Germany’s astounding 7-1 humbling of host nation Brazil on Tuesday night in the first semi-final of the 2014 World Cup set a number of new records, including being Brazil’s heaviest defeat in competitive football.
The result is the first time a nation had scored seven goals in a World Cup semi-final and the six-goal margin is the widest ever recorded following the five-goal margins from both semi-final matches of the 1930 World Cup.
For Brazil, it is the first competitive loss suffered on home soil in 39 years, having gone 62 consecutive matches unbeaten since losing 3-1 to Peru in the 1975 Copa America, coincidentally in the same venue as the loss to Germany on Tuesday.
The match also saw Germany score four goals in six first half minutes while the 5-0 half-time score is the the only the third time five goals have been scored in the first half of a World Cup match.
Miroslav Klose became the highest scoring player in World Cup history at 16 goals while Thomas Müller’s opening goal in the match was his fifth at the 2014 World Cup, making him one of three players to score at least five goals at two World Cups with Klose being one of the other two players.
Müller’s opening goal is also the 2,000th goal scored by the German national team while teammate Toni Kroos’ brace scored 69 seconds apart is now the fastest pair of goals ever scored in World Cup history.
Germany meanwhile have now reached a record eighth World Cup final after setting a new record of reaching the semi-final stage in four consecutive editions.
The seven goals ensured Germany surpassed Brazil as the all-time leading scorers in World Cup history with 223 goals, two goals ahead of Brazil with 221.
And with 35.6 million tweets sent, the match is now the most tweeted about sports game in history.
Germany will next meet with the winner of the second semi-final match between Argentina and Netherlands.