Germany won the World Cup for the fourth time with a stunning extra-time winner from super-sub Mario Gotze in the 1-0 victory over Argentina.
But it was a game that didn't rise to it's billing.
The final looked set to go to a penalty shoot-out in the Maracana, but in the 113th minute Gotze chested down Andre Schurrle's cross and volleyed home to cap a victory for the jubilant Germans.
It will take a while for Lionel Messi to forget this defeat.
Tens of thousands of Argentinians had flooded Rio hoping to see Messi inspire his team to their third World Cup win.
This was Messi's chance to put himself on a par with his idol Diego Maradona.
But unlike in 1986, when Maradona captained Argentina to victory against the Germans, he hardly got out of the blocks.
GERMANY'S RECORD:
Germany 1 - 0 Argentina
Brazil 1 - 7 Germany
France 0 - 1 Germany
Germany 2 - 1 Algeria
USA 0 - 1 Germany
Germany 2 - 2 Ghana
Germany 4 - 0 Portugal