third place

Poland - Brazil1 - 0

Final

Germany2
Netherlands1

Top Scorers

Rank Player Goals Penalties Goals/match
1 Grzegorz Lato 7 0 1.00
2 Andrzej Szarmach 5 0 0.83
2 Johan Neeskens 5 3 0.71
4 Ralf Edstrom 4 0 0.67
4 Gerd Müller 4 0 0.57
4 Johnny Rep 4 0 0.57
7 Dusan Bajevic 3 0 1.00
7 René Houseman 3 0 0.50
7 Kazimierz Deyna 3 1 0.43
7 Johan Cruyff 3 0 0.43
7 Paul Breitner 3 1 0.43
7 Rivelino 3 0 0.43
13 Héctor Yazalde 2 0 0.67
13 Emmanuel Sanon 2 0 0.67
13 Joe Jordan 2 0 0.67
13 Stanislav Karasi 2 0 0.50
13 Joachim Streich 2 0 0.50
13 Roland Sandberg 2 0 0.33
13 Ivica Surjak 2 0 0.33
13 Wolfgang Overath 2 0 0.29
13 Jairzinho 2 0 0.29
22 Gianni Rivera 1 0 0.50
22 Pietro Anastasi 1 0 0.33
22 Bernd Cullmann 1 0 0.33
22 Peter Lorimer 1 0 0.33
22 Romeo Benetti 1 0 0.33
22 Hristo Bonev 1 0 0.33
22 Fabio Capello 1 0 0.33
22 Sergio Ahumada 1 0 0.33
22 Ricardo Pavoni 1 0 0.33
22 Theo De Jong 1 0 0.25
22 Miguel Brindisi 1 0 0.25
22 Rainer Bonhof 1 0 0.25
22 Ilija Petkovic 1 0 0.20
22 Branko Oblak 1 0 0.20
22 Conny Torstensson 1 0 0.20
22 Dragan Dzajic 1 0 0.20
22 Carlos Babington 1 0 0.20
22 Vladislav Bogicevic 1 0 0.20
22 Rob Rensenbrink 1 0 0.17
22 Jürgen Grabowski 1 0 0.17
22 Martin Hoffmann 1 0 0.17
22 Valdomiro 1 0 0.17
22 Rubén Ayala 1 0 0.17
22 Josip Katalinski 1 0 0.17
22 Ramón Heredia 1 0 0.17
22 Jürgen Sparwasser 1 0 0.17
22 Uli Hoeneß 1 1 0.14
22 Jerzy Gorgon 1 0 0.14
22 Ruud Krol 1 0 0.14