A decade on: Memories of the Brazil 2014 World Cup

A whole decade has now passed since the footballing world descended on the samba epicentre of the globe, Brazil, for a month of sporting magic. Back in 2014, Roy Hodgson was England manager, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney were still at it, and Jude Bellingham was about to turn eleven. With this summer’s Euros almost upon us (and set to be hosted by Germany, the eventual winners in South America), now seems a more than appropriate time to look back on what quickly became, for many of us, a nostalgic footballing memory. In this adoring glance to the past, I’ll reminisce on pivotal and infamous moments alike, and reflect on where Brasil 2014 resides in the history books of the beautiful game’s most beautiful competition.

When the curtain raised in São Paulo, Brazil’s most populous city, and Pitbull, J.Lo, and Claudia Leitte belted out their official tournament single ‘We Are One (Ole Ola)’ to vibrant crowds, it was clear that the road to Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã stadium on 13 July would be an unforgettable one. The bouncy energy of that song was the soundtrack to the summer, just as Shakira’s and K’naan’s hits ‘Waka Waka (This time for Africa)’ and ‘Wavin’ Flag’, respectively, had accompanied the swarming vuvuzelas in the preceding South African iteration of the tournament. There’s an unbridled joy about a World Cup tune, particularly from that early-2010s pop era, which always brings fans’ sentimentally flooding back (ever-rising YouTube views attest to that). Whilst the hammering home of ideals of unity and togetherness is always clichéd in such anthems, the songs never cease to make us smile. The harmony of what was undoubtedly a ‘simpler time’, at least for us as kids, can always be encapsulated through a FIFA World Cup soundtrack.

In the summer of 2014, an infectious love for Brazilian culture was visible all around

I myself was nine at the time of this tournament and, attached to the end of that school year, is a world of memories of the first major tournament I was engrossed by. My friends and I were determined to complete the Panini sticker album, the daily lunchtime football melee acquired higher stakes, the arguments over who got to update our class’ tournament wall chart became ever more heated, and the samba drums were dusted off for music class. In the summer of 2014, an infectious love for Brazilian culture was visible all around.

As with every major tournament, Brazil 2014 saw the baptism of several young stars, even as the already-formed titans of the game continued to hone their skills on a global stage.

Colombia’s starlet James Rodríguez became the hottest talent to emerge from the tournament, with his goal-scoring heroics (including an eternally re-watchable volley against Uruguay) earning him the Golden Boot that month with six strikes. He may not have sustained his career heights since his subsequent big-money move to Real Madrid, but James secured his place in World Cup history in style.

In contrast, other players maintained a remarkable longevity. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, 27 at the time, was achieving unthinkable numbers for Barcelona; only in 2012, he had set the record (which still stands) for most goals in a calendar year, with 91 goals. In Brazil, the great Argentinian took his side to the brink of glory, only to fall at the final hurdle when Argentina lost out in the World Cup final. Of course, eight years later in Qatar, the hunger of Messi and tens of millions of Argentinians would finally be satiated in the most climactic of ways, in what many already regard as one of the sport’s greatest box-office finals against newly-minted Real Madrid player Kylian Mbappé’s France. 2014, however, saw the German eagle, courtesy of an extra-time Mario Götze deadlock-breaker, soar to the top of world football.

A quarter-final against Colombia had seen Brazil’s talisman Neymar stretchered off after suffering a fractured vertebra, but nothing could prepare Brazil’s fans for their next serving of agony

Nevertheless, as readers will likely agree, there was one game in particular which defined the whole tournament – an abundance of tears were shed by fans in canary yellow jerseys at a semi-final many a Brazilian would love to efface from their memory.

A quarter-final against Colombia had seen Brazil’s talisman Neymar stretchered off after suffering a fractured vertebra, but nothing could prepare Brazil’s fans for their next serving of agony. Centre-back David Luiz’s emotions spring to mind immediately when you think of the infamous 7-1 scoreline which embarrassed the largest country in South America, and stunned everyone watching. Among those seven goals were two for Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos, who recently marked his retirement with a sixth Champions League win for his club. The 2024 Euros in his homeland will be Kroos’ last dance for his country.

There were numerous other tournament-defining moments, one of which featured Robin van Persie. Van Persie, who recently became head coach of Dutch side Heerenveen, quite literally became the ‘flying dutchman’ when he netted a now-iconic header against Spain in the Netherlands’ 5-1 victory over the reigning world champions. The Oranje would go on to place third in the tournament, whilst Spain themselves would be sent home in the group stage to the shock of many. Across Spain’s four years of tournament dominance (winning Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012), they had conceded a combined six goals, one fewer than they did in their miserable 2014 group-stage experience alone.

England’s one point was their lowest-ever tally in a World Cup group stage and marked their first elimination in the opening round since 1958

Elsewhere, German striker Miroslav Klose, whose debut World Cup was in Korea-Japan in 2002, became the all-time record goalscorer in the competition, netting his sixteenth World Cup goal in that semi-final against Brazil. Even so, 25-year-old Mbappé looks poised to smash this record in the coming years, after reaching 12 goals in Qatar, only his second World cup outing. Another individual record which still stands was achieved by USA goalkeeper Tim Howard, whose 16 saves in a Round of 16 match against Belgium was the most by a keeper in a single World Cup game.

If you’re waiting to be reminded how the Three Lions fared, there isn’t much to smile about. England’s one point was their lowest-ever tally in a World Cup group stage and marked their first elimination in the opening round since 1958. Costa Rica were the tournament’s surprise package, topping England’s group (Group D) and reaching the quarter-finals, largely thanks to Golden Glove nominee Keylor Navas’ shot-stopping.

The experience of the other two teams in Group D, Uruguay and Italy, can perhaps best be summarised by one incident when they faced off in the group stage. A BBC Sport article at the time opened: “Uruguay’s Luis Suárez has been accused of biting a player for the third time in his career after an incident with Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.” In a surreal moment, Chiellini, who later called the Uruguayan a “sneak”, showed the referee what was evidently a bite mark on his shoulder. A few days after the match, Suárez was banned from all football for four months.

It will remain difficult to supercede the beauty and chaos of Brazil 2014

This wasn’t Suárez’s first World Cup controversy though – in 2010, his blatant off-the-line handball against Ghana in the quarter-final earned him a red card but saw his team advance to the semi-final. Suárez may be a hero or a villain depending on one’s stance, yet one thing’s for certain – he has provided us with many memorable talking points.

Ten years on from Brazil 2014, its legacy speaks for itself. The introduction of goal-line technology to the tournament was a welcome addition, particularly after Frank Lampard’s disallowed ‘ghost goal’ in South Africa four years earlier; an on-fire Germany squad wrote themselves into history, their ranks featuring three players still active in the Euro 2024 squad (veterans Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos, and Thomas Müller); and 171 exceptional goals were scored with the flashy Brazuca ball (a number only exceeded by Qatar’s 172 goals).

With the World Cup set to return to Latin American turf in 2026 (Mexico will co-host with the USA and Canada), anticipation is high, especially with the cultural vibrancy inherent in the region. That said, it will remain difficult to supercede the beauty and chaos of Brazil 2014, whose atmosphere, buzz, and colourful personality dominates the memories of many. If anything, looking back on the joy of 2014’s summer is a comforting reminder of a time when we were one – and, even if these ten years have flown by, the samba of Brazil can still be faintly heard, beating like a heart in the past.